By Kim Jones, CEO, Curriki

When it comes to teaching students STEM, which is so vital in today’s marketplace, the most effective techniques include hands-on approaches and real-world scenarios.

That’s why Curriki partners with Oracle Academy to offer two comprehensive computer science learning platforms for free: Oracle Academy Workshops, which Curriki began offering in 2017, and the new Oracle Academy Courses.

Oracle Academy Workshops make computer science fun and accessible. What could inspire more passion for STEM in students than Oracle’s interactive approach, which gives them the opportunity to create animated stories and games, learn to program finch robots, roleplay superheroes and so much more?

Read on to learn what we have to offer:

Oracle Academy Workshops 

Oracle Academy Workshops are designed to make your students’ experiences with Computer Science fun and engaging. They even get to design computer games and interface with robots!

The workshops leverage best academic curriculum practices like project-based learning and offer educators methods for assessment. They are best used by educators in one of three ways:

• to introduce students to computer science in a fun and engaging way
• to incorporate exposure to computer science into the teaching of other academic disciplines
• to offer a limited introduction to computer science to students via extracurricular programs and workshop experiences

Workshops include:

• Getting Started with Java Using Alice – Designed for students with little or no programming experience and teaches basic Java programming concepts through developing 3-D Animations in Alice 3.1, a free, educational, introductory Java development environment.
• Solve It With SQL – Challenges students to play the role of a superhero and solve a series of crimes using a cloud-based database development environment to learn the basics of SQL.
• Programming the Finch Robot in Java – Engages students to program an interface to a small robot designed to inspire and delight.
• Creating Java Programs with Greenfoot – Engages students who understand basic programming concepts to create 2D Games in Java.
• Programming the Finch Robot in Greenfoot – Engages students who have completed Creating Java Programs with Greenfoot to program an interface to a small robot.

New! Oracle Academy Courses

Curriki also offers Computer Science Curriculum provided by Oracle that helps students develop knowledge and skills they need for modern careers. These courses start at a beginner level and progress as your students acquire foundational knowledge in computer science and apply it to real-world projects.

Oracle Academy Courseware is modular, which means you can use an entire course, or just incorporate individual lessons or topics into the classes you’re already teaching. Each course has educational learning objectives, is mapped and aligned to relevant standards, and is available in multiple languages.

Here are the classes offered:

• Java Fundamentals – This course uses hands-on activities to introduce students with little or no programming experience to object-oriented concepts, terminology, syntax, and the steps required to create basic Java programs.
• Java Foundations – This course introduces new to programming to the concepts of Java programming as students design object-oriented applications with Java and create Java programs.
• Java Programming – Building on the skills gained in Java Fundamentals, this course advances students’ skills as they design object-oriented applications with Java and create their own programs.
• Database Foundations –This course introduces students to basic relational database concepts and terminology, as well as data modeling concepts, building Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs), and mapping ERDs. It uses Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler to build ERDs and the Structured Query Language (SQL) to interact with a relational database and manipulate data within the database, then apply those skills to a business.
• Database Design and Programming with SQL – Taking the next step, students analyze complex business scenarios, design and create data models and databases using SQL, using Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler and Application Express (APEX). Like Database Foundations, students apply their newly acquired knowledge to a real-world scenario.
• Programming with PL/SQL – This course introduces students to PL/SQL, Oracle’s procedural extension language for SQL and the Oracle relational database. Participants explore the differences between SQL and PL/SQL and explore how PL/SQL is used to extend and automate SQL in administering the Oracle database, using Oracle Application Express (APEX).
• Application Development Foundations – This course introduces students to the techniques and tools required to develop database-driven web applications. They design, develop and deploy beautiful, responsive, database-driven web applications using Oracle Application Express.

To get started, Curriki members engage with Oracle Academy Workshops and Oracle Academy Classes by becoming an Oracle Academy Individual or Institutional member.

Oracle and Education

Oracle Academy advances computer science education globally to drive knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Each year, it reaches more than 3.5 million students in 120 countries. In its most recent fiscal year, it delivered nearly $3.75 billion in resources to help prepare students for life and work in the technology-driven global economy.

Oracle Academy leverages Oracle’s global technology leadership to offer a complete portfolio of computer science education resources to secondary schools; technical, vocational, and two-year colleges; and 4-year colleges and universities, with the goal of helping students become college and career ready. Learn more at academy.oracle.com.

We at Curriki are delighted to be able to offer so many new high-quality STEM resources to our members from our partner Oracle!

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Kim Jones is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Curriki. Kim is active in driving policy initiatives and is regularly featured as an honorary speaker on the impact of technology in education at influential meetings around the world. Learn more at Curriki.org.

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