Guest Post by Tracy Hall (@hallmathcoach), K-6 Math & Science Coordinator
Computers are everywhere! They are in our cars, our thermostats, our coffee makers, and our phones. Computers are as big as an entire room or small enough to fit on your wrist. Computers are a part of our everyday life, and of our workforce. All of these devices have something in common. Behind every device is code. Code is the set of instructions that makes machines work. It may sound big and complicated, but really it’s so simple a child can begin to write codes.
December 7-13 is Computer Science Education Week. It is a time to bring awareness to Computer Science, one of the most needed skills in the workforce, and to build curiosity in our students through activities such as Hour of Code.
What is Hour of Code?
According to Code.org, "the Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics."
Why learn to code?- learning to code teaches you that persistence pays off
- helps you not to fear mistakes, but to learn from them
- learning computer science teaches you about learning and teaching
- teaches you how to think and problem solve
- expands creativity
Visit Code.org, a non-profit group that aims to encourage people, especially students, to learn computer science. The site offers free activities and planning guides to learn coding for all age groups, along with facts and information about computer science education around the country. There are also videos from some leading voices encouraging students to get involved with computer science. Students can even learn to code with some of their favorite characters:
Will your students be participating in the Hour of Code? Let us know in the comments below, and tweet about it using #DragonsCode!
Resources:
Code.org
CsedWeek.org
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