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Teacher Reviewed Resources for Coding!

Coding is a hot topic in education and this week we feature Twitter chat and virtual workshop archives plus two curated collections of resources to help you foster your students' coding skills. 

Grades K-12

Twitter Chat: Coding 101

Did you miss our Coding 101 Twitter chat? Review the chat archive to learn the fundamentals of coding and creation, discover tech tools to help teachers introduce coding, and more. Learn from and be inspired by our tech coaches and your peers.

Grades K-12

OK2Ask: MakeCode: Bring Computational Thinking into Any Classroom

Discover Microsoft MakeCode projects and Hacking STEM lessons--hands-on activities that engage students immediately. View this recording and learn how to integrate pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithmic thinking, and more into any content area.

Grades K-12

Coding in the Classroom

Reference this curated list to find the best tools for teachers and students to learn about coding. Nurture problem solving, logic, and creativity with resources for all grade and skill levels.

Grades K-12

Computational Thinking

Computational thinking is expressing solutions so that humans and computers can understand them. Explore our collection of tools that promote computational thinking skills. Grade level suggestions and tech integration ideas are included.

Prepare for the Hour of Code

Read all about the Hour of Code (December 3-9) and register your class to participate!

Grades K-10

Code

Spark interest in The Hour of Code, especially among girls and the very young. Code has something for all students in grades K-10. Find everything an early coder needs to get started: lessons, tutorials, activities, videos, and more.

Grades 2-12

Minecraft Hour of Code Tutorials

Learn the basics of computer coding by moving characters through a Minecraft world with these Hour of Code activities. Try your hand at using code to make your own Minecraft game! View the video introduction to learn more and engage your students.

Grades 2-6

Disney Hour of Code Digital Toolkit - Moana: Wayfinding with Code

Join Disney's Moana to learn about the Hour of Code and gain a deeper understanding of computer science. This site includes a detailed toolkit, videos, a printable toolkit, and a hands-on coding adventure designed for students ages eight through twelve.

Coding in the Elementary Classroom

Try these three tools to introduce coding in the elementary grades.

Grades K-6

CodeCampus

Start coding in the primary grades! CodeCampus provides a free hour of training, plus 20 hours of lesson plans. Free school accounts are available with signups from administrators or technology specialists with additional hours of free training.

Grades 1-6

E.A.K. (Erase All Kittens)

Save the missing kittens! Try this activity that teaches HTML coding. As students play EAK, they learn how to build ledges, add boxes, and more. There are short demos and tips throughout the activity to guide students on how to add and edit code.

Grades 4-12

Codecademy

This tool helps you learn how to code. Build projects such as interactive websites, games, and apps. Join a community of coders and share the knowledge. Collaborate with others for new projects. Don't miss the 18 adaptable lesson plans for coding!

This Week at TeachersFirst

If you haven't already registered for our winter book study, don't delay -- space is limited! Now is also a great time for middle school science teachers to join MySciLife. The next Jumpstart webinar is Tuesday, December 11th. And finally, please take a minute to share if you will participate in the Hour of Code via our weekly poll.