Computer Science Education Week comes to a close – WCF Courier
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At Cedar Heights Elementary School, pre-kindergarten students ‘program’ a race car using colored mats Thursday. The car reads the color then performs the action corresponding with that color.
At Cedar Heights Elementary School, pre-kindergarten students ‘program’ a race car using colored mats Thursday. The car reads the color then performs the action corresponding with that color.
CEDAR FALLS — Shrieks of preschool children filled the air at Cedar Heights Elementary School as they slapped colored mats on the ground, trying to create a race track for their car to drive on.
The car could read the color and perform a corresponding action – a yellow mat meant “keep driving.” Chaos ensued as one child attempted to hoard the green mats, which signaled the car to start driving. The car bots drove all over the classroom floor as the kids tried to remember – was it orange that meant left turn, or blue?
A group of teachers observed the children Thursday. They were among 26 educators from across Iowa visiting classrooms, learning how Cedar Falls Community Schools incorporates computer science concepts into its curriculum, beginning at the pre-kindergarten level. Other teachers were at Peet Junior High, the high school, and Lincoln, Hansen, and Orchard Hill elementaries.
Central Rivers Area Education Agency collaborated with Cedar Falls Schools to host the tour. Visiting teachers took notes on how to implement computer science concepts and education into their own classrooms.
“They learned how (our) schools have successfully implemented free tools and curriculum and delivered that to students in a meaningful way, from just starting with the computer science program to being future-ready,” said Kenton Engels, instructional technology coach in Cedar Falls Schools.
The event occurred in conjunction with Computer Science Education Week in Iowa, Dec. 5-11. The week featured activities for both students and educators, such as insights into what it’s like to be a computer scientist or how to grow CS in your classroom. This is part of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, which aims to “increase interest and achievement in STEM studies and careers,” according to its website.
Over the past few years, Cedar Falls Schools has developed a robust computer science program that aims to give kids at least a foundational understanding of the subject, said Brian Unruh, the district’s director of instructional technology.
“There are different concepts, like loops or debugging, that certain grade levels learn … that’s for every student in our elementaries,” Unruh said.
In secondary school, seventh-graders are required to take a course in computer science. Starting in eighth grade, students can take relevant electives like game design and introduction to other coding languages. Computer Science Education Week reaffirms the need – and the state’s desire – for more students to learn about CS.
“This … is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the inescapable and exciting reality that computer science is woven throughout the fabric of students’ lives here in Iowa,” Jeff Weld, the STEM Advisory Council’s executive director, said in a news release
Nearly 71% of Iowa high schools offer computer science, more than the national average of 53%, according to advocacy.code.org. This is as a result of several state policies promoting CS in schools. Unruh said this is the right direction for schools to head in.
“Computer science is an ever-growing field that’s expanding into, and has a lot of overlap, in other job areas,” Unruh said. “It’s continually evolving over time, and the more (that) technology is being utilized in our daily lives, in society and our work, it’s just becoming that much more important for kids to understand computer science and be aware of the different fields that are available, and the different job possibilities that are available.”
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At Cedar Heights Elementary School, pre-kindergarten students ‘program’ a race car using colored mats Thursday. The car reads the color then performs the action corresponding with that color.
At Cedar Heights Elementary School, pre-kindergarten students ‘program’ a race car using colored mats Thursday. The car reads the color then performs the action corresponding with that color.
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