Working with Director of Technology Anne Gorman, students in Kindergarten through Grade 4 are exploring coding this year. The students are having a great time learning on many different coding platforms, from drag and drop coding blocks to Apple Swift and Java coding languages.
Kelsey Peterson '28 gets help with her coding from Abbie Campbell '22.
“It’s important for students to have the opportunity to learn to code,” says Gorman. “Not only is coding a future-ready skill in and of itself, but it also teaches and reinforces many vital skills, including math and language as well as soft skills like perseverance in the face of difficulty, problem-solving, taking criticism, and identifying and fixing errors.”
Younger students are learning the basics of every coding language and experiencing the foundational concepts used in every programming language such as algorithms, conditions, loops, and functions. As the students move through their coding experience, they are introduced to JavaScript and Apple Swift, two of the primary coding languages used today on the internet and in Apple devices, respectively.
Also, new this year is a Middle School Coding elective, which helps Middle School students learn to code and to design and build basic apps.
Coming soon, Gorman will reinforce coding lessons through the Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15, 2019, joining more than 800 million students in 180 countries worldwide. The Hour of Code began as a one-hour coding challenge to give students a fun first introduction to computer science. Since its launch six years ago, it has become a worldwide celebration and global learning and awareness event. The event’s website, HourOfCode.com, offers hundreds of one-hour activities in over 48 languages for kindergarten and up. No special experience is needed and the activities can be run on browsers, tablets, and smartphones - some don’t require any computer at all.
“This year our Computer Science Fellows and AP Computer Science Principles students will host coding events during the Hour of Code week,” says Gorman. “Stay tuned for more information!”