After attending some recent conferences and participating in a few online discussion communities in the ISTE networks, I've noticed more of an interest in finding strategies, specific tools or other resources for getting students started with coding. A lot of the questions are focused on how to get started with coding in the early years, the elementary and middle school levels, and where to find the best tools. There are definitely a lot of tools out there for educators to choose from. Some are web-based and offer free coding applications and activities for students. There are also many paid options that are more complex, perhaps involving robots, other necessary equipment, materials or starter kits.

Twenty years ago Lego introduced Mindstorms as a way to engage kids who were becoming more interested in video games and the internet than plastic building blocks. It was successful enough that the kits became a regular sight in robotics classes and competitions. Now the line is on its fourth generation, and it's been joined by other STEM-friendly Lego kits like Boost and Powered Up to bring tech skills to many different types of kids. Now Lego's educational division goes even younger with Coding Express, a set that will teach 3- and 4-year-olds the basics of programming while they construct a world of trains, picnics and wandering deer. This isn't going to teach your kids popular coding languages like Python or Swift. Coding Express is firmly for the preschool crowd, so the idea here is to just get kids acclimated to concepts like loops and subprograms.