I was first introduced to the Hour of Code during its inception in 2013. Computer coding/programming was not something I was familiar with, but trying it out for an hour with my 5th grade students seemed like something that would be easy enough to do. Not only were my students and I instantly hooked, but coding has become one of my favorite ways to integrate technology into the classroom!
The vision behind the Hour of Code is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. One week a year is dedicated to encouraging students, teachers, schools, and districts to give computer programming a try. Check out this brief video from Hadi Partovi, the mastermind behind the Hour of Code and developer of code.org:
The organizers of this event have compiled a wealth of resources and coding activities that are appropriate for students from kindergarten through high school. No experience necessary! These activities are truly meant to take just one hour, but if you're short on time, they can be tailored to fit your needs. Worried about devices? There are Hour of Code tutorials that work on PCs, smartphones, tablets, iPads, and some that require no computer at all.
Even though you may not be a computer science, math, or technology teacher, coding may still be something you can incorporate into your classroom. Some compelling reasons to integrate coding include helping students develop and strengthen:
- problem solving skills
- logical thinking
- collaboration
- creativity
- perseverance
- and learning that it's okay to fail
Mark your calendars! December 7-13 has been designated as the week to try an Hour of Code with students. If you can't do it during that week, feel free to introduce code to your students at any time. The idea is just to give millions of students an introduction to computer science and to show them that anybody can learn the basics! If you're interested in participating, you can visit the Hour of Code website to register and learn more: https://hourofcode.com/us (There are prizes for every event organizer and participating classrooms have a chance to win even bigger prizes!)
Eduspire, a continuing education company, is offering a free webinar focused on the Hour of Code. It will take place November 18th from 7-8 pm. If you read this blog post and thought to yourself, "There is no way I can teach programming," or if you're just itching to learn more, maybe this free webinar is for you! Click here to register or here for additonal details.
What happens after the Hour of Code, when you and your students want more? Beyond the Hour of Code will be an upcoming blog post with more coding/programming resources.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail a tech coach. Thoughts on how you might incorporate the Hour of Code into your classroom? Please post a comment below!
Hi! Just curious, does the Hour of Code have to take place using Code.org? or can you use other coding sites? I know that we've worked with Scratch and Codecademy this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi Ellen! Code.org and the Hour of Code website are just kind of the hubs for the coding movement. They've compiled tutorials from many different programming languages and from many different sites, including Scratch, Tynker, and Codeacademy. I don't think it matters what students use!
DeleteSeveral years ago, we tried this https://picoctf.com/faq with the HS gifted kids. Some of them really took to this competition and some realized that computer security and coding is not difficult to start out with. These sort of fun competitions may be good to pass out to all students, perhaps to simply gain interest. Fun stuff!
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