Contributed by Michael Ganci, Syntax, for The Bronxville School

Dec. 20, 2017:  Joining millions of students worldwide, Bronxville School students in kindergarten through 12th grade engaged in a variety of coding and computer programming activities for an Hour of Code from December 4 to 10. The event is a popular feature of Computer Science Education Week that nurtures students’ creativity and problem-solving skills.

The Hour of Code website describes the Hour of Code as follows: "The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify 'code,' to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with one-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts." 

“In our third year, we’re continuing to get 100 percent participation in the elementary school,” said Brad Ashley, the Bronxville School K-12 technology specialist. “Over the last few years, we’ve developed a new computer science curriculum for our elementary school. We consider it the new literacy because we feel that students need coding in their daily lives if they’re going to compete in a 21st-century world, and Hour of Code really helps to get students energized.”

While the Hour of Code activities are different from the regular curriculum, they support the district’s vision and enable students to make connections and explore concepts similar to those they are studying in their classes.

“We’re showing that computer science is the new literacy and why the Hour of Code is so important,” Ashley said.

Throughout the week, the district provided a variety of self-guided coding activities, based on grade level, to the students. Middle school students participated in the Hour of Code during their technology classes, in which they learned how to develop their own apps, engaged in block-based programming, and experimented with Javascript to create news videos. Meanwhile, members of a new app design class at the high school created their own Hour of Code and engaged in coding exercises using the Swift programming language.

Click here to watch a video about Bronxville School’s Hour of Code participation. 

Pictured here:  Bronxville School students during the Hour of Code.

Photo courtesy The Bronxville School