With the help of the Programming in Education teaching material, you can teach your group computational thinking and programming systematically, step by step. The path has been built in accordance with the Finnish national core curriculum for basic education and based on long-term development work carried out in the Innokas network. The material can be used in early childhood, basic, and secondary education. A link to the digital material can be found here: Programming in Education -ThingLink. The digital material has been produced as part of the EU’s Code Week -project funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
In addition to digital material, the material also includes a poster. The poster will be distributed at trade fairs such as the ITK conference and the Educa fair. You can also print the poster yourself from this link: Programming in Education poster. The digital material and poster can be used in parallel, for example, by marking the progress along the path on the printed poster as you go.
How do I use the Programming in Education material?
The material takes you through the path of programming in three parts: 1) Computerless programming, 2) First programs, and 3) Programming languages. Each section covers several themes. You can learn about each theme through info sheets , videos , and different tasks . It’s a good idea to go through the path in order, but if your students are already familiar with a theme, you can skip it. We recommend that teachers familiarize themselves with the digital learning materials in advance and plan how to use the materials in a way that suits their group.
In this second part of the Tools for Teaching Programming video you’ll get to know text-based programming languages and various programming and robot kits you can use to support learning.
Innokas Network develops new ways to implement Innovation Education principles for the learning of 21st century skills. Below you will find three examples of actual Innovation Education projects implemented in Finnish schools. The three schools took part in the Fall 2017 Innokas challenge titled “Robots Build in the Future” and implemented these Innovation Education projects in their school as part of their challenge submission. You can read more about the Fall 2017 Innokas challenge here.
Project descriptions and videos
Huovila School: AT-helper. Watch the video and read the project description here.
Kalevala School: Rapi the Robot. Watch the video and read the project description here.
Innokas Network, in collaboration with the Co4Lab project funded by the Academy of Finland develops ways to implement the Innovation Education approach as part of multidisciplinary learning modules.
In this four part video series Professor Kai Hakkarainen from the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki introduces knowledge creation processes and learning support with technology in the context of multidisciplinary learning modules. In addition, he discusses the assessment aspect of multidisciplinary learning modules.
Part 1, Knowledge Creation in Multidisciplinary Learning Modules
Part 2, Supporting Learning with Digital Technology
Part 3, The Role of Assessment in Multidisciplinary Learning Modules
Part 4, Assessment Practices for Supporting Learning and Motivation
On this video, Innokas Network coordinator Kati Sormunen explains the Multidisciplinary Learning Modules concept in the latest Finnish National Core Curriculum and provides guidance on how you can make use of innovation process when implementing these modules.
Get to know text-based programming using the C programming language and Arduino Grove.
The exercises in this material are based on the Seeduino Lotus board and Grove system parts that plug easily into the board. In the exercises you will learn for example how to program traffic lights. The material also contains hints for acquiring the hardware parts.
Get to know text-based programming with the C programming language and Adafruit Gemma.
The really small Adafruit Gemma board is specifically designed for various textile projects, or e-textiles. The material contains hints on how you can acquire the needed parts. Read more about Gemma here.
Get to know text-based programming using the C programming language and Adafruit Flora.
Adafruit Flora is well suited for various textile projects, or e-textiles. The material includes hints for acquiring the needed materials. Read more about Flora here.
Innokas Network, in collaboration with the Co4Lab project funded by the Academy of Finland, develops ways to apply Innovation Education principles in the implementation of multidisciplinary learning modules.
, videos 
, and different tasks 
. It’s a good idea to go through the path in order, but if your students are already familiar with a theme, you can skip it. We recommend that teachers familiarize themselves with the digital learning materials in advance and plan how to use the materials in a way that suits their group.
