The hack is back in an all-new way!
Hack the Classroom: STEM Edition is a free virtual event series designed for K-12 educators, parents, and guardians. The sessions will feature resources and tutorials to help educators support students in learning future-ready skills. These lessons can be easily incorporated into classroom curriculum while preparing for this year’s Hour of Code event—a global effort to teach and demystify coding, during Computer Science Education Week, December 7–13. The Hack the Classroom lessons will be accessible for any learning environment this November, making it easy for K-12 educators to teach skills like problem-solving and critical thinking and incorporate them into their remote, in-person, or hybrid classrooms.
As many industries become increasingly digital, including careers in the arts and design, the demand for relevant 21st-century computer science education crosses all borders and knows no boundaries. Hour of Code teaches the primary tenants of STEM learning: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, resilience, and problem-solving. By coupling these lessons with real-world, hands-on experiences, educators can help students develop STEM skills through engaging experiences.
Hack the Classroom sessions will not only give educators and parents an understanding of the fundamental skills their students need in order to become creative problem solvers in an increasingly digital world, but will also provide the resources and tools they need to participate in Hour of Code stress-free. Hack the Classroom is also an opportunity to inspire students by sharing real-life, exciting career opportunities that utilize coding, like game design and space exploration.
Hack the Classroom will be streamed via YouTube Live on November 16–18 with special guests from NASA, Xbox, Minecraft: Education Edition, Microsoft MakeCode, and more. Here’s a quick breakdown of the three-day event:
- Day 1: Prep for Hour of Code – Elementary and middle school focus
The event series will kick off with in-depth demos of the latest Minecraft and MakeCode lessons, tailored specifically for educators who teach elementary and middle school students. We’ll also be sharing information with educators and parents on ways their students can stay engaged with coding, as well as unplugged lessons and professional development courses to refine their own skills.
- Day 2: Prep for Hour of Code – Middle and high school focus
Day two will include more demos of Minecraft Python Hour of Code and MakeCode Arcade lessons as well as other resources middle school and high school educators can use to engage older students.
- Day 3: Inspiration for your students
On day three, guests from NASA, Xbox, and others will deliver inspiring segments to help educators and parents get their students excited about coding by showing them how computer science can lead to fascinating careers in a variety of fields.
Save the date and check out the Facebook event page for more details. And if you can’t make it on November 16-18, the episodes will be available on-demand following the event. We can’t wait to connect with you during this STEM-tastic digital series and help you inspire the next generation of computer science pioneers!
