Computer Science Week and Hour of Code

It is almost that time again -- Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week. This year, Computer Science Education Week is December 4-10, 2017. This is a great opportunity to ignite or continue to ignite student excitement for Computer Science by participating in the Hour of Code.

The Hour of Code can take on many forms! You can stop everything and have the entire school or entire grade level participate in coding activities for one hour. Students can participate in coding activities during their computer lab time. Students can participate in activities where they see the connections between Computer Science and Math, Science, and Language Arts. Students could even learn the history behind what we celebrate during Computer Science Education Week.

Where to begin!
The first place to start is with the below three websites:
www.hourofcode.org
www.CODE.org
https://csedweek.org/

These sites provide great resources for getting started on promoting the Hour of Code as well as a wealth of activities. Data USA can provide great talking points about Computer Science jobs, demographics, colleges, and much more. You can find that resource here.

Non-Tech Activities
The Hour of Code does not have to include the Internet or a device! There are several non-tech resources out there. You can find several at CODE.org and CSUNPLUGGED.ORG

​The non-tech activity, Color by Numbers, talks about pixels and has the students create drawings based on pixels. You can find this activity here.​ This is just one activity from CS Unplugged.

Devices and Apps
​There are several devices out there that help get the students excited about coding. These include Dash and Dot, Sphero, and Makey-Makey. If you have one in your classroom or school, check out their websites to find more resources and/or ideas for incorporating these into your Hour of Code activities.

Another great resource is iPad apps. These are just a few:
Hopscotch
Daisy the Dinosaur
Lightbot: Code Hour
Scratch Jr.

​Don't forget the experts in your building! Your computer lab managers, PLTW teachers, and CS teachers.​ Ask them how you can incorporate coding into your classroom.

The goal of Hour of Code is to ignite a passion for Computer Science in our students! You may have a future Steve Jobs or Grace Hopper in your classroom.

What will the Hour of Code look like in your classroom this year? Share your resources and ideas with us!