Summer Learning Goes Virtual with Summer TechUp

We’ve always believed that mastering digital skills, such as online safety, computational thinking, and coding, is essential for student success. And, with students and teachers making the move to distance learning in response to COVID-19, these skills are all the more important.

Researchers are recommending that policymakers, educators, families, and communities work together to support students and prevent the “COVID-19 slide.” In that spirit of collective effort, we’re launching Summer TechUp – an online summer school program that will maintain continuity of learning through engaging activity-focused modules that help bridge the digital skills gap.

What is Summer TechUp?

Summer TechUp equips educators, families, and students with a fully ready summer school curriculum to meet the unique demands of students and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students will glean all the benefits of a traditional summer school program, participating in digital modules that develop their digital literacy.

What’s included?

The solution includes three summer school modules: Keyboarding, Python Coding, and Cyber Robotics. Each module contains the Learning.com curriculum teachers know and love, plus product activation, professional development, and support. All modules allow for student-led, asynchronous learning.

Keyboarding (Grades 3-8)

Strengthen keyboarding skills over the summer

Students will develop their keyboarding skills and improve their accuracy and words-per-minute through an online, adaptive keyboarding environment. Our keyboarding module meets every student where they are, providing differentiated lessons and games to help them learn.

• Keyboard Layout: Identify, explore, and understand the layout and configuration of QWERTY keyboards, including common hotkeys and shortcut key combinations.
• Ergonomic Strategies: Learn proper touch keyboarding techniques and ergonomic strategies, such as correct hand and body positions.
• Keyboarding Proficiency: Gain proficiency, accuracy, and speed in touch keyboarding.

Whether your students are brand new to keyboarding or need to hone their computer science skills, this program will help them prepare for the upcoming school year.

Python Coding

Introduce students to programming with Python

Students will experience a hands-on introduction to coding with Python through an online interactive environment. A series of online coding challenges introduces students to core coding structures, and step-by-step guidance walks them through building an interactive game or story. At the end of each lesson, students are given a small project to create a similar program of their own to practice what they’ve learned.

This practice helps students build career-ready coding and problem-solving skills – with the added convenience of being able to work through curriculum over the summer.

Cyber Robotics

Build your district’s robotics program – virtually

Robotics programs are surging in popularity as a hands-on way to engage students in computer science and STEM. With Cyber Robotics, you can kickstart your district’s robotics program online and without a hefty hardware investment and help students develop computational thinking and problem-solving skills.

Through a series of online missions, students will program virtual robots – developing troubleshooting and digital skills along the way. This module is an excellent way to strengthen an existing robotics team over the summer months, or train new recruits.

Learn more about our virtual robotics offering here: https://www.learning.com/easytech

Bonus: If your district participates in Summer TechUp, Learning.com will match the investment toward a Fall purchase, or select one of our Back to School offerings to be licensed and utilized in a school of your choosing for the entire 2020-21 school year.

We’re here to help.

We recognize that your district is being presented with unique challenges. We’ve always been your partner in helping students develop digital skills, and we’re committed to helping you serve students in uncertain times.

Develop digital literacy skills for your students with our Free Digital Skills Playlist, and download our guide, The Ultimate Guide to Distance Learning for Educators, for strategies sourced from eLearning experts.

Together, we can ensure that students don’t miss out on valuable learning time, and instead, have an opportunity to continue developing skills from home. Our summer school curriculum aims to bridge the digital skills gap and give students a chance to continue learning over the summer.

As suggested by educator Jake Jung, one of the best things schools can offer to students during this time is rigorous learning and instruction. The COVID-19 pandemic presents us with a chance to take a step back and evaluate how we can best serve students. What changes can we make now that could make a difference later?

Further Reading