A coach provided by the Code to the Future program makes
weekly visits to the school and trains teachers in the process. As
the first school district in Pennsylvania to launch the program,
Canon-McMillan is now designated as a Computer Science
Immersion Lighthouse District, meaning it will serve as a model
for other districts when they eventually incorporate Code to the
Future.
The concept of Code to the Future is to integrate computer
science into all subjects—not just science and math—in even the
earliest grades. This technique helps children understand, at a
fundamental level, how to use coding in creative problem-solving
and reaches a broader spectrum of students, not just those who
are naturally inclined toward the topic.
“Coding isn’t about creating an army of computer programmers,
it’s about using coding in the classroom as a vehicle to help
students succeed in school and life,” Code to the Future CEO
Andrew Svehaug said.
Following an intensive teacher training last summer, students
began learning Scratch at the start of the 2017-18 school year. For
those who may be unfamiliar: Scratch is a programming language
developed by the MIT Media Lab.
In their second seven-week unit, children learned to program
robots, and are now coding their own Minecraft games by learning
Java, the most widely used programming language.
A Gallup study reports that 91 percent of parents of 7th- to 12th
graders in the U.S. want their children to have the opportunity
to learn computer science at their schools. Most parents rank its
importance on par with math, science, history, and English. Yet,
despite this high level of interest, the study showed fewer than 10
percent of principals and superintendents perceive that demand
for computer science is high.
That's not the case at Canon-Mac.
“It is a fundamental responsibility of educators to prepare
students for the future by recognizing the changing needs of our
society and adapting the curriculum to ensure that our students
are prepared to meet those needs,” Daniels said. “Canon-McMillan
prides itself in the caliber of the education we provide, and we
look forward to leading other Pennsylvania school districts in
this exciting venture that opens new doors to the economy of
tomorrow.”
CMSD Community Donates to Pay
Off Outstanding Lunch Balances
The Canon-McMillan
community continues to
rally for our students who
may need a little help paying
their outstanding lunch
balances.
Printscape Imaging and
Graphics attended a recent
Canon-McMillan School
Board meeting to present a
$500 check to the district to help pay off overdue lunch
accounts at Muse Elementary School.
So far this school year, the community has donated $720
to help students pay for their lunches. During the 2016-17
school year, the district received $2,175 for that purpose.
"The Canon-Mac community never ceases to amaze me,"
Superintendent Michael Daniels said. "We've received
donations both small and large—and we're so grateful to
everyone who has gone out of their way to help the students
in our district in a very real way."
School board pres ident Darla Bowman-Monaco agreed.
"I am overwhelmed every month at how many anonymous
people contribute to the lunch program," she said. "This
community continues to amaze us with their generosity "
The school director added:
"The good people of the Canon McMillan School District
are the best."
CANON-MAC
❘
SPRING 2018
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