Personal Opinion…
I think that New Jersey investing money into computer science programs is a great idea. The top priority for the two-million dollars that is being invested into this program is for high school students to gain a better knowledge of technology in hopes that the students will be able to use the information for their future careers. That is all well and good, and is the idea of many school curricula I’d like to think. However, I think it would be nice if that offer could be extended to even the younger middle and/or elementary schools. I understand that high school is when you have a better idea of what you want to do with your future, so then you could specifically sign up for this computer science class that is being implemented. But it would also be important to introduce basic technology knowledge to the younger generations so that way those young students can get a head start on the computer curriculum and have an equal opportunity in the world.
Website for Review…
I think this website is good for what I mentioned previously: computer science being extended to the younger kids. This website has an age range for kids anywhere from 5 years old all the way up to 14+. For the curriculum for the age range of 8-13, the description says that the students can learn to build apps & games, explore math, science, engineering, & technology, as well as being able to design things like Minecraft mods, and learning how to control robots and drones. Some kids might not be completely into doing that. But for others, it might really pique their interest. I really like that this website was easy to navigate. I clicked on the age 8-13 tab and it brought me to a whole list of games that kids could try out to learn the things that I mentioned previously. There were big pictures, and of the games were clearly labeled with titles, what would happen in them, and what the kids would take away from it. The thing that I didn’t like was that not everything was free. There were a few things I clicked on just to see in more detail. The website either wanted me to create an account with them, or pay for a monthly subscription.
Technology In Teaching 