Decoding Coding: What is Hour of Code?
Hour of Code will be observed throughout the week of December 8 to 12 at Burke's, but...what is the Hour of Code?
Which of the following scenarios do you think involves coding?
A. A software engineer using Perl or Python to construct a new program.
B. A teacher using interchangeable tiles to arrange the order of the day in her classroom.
C. A preschool-age child playing a board game called Robot Turtles.
D. All of the above!
Does it surprise you to learn that the answer is, in fact, D?
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A. A software engineer using Perl or Python to construct a new program.
B. A teacher using interchangeable tiles to arrange the order of the day in her classroom.
C. A preschool-age child playing a board game called Robot Turtles.
D. All of the above!
Does it surprise you to learn that the answer is, in fact, D?
As Mike Matthews, Burke’s Director of Curriculum & Program Innovation, shared at a recent PA meeting, “We’re not teaching code because we expect every student to become a programmer. Rather, we’re teaching code because we believe that in doing so we’re teaching transferrable skills like logic and problem-solving that will benefit our girls in whatever career path they end up pursuing.” Burke's will be exploring coding in this sense throughout a variety of classes and subjects from December 8 to 12 during Computer Science Education Week, or in potentially confusing terms, the "Hour of Code." Hour of Code is a special initiative sponsored by Code.org, which is a nonprofit organization devoted to opening up computer science to a broader range of users, including women and underrepresented minorities, through expanding its presence in schools around the world. Most participants will play along for an hour as they attempt an online tutorial — and this year, it revolves around Anna and Elsa from Disney’s ever-popular “Frozen.” At Burke’s, however, activities will take place in a number of locations, including the Makery, in the Lunchroom for the Lower School assembly and in a variety of other classrooms, over the course of a full week. Teachers met to explore the many methods of teaching coding at the Professional Development Day held on Friday, October 24 — the day before Festival. Seventeen stations throughout the Library involved playing the Robot Turtles board game mentioned above, which aims to teach children how to code before they can read, as well as tasks more suited to technological devices, such as programming a computer game called Flappy Bird and reverse-engineering instructions for a set of circuits. Hour WEEK of Code at Burke's will include similar activities, all geared toward demystifying an area of science that has long been dominated by men. Follow along with this exciting new venture next week on Burke’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Also, keep your eyes open for a "Burke’s Family Guide" that will come out the week of December 15. It will be filled with ways for families to continue engaging their daughters in coding both with and without computers. |