Hour of Code introduces young students to computer science

By: 
Steve Lyon

Weiser High School students spent time on Friday mentoring younger students from Annex Charter School as part of the Hour of Code, a worldwide, one-day effort to introduce the basics of computer coding.
 In the afternoon, a total of 16 WHS students with coding experience visited Park Intermediate School to participate in the Hour of Code with fourth-graders.
 The high school students are enrolled in computer science classes at WHS and earning dual credit through Boise State University. This is the fifth year the high school has offered computer science classes, teacher Joe Endicott said,
 Senior Justin Estes worked with a couple of fourth-graders at Park Intermediate School on coding programs using school-supplied Chromebooks.  
 The fourth-graders were completing tasks on the online site Code.org. One required thefourth-graders to use basic code to move a robot around.
 Estes has taken computer science classes at the high school for the past three years and plans to continue with computer studies at BSU, where he will enroll in a new major called Gaming, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology (GIMM).
 The degree path, according to BSU, is ideal for students interested in technology development like designing cutting-edge apps and building virtual reality learning environments.
 Park Intermediate School fourth-grade teacher Jessica Mosley said every classroom will have participated in the Hour of Code during computer lab time.
 The school has two computer labs and four mobile labs for students to use. The Hour of Code is used as an introduction to computer science for younger students.
 “The kids show a lot of interest and engagement. They love it, absolutely,” she said. “After this week they always beg to do more,” Mosley said.
 In Mosley’s classroom and others across the state, the Hour of Code is held during Computer Science Education Week, which this year was Dec. 9-15.
 Proponents of Hour of Code say that learning computer science helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity and prepares students for success in any 21st century career path.
 The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching millions of students in 180-plus countries.
 It started as a one-hour introduction to computer science that was designed to demystify code to show that anybody can learn the basics and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.
 Endicott champions the Hour of Code as a high school teacher every year. He teaches math in addition to computer science. He earned certification through BSU in STEM education.
 Endicott said students need to be prepared for a future in which many jobs will require some coding skills or at least an understanding of computer science.
 Having high school students work with younger students is a great way to introduce the basics of computer science.
 “My goal was for the Park School students to see how important computer science is, and that computer science is something that people usually work on together,” he said.  
 “It was inspiring to see the high school students helping the younger students, and to see the younger students progressing so quickly.”
 

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