Sunday, December 14, 2014

Integrating technology: the hour of code

Our class participated in the Hour of Code this week! The Hour of Code is a nationwide movement to teach children computer science in a developmentally appropriate way. Using programs provided for free by the website code.org, the kindergarteners played games and solved puzzles in the same manner that a computer programmer teaches a computer to complete tasks.

As code.org explains it, coding "helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path." This year over 74 million kids participated in the hour of code! After a quick introduction from me, our kindergarteners dove right in and advanced through the levels quickly. It was definitely clear to see that they are the "digital native" generation. They definitely could have spent more than an hour on these games!

The best part is that we can use these programs any time, so coding will become another option in our literacy/math workstation time, as well as our computer lab visits. You can access our class link by clicking on "Websites for Kindergarteners" on the right hand side (or click this link) and scroll all the way to the bottom. Then click on the black and white boxes labeled "Code Studio." Below are some pictures of our little computer programmers!




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