Hour of Code

   There's a nationwide movement underfoot and it's been titled "Hour of Code." The idea behind it is simple: our nation is not educating enough students in computer science fields, and the shortfall will limit our nation's economic growth.  The video below, just a few minutes in length, offers a clear explanation of the Hour of Code.

   The Hour of Code program is seeking 10,000,000 students, K-12, to participate in a coding activity that would last about one hour. The hope is that during the week of December 9, 2013, schools across the country will introduce students to the power of computing and create an interest in computer science.  The long range goal is to inspire greater numbers of students to consider computer science as a field of study as they move forward in their educational careers and begin to think about professional career goals.
   It's interesting to note the absence of computer science as a required field of study in most school systems, public or private.  There are, of course, historic reasons for this omission.  Our current requirement framework dates back about 100 years when the credit system built around studies in English, math, science, social science, world language, art and physical education was formulated. Computers were the stuff of science fiction. And over the last couple of decades, as computer science has comfortably become part of the academic world, it's been difficult to create space in secondary curricula for additional required subjects.  In schools lucky enough to have the resources to support computer labs for younger children, the GSB model has been popular. Students, in a weekly schedule, spend time in the lab learning age-appropriate computing skills.  But when these same students get to high school, their curricula is largely built around requirements, and elective choices compete for students' attention in a free market. This happens at GSB and at most schools. The result is that a great many students study very little computer science during their high school years and not surprisingly gravitate towards other academic majors in college. As the video above reminds us, the result of this system will be 1,000,000 unfilled jobs in a few short years.
   The Hour of Code program is the first concerted effort to address this challenge, and a great many luminaries from business, government, etc. are interested in promoting the program. They know the issue is important. But exactly how, in one hour, do you get students interested in computer science? The answer this program provides is that you show students the power of their computer through computer coding tutorials.
   All tutorials are age appropriate, K-12. Coding tutorials are also offered in what's called object-oriented language.  Basically, this means students will move objects on a screen to create coding instructions, as opposed to typing characters.  It's easier to learn and far more intuitive to first-time coders.  
   At GSB, we're in the middle of planning Hour of Coding sessions.  Lower and Middle School students will do activities during their weekly lab visits during the week of December 9.  In the Upper School, all students in computer science classes will use class time for the activity. In addition, our ninth graders will utilize Physics class time to work through the tutorials. And I would invite any other teacher of students 10 - 12 to contact me for more information if you'd like to make the activity part of your class during the Hour of Code week.
   Two web sites have been developed with information about the program. The Hour of Code web site has information designed to offer background information as well as publicity-oriented materials. The Computer Science Education Week site has more specific information about signing up a class to participate. Tutorials are also housed on this site and can be reviewed by teachers now.
   As always with a program like this, it's hard to predict long-range effects.  Will greater interest in computer science develop because students spend an hour in December learning about coding? It's iimpossible to know as of this writing. What's clear, however, is that this program draws attention to a serious educational challenge facing our country, and that continued emphasis on the importance of computer science is critical.  
   It's worth noting that as a nation, we're not alone in recognizing the challenge of improved computer literacy. In England, for example, requirements are changing. There, computer science is joining more traditional disciplines in the academic core making England the first country to require computer science of all primary and secondary students. This Telegraph article explains the changes: Teaching Our Children to Code: A Quiet Revolution.