First grade students in Ms. Shawna Duncan’s class helped facilitate an Hour of Code with Ms. Mary Jennings’ TK/K students last week at Fletcher Elementary, one of 32 schools in the STEAM pilot.
Fletcher Elementary joined millions of students in participating in this annual Hour of Code event in over 180 countries across the world. The Hour of Code is celebrated to help encourage children to learn coding skills. Why is learning to code important? Technology is advancing every day. We are preparing students for an unknown workforce. While coding can lead students to career pathways in computer programming and computer science, it can also help them develop basic writing skills. Mitch Resnick, creator of a coding program called Scratch, states “When we learn to write, we are learning how to organize, express, and share ideas. And when we learn to code, we are learning how to organize, express, and share ideas in new ways, in a new medium.”
Learning to code is a win-win! During the Hour of Code, Fletcher students tried on different programs and projects from Scratch, Code.org, and Blockly and learned about different kinds of robots such as the Bee Bot, Dot and Dash, and OSMO. Acquiring robotics can be costly. Fletcher teachers fundraised through Donors Choose and were fortunate to gain resources for their school.
These new resources have inspired students and teachers to learn how to code. Their energy and enthusiasm engaging with coding is contagious. They are ready to take on the world one line of code at a time! Visit code.org to celebrate the Hour of Code and join the movement at your school or home.
