During Dec. 7 through 11, some students in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) will participate in the Hour of Code, a project that empowers students to learn to write computer code, the building blocks behind all computer programs. The Hour of Code is designed to demystify coding and show that anyone can learn the basics.
Students will learn how code creates and controls video games, animation, and visual programs. The website www.code.org has activities and tutorials so students can self-guide and write at their own pace.
“All students, from kindergartners to eighth graders, have the ability to write code,” said Sarah Outland, Miller School fifth grade teacher and chairperson of the SMBSD Technology Action Team in a statement. “The interactive lessons on the code.org website are tailored to the students’ age and experience. We really want to give our students the critical thinking skills they need to compete for the jobs of the 21st century—not just how to use computers, but how to build software.”
The Hour of Code is a worldwide event. The activities are tailored to students by using themes from Star Wars, Minecraft, and Frozen, to name a few examples.
In SMBSD, various teachers at different grade levels are introducing their students to code writing next week and will continue with lessons throughout the year. Students will be using Chromebooks in the classroom or working in the computer labs.
This article appears in Dec 10-17, 2015.
