Apple brings education tools to nurture future coding talent

A section from Everyone Can Code Early Learners course.

Apple has introduced new learning resources designed to encourage kids to learn to make apps and create code. It has introduced new activity guides and an Everyone Can Code Early Learners course.

What Apple says

Apple’s vice president of Education and Enterprise Marketing, Susan Prescott got the boiler plate for this release, saying:

“Coding and app design are essential literacies — these skills help students think critically and creatively, regardless of whether they go on to be app developers.”

“Apple now offers coding resources for learners from kindergarten to college, and challenges them to design amazing apps that are inclusive and accessible to users. Our resources and support for educators are designed to prepare students to be the innovators of tomorrow, whether they’re just getting started or ready to build their first apps.”

What is being made available?

The new resources for elementary school students and educators, include a new activity guide called Everyone Can Code Early Learners. Educators can also try Apple’s new one-hour Inclusive App Design activity.

The company has also updated its Schoolwork app with support for exit tickets and enable educators to use the app on their personal devices.

What is Everyone Can Code Early Learners?

Everyone Can Code Early Learners aims to nurture coding skills with the provision of engaging and often off-screen activities aimed at learners in kindergarten through third grade.

The idea is that children get to grips with code, what it is, how it is made and can be applied with tasks that fit tightly to curriculum subjects including science, art, music, and physical education.

For example, a lesson on coding commands is taught through dance moves, and an activity on functions asks students to discuss calming techniques step by step, connecting to social emotional learning.

What is Apple’s Everyone Can Create and why does it matter?

Everyone Can Code Early Learners is available today as a free download for families and educators on apple.com. In celebration of Europe Code Week, the guide is launching in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish, with additional languages to follow.

Europe Code Week

During Europe Code Week, October 9-24, and through Computer Science Education Week, December 6-12, Apple is encouraging educators and their students to participate in an introductory Inclusive App Design activity.

This one-hour session should help students turn their ideas to resovle problems that matter to them into apps with inclusion and accessibility in mind. It helps students think critically about how to build apps that are inclusive for all and prepares them to be the innovators of tomorrow.

The Inclusive App Design activity is available now in the Apple Teacher Learning Center.

Schoolwork improvements

The Schoolwork app add support for a popular educator survey tool called exit tickets.

These are a quick way for teachers to check in with students during or after class, using easy-to-create questions to gauge student comprehension, reactions, or engagement. Apple has also made it easier for teachers to create Schoolwork accounts for students with little to no IT involvement.

The Schoolwork app is available in beta through AppleSeed for IT.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.