THE HOUR OF CODE IS HERE … Forever
See Photos from Houston Area Hour of Code.
The word is out in Houston ISD about coding.
Student of Ben Schafer Iowa Code.org Family – June 2015
Proof that the Code Studio materials make a difference. This is a bit long, but it sets up a point:
I was working with a 7 year old boy today. His teacher did Hour of Code with his class in December. She then attended one of my training sessions this year and worked with his class on parts of Course 2 this spring. This particular kid loved the materials so much he has completed all of the plugged activities from Courses 2-4 over and over and OVER again “for fun.”
He joined our local CoderDojo two weeks ago and was working on one of the projects where he had to use the LOGO like features of Scratch to draw out his initials. When I came over today he had created his own Scratch block he had called “half circle” that he had invoked three times in drawing his initials at two different orientations (the bell of a J and the two humps on the B). Since NO ONE, not even the 10 and 11 year olds in the dojo have used the BYOB (Build your own Block) feature of Scratch I asked him about it. His answer, more or less word for word, was “I knew I needed to make a half circle three times so I went looking for how you might make a function in Scratch. I remembered functions from Code.org”
Folks, that shows learning and understanding of the concept of functions (from playing with Code Studio) and appropriate transfer of that knowledge into Scratch. I sat there with my jaw in my lap for about five minutes.
Brandi Virden, Grace School Houston
I want you to know that I was so empowered by the Code.org
Rebecca Dovi, Richmond Virginia Affiliate
We had a local teacher last year that did all the hour of code activities weekly with her inner city group. She saw gains in math and science, which we expected, but also saw a 20% gain in their language arts standardized tests. This brought up a conversation about how the problem solving taught through cs helps with resilience, and for kids in high poverty areas that is a hard thing to achieve. Most of the teachers we are working with are in under served districts and their dedication to these kids is amazing. My note – need this data collected in HISD.
Elizabeth Buchanan, 6th Grade ELA Fort Bend ISD Nov. 2014
Just have to let you know that Code.Org saved my yesterday!!
My class was supposed to meet at the library yesterday with all of the other sixth grade ELA classes in the building. The librarian realized there wasn’t enough room and asked if we could come back another time. We go back to class and have absolutely nothing to do…. And in walks my assistant principal to do an observation.
Thank fully I had just had my very first code.org club meeting and still had my book open. Talk about winging and thinking on my feet!!
I put kids into pairs and told them one was the programmer and the other was the computer, and on a piece of paper the programmer had to get the computer from one side of the paper to the other. They had to all of this without talking…. And to remember their computers only understood direction.
Needless to say it was hilarious and became a great teaching moment when I held up one paper full of arrows all over the place and another with arrows going in a straight line. I asked them how we could apply this to writing and they got it! I told them that a lot of them wrote tons of words without ever really saying anything and others got straight to the point.
Principal loved it!!!
Comments/feedback from Principal: A lesson was improvised as the students were supposed to be in the library. However, teacher was able to take an activity and relate it to the writing process.
Sarah K. – Code Camp Teaching Assistant, Alief Early College HS Graduate and University of Houston Computer Science Major – Oct. 2014
The workshop was amazing, I am glad that everything worked out the way it was suppose to. The teachers loved it, and did you hear those ladies? they said “it doesn’t feel like a wasted Saturday” which means they truly enjoyed the fun workshop. You could just tell how excited they were to go to their classes and teach what they have just learned. I have never seen computer science broken down like this before!
I was thinking about how I can teach computer science to the kids in the village in the summer without computers, but I just figured out how. This workshop was just great, and I am so glad that I participated. My plan is to use the workbook and plan out my lessons for the summer camp in Ghana when I go, and I am assured that I will have some fun games to play with them, especially the getting loopy one. I will also be using the pair programming strategy and other things I learned.
One lady from Moody Elementary invited me to come and talk to her kids, and I am so excited and ready to go. I have also been talking to the girls at the high school about computer science, and because some of them don’t know what it is and assume they know, they don’t have any interest in it, but I’m not stopping. I’m going to bug them until they give it a try, and I know as soon as they try it they will be hooked! These kids are so competitive, and if I show them a way few tricks like making their blogs look fun or cool, or other ways to use HTML/CSS to their advantage, they will take that and expand on it so that they can brag about it.
If you ever workshops and other events I can participate in, let me know and I will be more than happy to do it. I started out late in computer science, so I am trying to get as much exposure as I can, and with me wanting to get a teaching degree to teach CS, this is a great practice and a great way to expand my knowledge.
Thank you so much for everything, you truly ROCK!
My Loves and Story
- Neil Diamond – Opening up his world; brings back memories as listened to him when driving to Clear Lake to get my Computer Science Certification in 1980’s. Yes, have tickets to his May 2015 concert in Houston. At 73 this amazing singer said, “I don’t know why I do IT, just have to.” That is why I have to keep teaching the power of computer science education to build brains.
- CBS Sunday Morning News – Has inspired ideas and editorials for decades. Connected the Dots to Neil Diamond and my past, why I went into teaching. That being because I found myself single with 3 small children and teaching afforded time with them. My first career was as a securities analyst and stock broker after earning a degree in math from University of Texas in 1970.
- My Grandchildren – lets me keep playing, teaching, creating and experimenting with ideas. What I am doing now by teaching you Code.org Lessons. 🙂