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Hello, friend!
The most effective educators these days are focusing less on imparting traditional “content” or knowledge and more on building the skills to access, evaluate, and use that knowledge to successfully navigate a rapidly changing world. These include both “hard skills”—like math, reading, writing, using specific tools—and the “soft skills” that today’s employers are clamoring for—critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, curiosity, persistence, empathy. The children who learn these skills well will be best prepared to take on the great problems of our time, such as climate change and inequality, and will emerge as the leaders of strong, resilient communities.
Fortunately, Austin is full of innovative schools and educational programs that excel at cultivating these skills, and in this issue of Alt Ed Austin’s newsletter we’re highlighting a few of them. Our Sponsor Spotlight comes from MakeCrate, a local service offering hands-on projects that combine coding, engineering, and problem solving. Recently on the Blog catches you up on guest essays we've published over the past month from directors of three very different but equally effective programs where kids develop both hard and soft skills.
As always, the Happenings column on the left lists school tours, open houses, book discussions, public talks, and other education-related events around Austin. Be sure to visit our frequently updated online calendar, too, if you’re looking for opportunities to find out about great places to learn in Austin. If you have a favorite social media platform, I encourage you to follow Alt Ed Austin on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, where we regularly share news and ideas about education and parenting.
Thanks to the hundreds of you who braved the cold to join us at our first Festival of Learning last month! The array of educational programs on display was spectacular. For those of you who missed the event, we’ve made it easy to connect to all the participating schools and organizations; just follow the links on our festival page.
And my deepest thanks to all the families I’ve worked with this year in private consultations and group workshops. It has been an honor and a pleasure to help you find the right fit for your kids. I wish you happy holidays and a 2019 full of love and learning!
Alternatively yours,
Teri
Sponsor Spotlight
Today, computers are even more a part of daily life than cars. Not only have they become invaluable tools in almost every profession; they also power household goods from toasters to coffee pots and can be found in almost every pants pocket. Sending a child into adulthood without teaching them the fundamentals of coding is a bit like letting them loose on the road without knowing how to change a tire or use a turn signal!
Even for kids with little or no interest in computers, a simple introduction to programming should be considered a basic life skill. It isn’t necessary for every child to become an expert coder, but a working familiarity with how computers “think” is becoming as important as arithmetic. Coding also provides a solid framework for children to tackle logic and troubleshooting—skills they’ll need no matter what profession they choose.
How do parents who don’t have these skills themselves make sure that their kids learn them? Luckily, there are various online sources that can help. Places like code.org and Khan Academy provide great free resources for kids who want to pick up these skills. For kids who thrive on project-based learning opportunities, MakeCrate is an excellent resource.
MakeCrate provides hands-on projects delivered to you at home that pair with an online learning platform. Each project builds valuable engineering skills along with the ability to code, all while teaching kids persistence and problem solving. Designed by an educator, MakeCrate’s curriculum guides kids through their projects a step at a time, so they can be successful even when the adults don’t know how to help!
MakeCrate’s founder, Katie Stephens, is a longtime STEM educator who spent 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, introducing her two children to the kinds of hands-on experiences that MakeCrate can provide for your child. Her children are now in high school and college, and they utilize those skills on a daily basis, with expertise in 3D printing, drones, and rocketry. A passion to help other parents provide these valuable learning experiences to their kids led Katie to start MakeCrate.
If you are interested in helping your child get the STEM skills they’ll need as they learn and grow, check out MakeCrate’s subscription options at makecrate.club, and find some fun that’ll fuel their future.
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Recently on the Blog
It is our privilege to share the diverse voices of innovative educators on the Alt Ed Austin blog. We recently published three guest posts on skill-building programs we think you and your family should know about:
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Sarah Herholm invited Austin teens to join the upcoming Smart City Saturday teen hackathon at Google HQ to address youth trafficking while honing their problem-solving and design-thinking skills.
- Eric Bennett explained the importance of building certain math skills before launching into computer programming or game design and how he is helping meet this need with a free online course called Math for Computer Science for kids at the elementary and middle school levels.
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Heather Hoover wrote about the enormous positive impact Teen Sister Circles can have on girls’ self-esteem, sense of connectedness, and interpersonal skills—and how your middle schooler can become part of one.
Do you have information to share with Alt Ed Austin readers? Let us know, and you could be our next guest blogger! We love providing a lively discussion space for lifelong learners.
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