Hour of Code

What is it?

"Hour of Code" is a movement that initially started as a one-hour introductory to computer science. At the root, the hour of code movement was designed with the intent to show everyday-people that computer science and computer programming is not as difficult as it appears. The hour of code movement wants to show people that anyone can code, and in turn hopes to broaden the field of participants in computer science related careers.

How Could You Implement This in Your Classroom?

When thinking about coding, and the hour of code movement, I am instantly reminded of my grade nine civics and careers courses. I think hour of code would be a great activity to implement into courses of this nature because it exposes learners to subjects that aren't necessarily taught in classes, and allows students to explore their interest in these areas. However, for those of us who are teachers of primary/junior students, this may seem a little less relevant. However, with a little bit of creativity, there are so many ways to implement this activity into your classroom - without having to emphasize career paths! I can see hour of code and other alike coding activities easily being implemented into primary/junior math classes. For example, a potential coding question that may appear could be: "move this dog three spaces to the right, and one space up". Learners would then have to use their counting and spatial awareness skill set to determine where the dog's desired destination is. Additionally, with the added coding factor, children are then utilizing their problem solving skills to determine which information is relevant to finding the answer, and how to effectively achieve their desired answer. All of which aligns with the primary/junior Ontario curriculum!

Just like the movement implies, coding is simple! So, do not be afraid to get creative and use coding in your classroom! Remember, coding is for anyone!