Contributed by Director of Technology Bill Selak
How many computers are in your pocket or purse right now? Take a quick look. I have two car keys, a FitBit, and an iPhone in my pockets. I carry four small computers with me every single day. We are quickly approaching an Internet of Things: a “network of physical objects or ‘things’ embedded with electronics… and network connectivity which enables these objects to collect and exchange data.” In other words, computers that need to be programmed will soon exist in most things we use.
This week, every Hillbrook student participated in one hour of code. “The Hour of Code is [a global movement] designed to demystify code and show that computer science is not rocket-science, anybody can learn the basics,” said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science. The Hillbrook community joined students worldwide as they spent time coding this week.
Coding isn’t just a fad, and it’s not just a fun activity to add to the end of school day. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects one million job openings in computing jobs is from 2010-2020. Coding brings computational thinking to the forefront of the classroom. It creates an environment where students develop 21st Century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication. Adding coding to classrooms also helps address the gender inequality in professional coding–only 12% of computer science degrees are earned by women.
We took this initiative a step further when we kicked off our first Week Of Code @ Hillbook, offering students workshops and immersions where they could experience engaging, fun, and real-world coding with their teachers as well as representatives from tech-minded companies within Silicon Valley.
I couldn’t have put it better than Head Of School Mark Silver. “Hillbrook aims to inspire students to reach beyond themselves to make a difference in the world. Week Of Code places an emphasis on the emergence of code as a new language in the 21st Century and the power of coding to make a positive impact today and in the future. We are excited to be introducing students to this language, opening doors to ways in which they can use technology to change the world.”
Students in 1st to 8th grades spent two hours coding at two of 11 different workshops, with activities that ranged from creating music with robots to navigating drones through an obstacle course. Here are some of the moments captured throughout the day.
JK and kindergarten students will have opportunities on Thursday and Friday during exploration time to learn how to code using BeeBots–standalone, programmable robots that accept and execute directional commands. For example: forward, right, forward, right, forward, right, forward tells the BeeBot to roll in a square.
A highlight of the week was the eighth grade field trip to Google X. Engineers talked with Hillbrook students and challenged them to think about the future. For instance, “what can you create with code in a world where every car is self-driving?” The possibilities are endless.
We look forward to seeing how students continue to incorporate computer science into their educational experiences here at Hillbrook, from lower school students coding during ICE Time to middle school students taking robotics electives. Coding not only combines computational thinking, logic, and sequencing, but also requires collaboration. As Head Of Lower School Colleen Schilly noted, “What struck me during and stayed with me afterwards was how much JOY there was in the creativity, curiosity, and collaboration that this event inspired.”
Editor’s Note: A very special thank you to Bill and Lower School Instructional Technology Coach Kelly Scholten for creating such a great experience for our students, and to all the staff, faculty, and parent volunteers who helped execute a wonderful first Week Of Code @ Hillbrook!