Computer coding in 1st grade!

Today we took part in a very exciting and important activity- coding- yes, computer coding! It is Computer Science week and we took part in an activity put on by Code.org called, The Hour of Code. You probably saw the link come through on your child's SeeSaw acct as well as their secret password. Coding is an extremely important concept that is fast becoming a HUGE part of your child's future. 

I encourage you to have your son or daughter play around with the options on the code.org website. They can use the password (they know how to log in using SeeSaw) to continue trying the Minecraft levels. The upper levels do get tricky but it's a great opportunity for your child to practice their problem solving skills. 

We talked today about having a growth mindset and how when you encounter a problem, you can either get mad and quit or think about what you can do differently, how you can problem solve? It's ok, to be frustrated, but use that frustration to help you grow not quit.

I recently attended a Code.org training and was introduced to their coding curriculum. It starts with the foundational pieces but allows kiddos to go so far. This is a new skill for me as well. I've dabbled (lightly) with HTML on the blog but am excited to use this curriculum and learn along with the class. My hope is to work through Course 1 (you can check it out on Code.org) and see where it takes us. I have a feeling that it will open doors for many kiddos. I am also looking forward to starting a "Code Club" once a week at recess for any kiddos that show an interest and would like to take it a little bit further. I'm hoping to start that after the holidays which will give us a little bit more time to dabble together as a group and have a better understanding of coding.

If you'd like a little more information about Code.org and the importance of children learning this very important skill, I encourage you to check out this link. As always, if you have any questions, please get in touch with me.