Students love competitions!
* Show off their skills
* Earn public recognition for their work
* Collaborate with other students
* Solve deep and typically meaningful problems
And teachers should love them too.
* Self-motivating activities
* Opportunity for developing problem-solving and team-work skills
* Combine a variety of student skills and knowledge
* Opportunities for differentiated learning
* Showcase your CS students
* Spotlight your CS courses and department
Competitions can be sponsored local within schools or districts, regionally by CSTA branches or colleges, nationally by organizations or companies, or internationally. The challenge is to learn about them in time to prepare and participate.
Summer is a great time to explore the possibilities and dig up the details on contests so your students will be ready to jump in when the details are announced for the next school year.
Please add to this list short list with the a few details about contests your students have participated in or others you know about.
* Bliink Web Design Competition www.bliinkcontest.com/
* Microsoft Imagine Cup www.imaginecup.com/
* NCWIT Aspirations in Computing www.ncwit.org/award/award.index.php
* TCEA Robotics Contest www.tcea.org/collaborate/robotics/Pages/index.aspx
* VisFest Film & Game Festival, Kent WA School District, www1.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/IT/visfest/index.htm
What are your favorite student competitions?
Pat Phillips
Editor, CSTA Voice