Code.org
Hour Of Code
by: Kevin Landis
No matter what subject you teach, if you have an interest in technology, you should be aware of the Hour Of Code.
The Hour Of Code was launched in 2013 as a way to introduce students to Computer Science. Classroom teachers used self-guided tutorials designed for a variety of ages, using industry-standard languages such as JavaScript and Python. Some of the themes from the 2013 tutorials were Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies.
The Hour Of Code is designed to occur during Computer Science Education Week, traditionally the 2nd week in December. This event is sponsored by Code.org and in 2013 over 15 million students participated.
Computers are everywhere. This eMagazine was created using computers and you are reading it from a computer. but fewer students are learning Computer Science than 10 years ago.
Code.org uses the Hour Of Code to introduce computer science to students, especially under-represented groups such as females and minorities.
One of the goals of Code.org is to change school district curriculum, adding more Computer Science courses. Code.org supports this at the student level by introducing students to CS, at the teacher level by creating curriculum for classes such as the new AP CS Principles course, and at the administrative level by promoting CS education to government and in the media.
10 CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY