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January 2015
Page 9
lakeland elementary
Coding for the Future
Lakeland Students Part of World’s Largest Learning Experience
SCHOOL NEWS
Story and Photos by Terry Louderback
spelling “billabong.”
Recorder
Ensemble
Lakeland’s 5th
Grade
recorder
ensemble, led by
Amy Greenberg,
added holiday spirit
to the school with a
performance in the
lobby on December
18th. Songs played
included “Jammin’
Old Saint Nick” and
“Ode to Joy.”
Photo Courtesy of LES
various
Polar Connect
In December, every student at Lakeland Elementary
School had the opportunity
to participate in the largest
learning experience worldwide. The mission of the
Hour of Code was to have
one million students complete 60 minutes of computer
programming activities during the week. On Monday
alone, over five million
students participated from
around the globe.
Second grader Haley
Simons, above, smiled when
her code to make Elsa skate a
90-pointed star was successful. This year’s “Frozen”themed activities were specifically designed to encourage girls to try coding.
“I like best that it's a little
bit hard,” Simons said. “It
makes you think differently
about stuff.”
Simons’ teacher Kristen
Nichols sees other benefits
from the students’ access to
computers. Her students are
successfully completing the
“Frozen” and last year’s
“Angry Birds”-themed activities.
“Some students may not
be able to read very well, but
they can use the computers,”
Nichols explains. “It’s neat
to see with my low readers
that they can get the bird to
move and their faces light
up. They say, ‘this is cool!’
and “That’s awesome.’”
Lakeland Elementary's
APEX teacher, Genny
Kirkpatrick, completed the
first Hour of Code in 2013
with 30-40 APEX students,
but wanted every student to
have the opportunity.
This spring, Kirkpatrick
and other LES teachers plan
to launch a “Coding Club”
for LES students. “This is
just the beginning of where
we’re going to go,”
Kirkpatrick adds. “We’re
learning along with the students.”
Lakeland students already
visit one of the two computer
labs at LES for 55 minutes
each week as part of their
MAPS rotation. With the
recent donation
of 120
Google chromebooks from
the PTA, every student at the
school has access to google
apps for education.
Wanda Terral, Instructional Technology Specialist,
adds that Lakeland Elementary is planning to hold a
“Code Camp” in conjunction
with the Tennessee Code
Academy this summer. But
interest in c