It is always great to find others with similar interests. The Teach Kids Engineering site has a number of articles and resources that can be put to use by classroom teachers, home-schoolers, out-of-school programs, informal educators – anyone teaching engineering to kids.
From How to Teach Kids Engineering – 5 Keys to Success republished with permission.
Yes, there are five keys highlighted in the original article. There is a lot of information in each. They will be presented as separate posts here so you get the full benefit. More to follow…
1. Always Be Building the Foundation
Really fun engineering projects require some basic tools. Do the kids want to build a robot? That requires them to understand a little bit about coding, electronics, and motor control. The biggest challenge for us as teachers and parents is teaching them the fundamentals without losing their interest. How do we give them the necessary tools without pushing them away?
The trick is to work in the fundamentals in a way that does not feel grueling. Fortunately there is a rapidly growing number of resources available to help you do just that.
Sites like code.org and Scratch are designed specifically to introduce kids to coding in fun and unique ways. Products like Snap Circuits and Little Bits are designed to get kids excited about electronics. There is a growing number of innovative educational robotics kits: LEGO Mindstorms, Ozobot, Dash and Dot, just to name a few. There are even products that teach kids the fundamentals of video game design such as Bloxels and Mario Maker.
For more examples, check out our Resources page and our STEM Toys Page.
It’s important not to delay real engineering projects until they master the fundamentals. Work on building this foundation alongside engaging projects to keep them excited.
engineering 4 kids 