Students Participate in Computer Science Week's Hour of Code

During the past week, Lower and Middle School students have been participating in an “Hour of Code” to explore what it’s like to be a computer programmer. “Hour of Code” was established by Code.org in 2013 as a nonprofit organization with the goal of expanding participation in computer science. The campaign’s website includes several hour-long tutorials for students and adults to try out.

“In one hour, students and teachers can learn that computer science is fun, easy and accessible at all ages,” says Lower School Technology Teacher Maureen Wood. Kindergarten and first-graders, for example, used Scratch, Jr. on their iPads and students in grades 2-5 got to experiment with Angry Birds and Frozen tutorials on the Code.org website.

Middle School Technology Teacher Stacy Goto is leading coding sessions this week as well as next week with help from a few Upper School role models. Several female advanced computer science students are working with the Middle Schoolers to show younger female students that coding is not just for boys, and that it’s creative and fun.

“Every student should learn how to code; it teaches them how to problem-solve,” adds Mrs. Goto. “Computers only do what they are told to do (by coders), nothing more and nothing less. Learn how to code and you can control a computer, not just use it.”

The coding event coincides with this year’s national Computer Science Education Week (Dec. 8-14), which was kicked off by President Obama, as reported by Wired. The President participated in his own Hour of Code with Middle School students from Newark, New Jersey on December 8, 2014.

Read more about coding and computer science programs as part of the Ranney curriculum in the current edition of Columns and in our online exclusive Columns “Technology in the Classroom” article.