This course invites educators to inspire meaningful learning experiences by placing community, language, and culture at the heart of STEAM education. Participants are guided through a series of lessons that introduce the fundamentals of coding and strategies for teaching these skills to learners. Throughout the course, educators learn to code using Microsoft MakeCode and connect their coding with the Micro:Bit, opening up a wide range of hands-on, learner-centered projects.
Each lesson includes “choose your own” project options, allowing educators to select activities that best align with their learners’ interests, communities, and cultural contexts. The projects range from exploring LEDs, buttons, and sensors, to creating collaborative, interactive programs using the Micro:Bit’s radio feature.
All activities, lessons, and extensions are compatible with both Micro:Bit V1.5 and V2, supporting educators in designing coding experiences where learners can create, share, and edit code that reflects their own communities and culture.
Course Learning Objectives
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the impact of grounding STEAM education in community, language, and culture on learners’ outcomes.
- Center community, language, and culture to support learners in learning to code and enhancing their learning outcomes.
- Explore the Pan-Canadian K-12 Computer Science Education Framework Learning Pathways.
- Empower themselves and their learners by developing knowledge to teach and apply fundamental coding concepts.
- Implement strategies that support learners’ identities while exploring coding through activities that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, perseverance, collaboration, and citizenship.
- Teach fundamental coding concepts that enable learners to take ownership and leadership in their learning.
- Guide learners in editing, creating, and sharing code that connects them with their community using Micro:Bits and Microsoft MakeCode.