Coding for Kids
The Tynker Learning Platform is a program designed to teach computer programming skills to students in elementary, middle and high school. Created by Tynker, this program has the potential to change the way computer science and literacy courses are taught nationwide.
The Tynker Learning Platform goes well beyond teaching basic fundamentals. Instruction on how to boot your computer, typing, and older programming languages were the central focus of learning in computer science. However, at ages as young as 8 months and younger, children are using smart tablets, smart phones, and PCs. Moreover, people of all ages are creating apps for their mobile devices. Therefore, the development of more advanced computer science instruction is a necessity today. Programs such as the Tynker Learning Platform can provide young learners with computer science instruction that coincides with today’s technology.
Tynker believes that “computational thinking and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education.” By creating the Tynker Learning Platform, Tynker‘s goal is to:
- Provide every child with a solid foundation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) thinking abilities to prepare them for 21st century degrees and careers.
- Enable children to learn Computer Science concepts through discovery, creative activities and experimentation.
The Tynker Learning Platform is available in standard and premium editions. The standard edition is free and includes:
- An integrated development environment
- Classroom managment tools
- Grading
- A programming skills starter pack
The premium edition includes:
- Lessons plans and solutions that teach animation, storytelling, game design, physics, math, art, etc.
- Puzzles that teach program concepts
- Class assessment charts that evaluate class as well as individual student performance
- Tynker Character Studio
- An extended media library
To ensure that all learners have the opportunity to gain access to the Tynker Learning Platform, the standard edition of the program is being offered for free at on Tynker.com’s Get Tynker for your School. If you feel that the Tynker Learning Platform is right for your school, you can upgrade to the premium edition whose price is “based on the number of seats purchased for a classroom,” states Tynker. To learn more about the Tynker Learning Platform visit Tynker.com, GoTynker on Facebook, Go Tynker on Twitter, and Tynker on Google Plus.
(Editor’s Note: Examiner.com has been shut down as of July 2016. All links have been removed)
