Learning coding at a young age will benefit the students for years to come, Library Specialist Kristin Tyler says
The Global movement Hour of Code has made its way into the Palmyra School District and the district is teaching computer coding to students as early as kindergarten.
Hour of Code is a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science. It involves using the nonprofit website code.org to learn the basics of computer coding. Hour of Code aims to broaden the field of computer science by showing that what can seem intimidating can actually be pretty simple.
Hour of Code has been coined as the “largest learning event in history” that encompasses more than 180 countries. More than 160,000 Hour of Code events were held around the world in early December. Charles Street School took part in Hour of Code and chose to continue to teach coding to the students through the end of December.
“Our PACE period focuses on project-based learning, and when I saw how the Hour of Code introduces students to programming worldwide, I knew it looked like the perfect activity,” fourth-grade teacher Deborah Falcone said.
Falcone was the one responsible for bringing Hour of Code to Charles Street School. Falcone says coding is the highlight of her students’ days. Before she started working in education, Falcone worked in the computer field as an information technology manager.
“I know first-hand the importance of preparing our students with the technical skills that will be needed in the 21st century,” Falcone said. “In fact, in my classroom, we use our chromebooks every day.”
Charles Street School Library Specialist Kristin Tyler says learning to code will benefit the students both in the immediate sense and in the long term.
“In today’s day and age, everything is about computers; everything involves technology. The way they’re growing up is so different,” Tyler said. “For them to get an understanding of what their future is going to hold — it’s a perfect foundation.”
Tyler added coding gives the students the opportunity to become more comfortable with using laptops and technology in general — something they’ll be doing for a very long time. She thinks early coding education will benefit students as far down the road as choosing a major in college.
Charles Street School Computer Specialist Doug Straeter says Hour of Code can help even the youngest kids learn to use computers. When they first start, they can’t even hold the mouse, so it can help with hand-eye coordination.
In addition to teaching coding in computer and library classes, Charles Street School also brought in various guest speakers to talk to the students about computer science careers and how computers and coding are involved in almost every industry today.
Straeter uses coding as a reward for his students.
“They don’t even realize that they’re learning because they’re playing a game. They love it,” Straeter said.
Straeter also says he thinks something special about Hour of Code is it encourages students to learn on their own and with their peers, as opposed to listening to lectures from teachers.
“The big push these days in school is the kids teaching themselves instead of teachers in front of the classroom dictating and lecturing,” Straeter said. “This is really student-centered. Even though you’ve got a kid staring at a computer screen, when he gets stuck or he finds something cool, he’s immediately telling his neighbor next to him.”
While Hour of Code won’t be as big of a part of the curriculum next semester, Tyler says she has had discussions with Charles Street School Principal Mark Pease on having a coding lesson at least one per month.
“The ultimate goal [of Hour of Code] was that every child in the building have the opportunity to be exposed to computer sciences,” Tyler said. “It was a huge success.”
