Author: Beth

As a teacher or educator, it’s important to prepare your K12 students for academic success and set them up for success in their future careers. One way to do this is by introducing them to the world of digital skills.

In today’s world, digital skills are becoming increasingly important for a wide range of careers. From coding and software development to digital marketing and data analysis, the ability to use technology effectively is becoming a key requirement for many jobs.

But why should you consider introducing your K12 students to digital skills?

1. Demand for digital skills is high and growing. The demand for workers with digital skills is expected to continue to increase in the coming years, as more and more businesses rely on technology to operate and compete. This means that students who develop digital skills can look forward to strong job prospects and a lucrative career path.
2. Digital skills apply to a wide range of industries. Digital skills are in demand across various industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, and more. Students who develop digital skills will have a wide range of career options to choose from.
3. Digital skills can lead to higher salaries. Workers with digital skills tend to earn higher salaries than those without. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $88,240 in 2020, and this figure is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

So how can you introduce your K12 students to digital skills? Here are a few ideas:

1. Incorporate digital skills into your curriculum. There are many ways you can incorporate digital skills into your existing curriculum, depending on the subject you teach. For example, if you teach math, you could introduce students to basic coding concepts using tools like Scratch. If you teach social studies, you could discuss the role that technology plays in different industries.
2. Offer extracurricular digital skills clubs or workshops. Consider starting a digital skills club or offering digital skills workshops as an extracurricular activity for interested students. This can be a great way to give students hands-on experience with digital skills and tools.
3. Encourage students to pursue internships or apprenticeships in fields that require digital skills. Internships and apprenticeships can be a great way for students to get real-world experience in fields that require digital skills and gain valuable skills and knowledge. Encourage your students to seek out these opportunities, either through your school or through local businesses.

Introducing your K12 students to digital skills can be a great way to set them up for success in their future careers. By incorporating digital skills into your curriculum, offering extracurricular digital skills activities, and encouraging students to pursue internships and apprenticeships, you can help your students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s tech-driven world.

With the world becoming increasingly digital, it is more important than ever for students to understand and be able to use the technology that surrounds them. The need for basic digital skills is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.

BSD can open doors for students and empower them with knowledge and skills that will help them succeed personally and professionally.

Approach One: Baseline + Experience for All Students

Just like we require our students to learn certain languages or science fundamentals, having a baseline understanding of technology should also be mandatory. We can’t let our students opt out of this part of their education – they can’t ignore what is happening in their world!

BSD provides students with the foundation they need to interact with technology confidently and competently. It gives them the tools to become lifelong learners who are not afraid to tackle new technologies as they come along.

Approach Two: The Future Is Now!

The evolution of technology has changed so much about how we live, work, play, communicate, and even think. Technology permeates almost every aspect of life today, so teaching our students BSD isn’t just about preparing them for future jobs or tasks – it’s about equipping them with skills that are applicable now!

From communication platforms such as Skype or Zoom to search engines such as Google or Bing, having a good understanding of digital skills can give your students access to information and opportunities that may have been unavailable just a few years ago.

Teaching your students BSD can also foster creativity and collaboration among peers who may have different levels of experience when it comes to technology.

BSD is critical today because it provides our students with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in an increasingly digital landscape.

By providing our students with a baseline understanding of technology plus experience using various tools available, we can equip them with the confidence necessary to make informed decisions about their future careers and take advantage of opportunities that may come their way.

With great power comes great responsibility – by teaching our students about BSD today, we are setting them up for success tomorrow!

BSD can help integrate technology education into any subject. We’ve created a full line of guided projects that can easily be implemented across core subjects including math, science, English, social studies, and art.

An integrated school curriculum is an educational model which combines traditional academic learning with hands-on activities and real-world experiences. This type of learning encourages students to think critically, develop problem-solving skills, and become more engaged in their studies.

It provides an opportunity for students to learn and apply knowledge in a meaningful way. Integrated school curriculum combines academic subjects like math, science, and language arts with physical activities, creative arts, and other experiential learning opportunities.

Through this type of curriculum, students can develop a holistic understanding of the world around them. For example, a student may learn about the cell structure of a plant in a science class, then use the information to create a painting in an art class. The goal of integrated school curriculum is to create a learning environment which is engaging and motivating for students. This type of curriculum encourages students to think outside the box, seek out new ideas, and explore their interests.

By doing so, students learn more effectively and develop a better understanding of the material. Integrated school curriculum also offers students the chance to develop skills that will help them succeed in the future. For example, a student may learn how to communicate effectively in a team setting or how to use technology to solve a problem. These skills are invaluable in the workplace and can help students stand out in the job market.

Integrated school curriculum is an excellent way to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education. With this type of curriculum, students can engage in meaningful learning experiences and develop the skills necessary for success in the future.

When it comes to education, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

In order to ensure that your students are getting the most out of your lessons, it is important to take the time to develop a pedagogy that works for you and your students.

But where do you start? Here are 5 questions to ask yourself as you begin developing your pedagogy.

1) Who are my students?
2) What are my goals for this class?
3) What is my teaching style?
4) What kinds of assignments and activities will best help my students learn?
5) How can I assess my students’ learning?

Asking yourself these questions will help you to create a pedagogy that is tailored to your unique students and classroom.

Keep in mind that your pedagogy will likely change and evolve over time as you gain more experience and insights into what works best for you and your students.

Allow yourself the flexibility to experiment and don’t be afraid to make changes as needed!

Developing a pedagogy can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be!

By taking the time to ask yourself some important questions, you can start to develop a pedagogy that will work well for you and your students.

Keep in mind that your pedagogy may change over time as you gain more experience, so allow yourself the flexibility to experiment and make changes as needed.

Educational Technology is now a part of the fabric of learning, much like books and chalkboards were the main instruments of education in the past.

• Educational Robotics
• Coding and Programming in the Curriculum
• Makerspaces and Maker Tools
• Laptops for all Children

In the world of Educational Technology, you have probably seen or are at least aware of the above-mentioned list and their radical effects on education. Did you know that these concepts were dreamed up in the late 1960s when computer access was only available for research institutions?

These ideas have gone on to change the way that children learn and how technology is used to enhance learning. These concepts and many others were dreamed up by a team of researchers led by Seymour Papert that eventually became known as the educational theory of Constructionism.

Seymour dared educators to grow, invent and lead in a system prone to compliance and standardization. He argued that education is a natural process that blossoms without coercion.

Constructionism surmises that learning is most effective when students are active in making meaningful objects and artifacts and can draw their own conclusions through experimentation across multiple media, thus constructing new relationships with knowledge in the process.

Our Vice President of Education, Mark Barnett, is a Ph.D. student in the lineage of Seymour Papert and has been designing Constructionist learning experiences for over 10 years.

Read more about his journey as a Constructionist educator and the history of Constructionism in this 3-part series on the topic.

• Part 1: A Brief History
• Part 2: Beyond Mindstorms, Social Implications of Constructionism
• Part 3: Constructionism in 2020 and Beyond

For more on Constructionism, watch our BSD Learn webinar over on our YouTube channel today

When I reflect on my own experience as a student, there are only a handful of meaningful memories that I recall that were related to what I was learning. Nobody remembers what was said on page 36 of the math textbook or what year the Origin of Species was published. We probably spent many years of our formative education studying these types of facts, yet we don’t have strong memories attached to them. The memories that I recall fondly of are when my teachers immersed me into a project that didn’t have a solidly defined outcome. 

One example that stands out for me, which was my first experience with a project, involved the identification, collection and display of Texas wildflowers (proud Texan here). At the time I didn’t care too much about wildflowers, but the project ignited an inner “Indiana Jones” in me. I hunted down the most rare and beautiful wildflowers that I could find in West Texas, paying close attention to the varieties of subspecies, habitat locations and population distributions. The project culminated in creating a personal wildflower collection scrapbook with photos, notes, and pressed flowers. To this day, it is the only artifact of learning that I have retained from my k-12 education.

This early project profoundly impacted me, which has lasted through my career as an educator, researcher and Project Based Learning Coach. Since that first project I have always wondered why anyone would need to memorize the contents of page 36 of the math book, when you can easily find and look up any fact on the internet, which makes learning about facts almost obsolete. Famed education researcher, Sugata Mitra has even boldly stated that we have reached “the end of knowing (facts).” Mitra, myself and many other leading educators and researchers have known this for a while and have shifted our focus from learning facts, to learning skills. Though, in my experience, learning skills in isolation is similar to learning facts, and can sometimes be boring and repetitive. Designing projects that provide opportunities for students to learn skills in the context of a certain content area makes learning skills more intuitive, natural and creates an atmosphere of how most work is done -through projects.

Project Based Learning provides an enriching experience where students are learning subject-matter content as well as highly transferable skills like communication, problem solving, and adaptability. If I think back to my Texas wildflower project, besides learning how to identify a Yellowstar, I also learned how to manage time, organize ideas, present information, share observations and ask for help. These vital skills are transferable and useful in life as well as in school. This is why Project Based Learning is such a powerful approach to learning. Along with learning transferable skills, Project Based Learning has also been shown to increase student engagement, increase National test scores and increase attendance. 

At BSD Education, we design learning experiences that take advantage of the benefits of Project Based Learning and bake them right into our learning platform. Our students learn digital skills like coding, design and entrepreneurship, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving.

If you are interested in learning more about Project Based Learning, here are some resources you can check out:

PBL Works

PBL Professional Development

My blog with several project examples

If you want to learn more about this, tune into our upcoming webinar on the topic. If you are reading this article after the date of the webinar, no problem! All previous recorded webinars can be found here on our website.