Computer Programming

Computer Science is the most rapidly growing STEM field. Although only a small percent of schools teach computer science, even one hour of exposure can be enough to change a student’s life. In the 21st century, this isn’t just a course you study to get a job in software — it’s important to learn even if you want to be a nurse, a journalist, an accountant, a lawyer or even a president.”

Hour of Code

This is why we’ve incorporated an Hour of Code™ into our STEM curricula. On the first day of this program, students will choose from Minecraft, Star Wars, Frozen, or Angry Birds to learn the concept of object-oriented programming. Enticing students with characters and themes they know and love will stimulate their brains and open their minds to how exciting it is to learn this important skill.

Scratch from MIT

Students will learn the fundamentals of object-oriented programming with Scratch 2.0. Students will be able to let their imaginations run wild in this multimedia adventure. First they will create their own Google Doodle using drag-and-drop programming basics. Students will have a blast and use their programming skills and creativity as they learn how to program their own stories, games, and animations, as well as how to share their creations on the web. They will also take home a copy of their programming successes at the end of the session. This could be the start of something BIG!

With our coding lessons students will:

• Define “coding” and “computer science”.
• Make connections between computer science concepts and the real world.
• Learn new vocabulary:
  >    Code - (v) to write code, or to write instructions for a computer.
  >    Algorithm - a detailed step-by-step instruction set or formula for solving a problem or completing a task. 
  >    Debugging - Finding and fixing problems in your algorithm or program.
  >    Program - An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine.