Month: May 2025
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Integrating Micro:bits into Core Subjects: A Teacher’s New Assistant
Bridging CS and core subjects with AI. Micro:bit integration made easy for teachers. Personal journey from history to EdTech innovation. As a tech coach, my journey into the world of computer science has been driven by a deep fascination rather than formal training. My background is actually in history, and I’ve never written a line…
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Gold Rush Meets Wi-Fi: Teaching History Through Computer Science
Students learned about packets, routers, and receivers through a Gold Rush-themed activity. Groups created, delivered, and decoded messages using school maps and Internet protocols. The lesson boosted engagement and connected history with computer science. What do the California Gold Rush and computer science have in common? In Mrs. Garges’ 4th grade class, quite a lot!…
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El Monte Middle School’s Google HQ Adventure
El Monte Middle School students from rural Orosi, CA had a life-changing field trip to Google HQ and Stanford University. The Google CodeNext program helped fund this trip, exposing underserved students to tech careers and college. The experience provided many students with significant “firsts,” broadening their worldviews. Orosi, California, is a small, rural community tucked…
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Super Mario, Algorithms, and Iterative Writing
Fourth graders wrote game algorithms to improve writing clarity. Students tested each other’s instructions through Super Mario gameplay. A classic video game became a fun tool for integrated ELA and CS learning. Getting technology into the classroom can open up amazing learning possibilities, and sometimes the coolest lessons come from places you might not expect.…
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Using Google Translate Conversation Mode to Shine
Technology bridges language barriers for students in the classroom. A student’s resilience and determination lead to significant academic and personal growth. Empowering educators with EdTech strategies creates opportunities for student success. What happens when a student faces a language barrier but refused to let it hold her back? You got a powerful reminder of how…
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Power Up Your Social Studies Lesson with Algorithms and Super Mario
History Meets CS: Students use algorithms to map explorers’ and gold seekers’ routes, integrating geography and computational thinking. Lesson Remix with Mario: Teachers kick off with a Super Mario Brothers challenge to build algorithmic thinking in a fun, familiar way. Collaboration and Creativity: Through whiteboard planning, gallery walks, and gameplay testing, students refine and apply…
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Loops, Choices, and Pigs: How One ELA Lesson Brought Computer Science to Life
Role-playing games bring stories and student thinking to life Conditionals and loops deepen understanding of plot and choice Low-tech activities build real-world computational thinking skills What if your students could play through a story instead of just reading it? That’s exactly what one innovative lesson invites them to do—by transforming a classic literary tale into…
