Hour of Code
Introducing your student to Computer Science at www.code.org
Hello lucky parent or guardian of a Gilbert Elementary student! #hourofcode
Hello parents or guardians of Gilbert Elementary students! #hourofcode
The Hour of Code is an annual event aimed at exposing people of all ages to Computer Science. Each year the website www.code.org attempts to beat the previous number of students using the activities, and this year we hope to help. This year, starting with a few classrooms, we will be taking some students through the introductory lessons in the Hour of Code. We will start during the week of December 8th which is Computer Science week, and see where that takes us.
Hour of Code was developed and sponsored by some of the most successful tech companies in the world. This event will be talked about in the news during this week, but the website and the activities are available year around. I highly encourage you to ask your student to show you the Hour of Code activities located at www.code.org. Ask them to explain to you the introductory activity. Many activities are introduced by short videos that do a nice job explaining the tasks.
What is Computer Science?
Computer Science is the act of investigating, experimenting with, and learning how a computer works. The introductory activities involve using computer programming to teach important lessons in Computer Science. In each activity there is a goal, and the students have to use the correct commands to accomplish the task. The commands introduced are real programming commands. The tools may be simplified, but when your children finish a task on these websites, they are truly programming.
We ask for your support.
The websites and activities used by www.code.org to introduce computer science and computer programming, are a great way to compliment the math and reading websites your children use already. If you see your child showing interest in these activities, encourage them to continue. You may want to tell their teachers, and inquire into local robotics clubs. Talk to your child about a career using computers. Software designers, engineers of all kinds, and many job which don’t exist yet will be one way to a secure future. They may want to picture themselves building the games and apps they use each day. These days there is a lot of talk about teaching science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEM/STEAM). This is because we are looking for students to lead us into the next generation, and these are the tools to do it.
Clem See : seetheteacher@outlook.com
Teacher, volunteer, engineer, student.