The end of the school year does not have to mean the end of learning.

This summer, Dayle Payne, Technology Integration Specialist at GEMS will be taking computer coding classes right along with a couple of GEMS 6th Graders. When asked why she was enrolling, Dayle reflected how two years ago, she saw a student become incredibly engaged when he was able to make a working calculator with Ruby – a computer web programming language.

Dayle sees this coding experience as an exciting opportunity – both for personally and for her two students who will be participating. When assisting parents to enroll one of the interested students, that parent was able to connect with another Georgia family so the students could learn together. Now, teacher and students will be share this collaborative experience together. It is a great example of how learning has changed in a digital age, where none of us are experts. Teachers are learners too, right alongside their students.

The students and Ms. Payne are taking advantage of a free opportunity offered by the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education which trains teachers to learn how to code with their students. Participants can choose from three strands: Ruby, web programming, and iPro and Scratch from programming professionals in Vermont.

It is not too late for students or teachers to sign up! Interested individuals can learn more at Code Camp website.

Here is an interesting news article about coding published yesterday by NBC News.