(Celebrating) 50 Years of Coding for Kids and (the) Hour of Code!
“Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer... because it teaches you how to think.” - Steve Jobs
This week is not just Computer Science Education Week, it is also 50 years since the birth of a coding language that was developed for kids! It was back in the 1960's when Seymour Papert, Wally Feurzeig, Cynthia Solomon and other researchers from Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) created Logo. Logo is an interactive programming language for children of all ages! It uses a series of commands that are graphic and logic based rather than number based like most programming languages.
At Bright and Smart, we use one of Logo's most known features, which is the turtle. Turtle Art allows our students to create all types of shapes, mazes and fascinating designs by giving the turtle a simple set of instructions. By exploring with Turtle Art, students are using their imaginations and creativity, while learning basic programming skills. Like Logo, another coding application that we use is called Scratch. Scratch was created by engineers at MIT and builds on Logo's central idea to teach students about coding in a less intimidating way unlike some other languages.
It is also that time of year for Hour of Code! Hour of Code can be done anytime of the year, but it is widely celebrated during Computer Science Education Week with different events happening all over the world!
Here's some fun activites to help your kids learn and practice their coding skills!
Pre Reader- Peep:Nature Walk Candy Quest Puppy Adventure
Grades 2 through 5- Star Wars Flappy Game Moana Winter Greeting Card
Grades 6 through 8- Build an IPhone Game Code your Music Diggin' Dwarf
Grades 9 and up- Code Academy Make Your Own App Simple Encryption Wonder Woman
