Courtesy photo

St. Vrain Valley School District students (left to right) Ivan Ruiz, Brian Jaquez, Brian Gonzalez, Jesus Aguilera  and Christopher Peredo (bottom on the computer) are seen participating in the Hour of Code for Computer Science Education Week (Dec. 8-14, 2014).

Courtesy of St. Vrain Valley School District

St Vrain Valley School District recognizes the importance of preparing our students for a future we cannot yet see. Part of that vision involves our recognition that computer science is a literacy — one in which our students are gaining fluency.

As is becoming widespread best practice in our district, students are being exposed to coding, computer programming, computational thinking, and computer science as approachable concepts that can be introduced as early as Kindergarten. This week (Computer Science Education week, Dec 8-14) brings global attention to the importance of this exposure for our students, and brings the Hour of Code events to classrooms worldwide. St. Vrain is no exception in this case, but is exceptional in its yearlong attention to these opportunities.

Students at Alpine Elementary engage in Scratch (an MIT-developed coding program accessible to students of every age) classes at every level (Kindergarten through 5th grade); they program their own VEX robots; they participate in after-school clubs and carry this learning on at home. Every student at multiple elementary schools and middle schools (Indian Peaks, Columbine, Rocky Mountain, Northridge, Timberline, Fall River, Trail Ridge, and Skyline, to name a few) has similar opportunities around the calendar. Please see each school’s site or view stories on stem.svvsd.org to learn more about their offerings.

Computer Science Education Week brings a welcome spotlight to the importance of computer literacy for our students in their preparation for the world after and outside of the classroom. Stay posted for more stories from the classroom – around coding opportunities and much more!

The Hour of Code is a Computer Science Education Week initiative designed to expose students and teachers to the possibilities of computer programming and computer science education. It is a one-hour activity during which students of all ages can choose from a variety of self-guided tutorials, from kindergarten on up. It is a spark to help students begin or continue learning about computer science. Once students see what they create right before their eyes, they’re empowered to keep learning. It is also a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 170+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event, making it one of the largest learning events on the planet.

Across St Vrain Valley Schools, teachers and students are learning about the possibilities of coding and computer science, as well as about career pathways in those fields. Students use cubelets during class and during after school programs to see how modular robots sense, think, and act. VEX robotics clubs and challenges occur across our district, giving students the hands-on opportunity to construct and redesign elements of robots while learning about form and function. Drag-and-drop introductions to computer programming vary around the district, including programs such as Scratch and AgentSheets, designed to introduce computer programming in an engaging yet challenging environment.

See more at stem.svvsd.org/updates/hour-code-here.

Views: 19

Reply to This

 

Milestones

Milestones are back up! You can submit and view engagements, wedding, anniversaries and birth announcements at Prairie Mountain Media's Milestones form. Obituaries can also be found at DailyCamera.com at dailycamera.com/obituaries.

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by Matt Flood.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service