Kids learn computer code in class to help with problem solving - Home | The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti. Tuesday March 24, 2015 "Knowledge workers are the ones getting the raises, getting the jobs and so forth. There are shortages worldwide in all of these fields. So the education system needs to change, to produce them. " - Eric Schmidt, Executive Chair & Former CEO At Dalhousie elementary school in Winnipeg, a group of students in "Coding Club" get together every week to learn computer programming . As part of our series By Design, we're looking at a push in many schools to redesign programs to make that kind of student activity more common, and maybe even mandatory. Computer coding is showing up on more and more elementary schools curricula worldwide, every year — and that includes schools here in Canada.
Jennifer Flanagan is Actua's president and CEO. At present, Canada has a patchwork of different coding programs in schools, with kids in Manitoba, New Brunwick and Quebec, exposed to various programs. As for a national approach, the Canadian Teachers Federation has its concerns. Coding for Kindergarteners. Last year at this time, I was trying not to think about kindergarteners. I was still teaching ninth grade English and had just accepted a job teaching technology to K-5. I was excited about the challenge, and I knew that I'd bitten off more than I could chew.
Developing the tech curriculum challenged me to teach programming or at least computational thinking at each elementary grade level. Our school is mid-pivot in technology -- we're in our second year of a middle school 1:2 iPad program, our first year of having a cart of iPads available for elementary, and our last year of two PC labs for the students to use (next year we'll have only one lab). Challenges and Resources I was really excited when I was introduced to the apps Daisy the Dinosaur and Hopscotch.
With these apps, I was confident that I had a good entry point for grades 1 and 2. I'm happy to report that, my own surprise, the first challenge has been met. Practical Tips for the Early Grades The Power of Pairs. Add Coding to Your Elementary Curriculum. . . Right Now. Code.org sums up the situation nicely: Computer science drives innovation in the U.S. economy and society. Despite growing demand for jobs in the field, it remains marginalized throughout the U.S. K-12 education system. There are many reasons for this. But the earlier we introduce children to coding, the more comfortable they will be when presented with more in-depth learning opportunities in middle and high school.
Kids Want to Code Even if you don't have a classroom full of future computer programmers, learning the fundamentals of coding provides students with skills that will serve them well in virtually any career they choose. In my work as the technology chair of our PTA board, I've participated in organizing the Hour of Code for the past two years at my children's school, and Computer Science Week generates a lot of buzz. Children want to learn how to code. And while "cool" is nice, what really matters are the lasting benefits of building these skill sets: So how do we get there? 1. Coding in the classroom. 3 Innovative Applications to Introduce the Power of Learning Coding to Young Students.
Technology education for young students must constantly evolve to keep pace with the ever changing nature of the subject. Some basic computing skills are now standard curricula for elementary students in classrooms around the world. However, there has been one area of computing technology that has not achieved wide-spread adoption in the elementary school classroom: the discipline of computer programming. While most parents and educators would agree that learning how to use computer software is an important skill for modern young students, there is less consensus on the question of what age is appropriate for kids to be introduced to basic programming skills.
This lack of consensus is at least somewhat attributable to the common perception that creating software programs is an advanced science that belongs only in the upper levels of education. Why should kids learn about computer programming? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. *Seymour Papert (1993). About Aaron Axline Print This Post.