Lower School Celebrates Computer Science Education Week
Did you know that 71% of all new jobs in STEM are in computing but only 8% of STEM graduates are in the Computer Science field? Or that 90% of parents want their children to study computer science but only 40% of schools teach computer programming.
Computer Science is about much more than teaching technology. It incorporates logic, problem solving, and creativity in an engaging way for children of all ages. From December 4 – 8, Indian Creek Lower School participated in Computer Science Education Week, an opportunity to give all our students in Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade additional exposure to coding and robotics! As first grade teacher Sarah Allen shared, “Computer Science Education Week has been a wonderful opportunity for our students to understand the fundamentals of coding so that regardless of what coding language they learn they can know the basic structure and function of a coding language. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the students to understand how coding connects them to the world and how coding can open doors they have never even imagined. Coding is a powerful way for students to be creative, solve problems, and collaborate in authentic ways!”
Current educational research agrees. As Julie Randles mentions in her article published by ISTE, “Use Coding to Engage Students in Reading, Writing, Lessons,” “Coding allows students to be creative without being wrong. If something doesn’t work, students must figure out why and determine how to fix it. Coding is the process of continually making mistakes, learning from them and correcting them. Coding requires creativity and critical thinking – future-ready skills, that, along with collaboration and communication, are essential. Best of all, coding allows students to create content, rather than simply consume it – and that’s a must-have skill for functioning in today’s tech-driven world.”
During Indian Creek’s Computer Science Education week celebration the week, each class (Pre-K3 through grade 6) enjoyed a combination of Hour of Code lessons with Mr. Bear in STEM lab and hands-on coding activities in the Movement Room. At the end of the week, all students received “Hour of Code certificates.” This celebration supplemented Indian Creek Lower School’s regular computer science program, which incorporates coding lessons into the regular curriculum.
Indian Creek School
Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland. Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.
