This week’s tip is…..  Try the Hour of Code!!  It’s easier than you might think, very engaging, and lots of fun!  No prior coding experience required!!  It’s time to celebrate Computer Science Education Week and participate in the Hour of Code (Dec. 5 – Dec. 11)!!

AND… did you see the new inspirational videos a new inspirational video featuring champions Serena Williams, Neymar Jr, Carmelo Anthony, Draymond Green, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo Vieira, Sue Bird, and gold medalists from Chile to Sri Lanka.  Just click the link to watch and show your class!  They were just released yesterday afternoon and are so cool!

In addition, there’s also a companion coding activity students can use to make their own simple sports game. Thanks to a partnership with the NBA, students can code a custom basketball app with their favorite team’s logo. 🙂

If you haven’t had time to think about it yet– it’s not too late!!  🙂  Sign up for the computer lab, or rotate through classroom computer/Chromebook stations, and ask your class to type in this link~   https://code.org/learn

They can pick any module and will be amazed at what they learn!  They can’t break anything, so it’s fine to just let them explore!  Students won’t be able to save their work this week (due to the millions of students using the site world-wide), but if they want to continue later, they can come back to this site and create their own account later- and then continue their computer science learning all year at school and at home!

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There are some fun offline activities too!!  A simple game of Simon Says is a great way for younger students to practice giving and following directions (which can lead to more complex “commands” and code!).  A few minutes of Simon Says each day (with students taking turns being “Simon” too!) adds up to a great introduction to the Hour of Code!   Other offline activities for all ages can also be found at http://code.org/learn (then click “No computers or devices” on the left hand side).

If you have or plan to participate in the Hour of Code- we’d love to hear about it!!  🙂

There are currently 76 OUESD teachers with over 4,200 student “hours of code” who have signed up to participate!  That’s Ah-maz-ing!!!  Each staff member who signs up and participates will receive a small token of “thanks” for giving your students the opportunity to learn coding and computer science!!!  Thank you!!!  We’d love to hear how it went!!

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