Tynker is a hands-on website where children can learn how to code through the use of an interactive curriculum. This is considered the number one coding platform for kids and has sixty million kids worldwide participating and using the website. This website offers a curriculum for both at home and in school. Students can create their own games, website, apps, toys, and Minecraft all on this website. When students click on the control toys block of the website it pulls up a separate webpage where you can see all of the award-winning coding projects and it is also filled into different interests. This website also has areas for children to explore vocabulary related to coding as well as gain background information needed to understand how coding works. Students are also able to explore games that others have created and explored STEM concentration ideals.
This program can be used both at home and in the classroom and has lesson plans for each of them. There is a full curriculum for how this works within the classroom. Both in school and at home curriculums work with the website as well as the mobile app.
Teachers are given resources such as lesson plans, assessments, access to other schools using this website, and classroom management tips and tricks. There is a mixture of lesson plans for various grades as well as some that are free and others that you need to pay for. The programs are broken up into elementary school, middle school, and then a full curriculum that can be beneficial for kindergarten through eighth grade.
Teachers are given resources such as lesson plans, assessments, access to other schools using this website, and classroom management tips and tricks. There is a mixture of lesson plans for various grades as well as some that are free and others that you need to pay for. The programs are broken up into elementary school, middle school, and then a full curriculum that can be beneficial for kindergarten through eighth grade.
Then for the parents, they are also given resources to try and help their students learn and engage in the curriculum at home. There is a webpage for parents that explains all about coding and shares information about how coding can be used by any child with varying interests. They can track their child's progress through this learning and can see how this learning can relate to the classroom. This curriculum can be used strictly outside of the classroom as well and still help the students learn math, organization, writing, and critical thinking skills.
How do you use Tynker?
This company has broken its programs into three levels based on proficiency levels of coding and age. The students can go through the levels and gain the needed skills related to their level of coding. This curriculum for both in school as well as at home use costs money and can be purchased in either form. The student will then have access to the online webpage with a majority of the instructional tools as well as the extra needed materials that will be given in the program package after purchase.
The first level is for ages four through seven where they are going to learn to code through voice instruction. Here they are going to work through problem-solving skills and create simple apps of their own. They will also begin to master the introductory stages of coding and the uses of various areas of this website and curriculum.
The first level is for ages four through seven where they are going to learn to code through voice instruction. Here they are going to work through problem-solving skills and create simple apps of their own. They will also begin to master the introductory stages of coding and the uses of various areas of this website and curriculum.
The second stage is for ages seven through thirteen. This stage would be considered a drag and drop coding instruction. The students in this age group and stage would be more independent but also have the guidance of the curriculum and website to help them. Here the student will be working on building their own apps and games and also explore STEM subjects in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. Not only will they be working with coding online and building apps but they will also be able to take their learning outside of the website and control robots and drones through the use of coding. Lastly, this stage also includes the idea of Minecraft models and activities.
The last stage is for thirteen years old and older. Here the students are even more independent in their learning and they are experiencing real-world coding. They will learn new platforms such as JavaScript and Python. They will also expand their knowledge on web development and learn new data structures that they can use in the real world and in their new projects and games. This is also an introductory curriculum for those who would like to continue and take an upper-level Computer Science course as they continue their education.
Research on Tynker
Learning these skills at a younger age, students can excel within these skills later and even progress into an upper-level school which has a STEM program. Tynker is looking to be further developed and more accessible to students within the next few years. Tynker is looking to expand their interests for the lessons and adding other topics such as Barbies, Hot Wheels, and Monster High to intrigue more children to want to learn about coding. Tynker is also joining with other companies such as Mattel to help expand other 21st century skills to offer to students. Tynker is also linking with Mattel for their Mattel Code-A-Thon to help encourage students to get involved in programming. Tynker is also merging with Teacher Outreach which is another company that will help with this expansion of encouraging students to get involved in programming and provide teachers with resources that they need to provide students with these opportunities. Through the use of these meaningful play experiences, students of all ages are able to gain these skills that are both beneficial inside and outside of the classroom.
My Personal Experience
I have been able to explore the basics of this website as well as see a student work with this type of technology. I have seen our own versions of coding happening during our Lego Education Days as well as the Lego Education Showcase where we have students both in elementary and middle school working with STEM ideas and technology related to it. We allow students to work with Legos as well as basic coding systems and robots. Here the students are in charge of their learning and fulling engaging in what they want to make. They are given the basic tools and from there can run free through their imagination and creativity. I have recently been very interested in STEM and plan on continuing my education in a STEM Concentration to further my knowledge and abilities to teach my students.
References
Alessi, K. (2017, October). Tynker Review for Teachers. Retrieved November 12, 2019, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/tynker.
Coding for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2019, from https://www.tynker.com/?t=reset.
Mattel Expands with Tynker. (2018, April 6).Retrieved from https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/mattel-expands-tynker.
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