Maybe you haven’t heard… but computer science is struggling play catch up in school. For years, technology has been advancing, but our educational institutions have not kept up with the pace. The result, we are woefully short on qualified job candidates for computer science and coding careers. The sad part… this is a field where pretty much anyone competent to code can get a job quickly, and make good money.

Mississippi has long been behind in a lot of things educational. It’s not just the teachers. It’s not just the curriculum. It’s not just the politicians (ok, they may have a bit more to do with it than most), it is a combination of things, but they are things that Mississippi is striving to overcome. One thing I can say Mississippi is doing right is stepping up to the plate in the area computer science education.

Through the Research and Curriculum Unit of Mississippi State University, I was privileged enough to teach a year as of a pilot project using the Code.org CS Discoveries curriculum. Now, a bit about my past computer science history. Yes, I have coded before… but it was a LONG time ago… think Pascal… if you don’t know what that is, it’s old. I used to install computer networks for a living… Unix networks…. before the days of wireless routers (yes, we hard wired EVERYTHING). Did the amount of time from my experience to me teaching the course to a group of sixth graders negatively impact things? I don’t believe so. All that to say, if you’re worried you don’t have the CS experience to teach this, no worries. Code.org makes it easy!

So, my journey started last summer, when I was asked to teach this program. Of course, I said yes… only to find out I had to go on a trip the next week to get the training in. I got it done, even if it was a bit short notice. I spent a week learning the CS Discoveries curriculum, going through the same program (or parts of it) that my students would go through. I was impressed. The biggest issue I saw with the training was not the program, nor the facilitators. It was the presence of the “I’m not going to change” attitude exhibited by some in the room. Over the course of the week, many changed their opinions, but not all. Remember, change is good.

Fast forward to the beginning of the school year. I was going to teach 7th grade English five periods of the day, and one period of Computer Science. I was pretty much punting as I started out. We were using chrome books, which worked well. I taught basic documents/slide shows/spreadsheets the first semester. Near the end of the first we started transitioning to the code.org program. The struggle with the students was the fact that I would not give them the answers. I made them struggle through the work. They had to grasp the logic of a situation, and do something with it to make their code work. Fortunately, it was using block coding, so that made things a bit easier for them.

The first bit of coding the kids did was HTML. This was nice because it is an easy way to teach the importance of syntax and paying attention to details. When something isn’t right, they students were able to see something didn’t look like they expected on their webpage. Overall, the students gained a basic understanding of HTML, and a great appreciation for the little details in code.

After HTML, we were coding with Javascript using blocks.  This is where students began to really grow. They struggled through problems, trying to figure out how to complete levels using the most efficient code possible. They competed with each other, pushing each other to press on. They encouraged each other when someone was having a really tough time. Overall, this portion of the course was where the most was gained.

Using the Computer Science Discoveries curriculum on code.org is extremely user friendly. You start out with a dashboard.

This is where you can get to other parts of the system. To see student progress, click the number of students in the STUDENTS column. This brings you to this screen:

Here you can see lesson progress for each student. I cut my screen off to keep my students’ names out of sight, but you get the idea. This shows areas/lessons that a student skipped. Those are indicated as little white sections on the green bar. As you can see, some students skipped more than others.

You can also click on links on the top bar to view other data:

You can click MANAGE STUDENTS to view student info and reset a student password, should they forget it.

Another nice option is the ability to see projects the student is working on. Click PROJECTS and it will bring up a listing of projects, with student names associated with each project.

 

You can see, one student is working on a test to make sure you are Dauntless (If you don’t get it, check out Divergent by Veronica Roth). You can click the project name and actually see the code the student is working on.

Now… one area that some teachers will worry about. What about when a student is stuck, and you are too. If you are new to coding, there WILL be times you need to stop and try to figure things out. To make sure you (and your student) are on the right track, there is a way for teachers to see example solutions to lessons. To get there, go to your dashboard and click the unit you are working on. It should take you to a screen that looks similar to this:

From here, find the lesson in question. Click the EXAMPLE SOLUTIONS link on the right. (again, I cut this screen off to keep student names from appearing.

That link shows you a possible solution to the level:

Overall, I am VERY pleased with the Computer Science Discoveries program from code.org. If you have been hesitant to introduce coding to your students, this is the way to go. It steps you through every step of the process. Also, the folks at code.org are quick to respond to questions, should any arise. The best part… it is free. Absolutely 100% free. So take advantage of what code.org has to offer… and in turn, you open up a world of possibilities for your students.

The best part of all of this… next year I get to teach Computer Science all day… WOOT WOOT! That, and I look forward to going to Atlanta to the code.org TeacherCon!

As always, if you have any questions, comment below… and remember, sharing is caring, so spread the word.