Hour of Code is an international movement established to promote computer science among millions of students in multiple countries regardless of their level of experience. Hour of Code has been named one of “the largest learning events in history.”
Several celebrities, visionary technology leaders, and even the President of the United States has joined in support of this endeavor to advance the benefits of coding lessons with students.
FWSU pedagogy also embraces the belief that every child can and should have access to computer science skills. However, coding is practiced within our learning community on a daily basis and is not limited to just an hour during a week in December. For FWSU students, computational skills are deeply embedded into our entire learning ecosystem. The FWSU Action Plan casts a bold vision for the development of computational thinking in the context of proficiency-based personalized learning.
During last week’s Hour of Code event, our schools were proud to participate. For us, it was just another hour of coding which is what we do all year-long. It was part of our sustained commitment to building computational skills and a deeper learning mindset through which students can solve real-world problems by designing solutions.
We enjoy showcasing many examples of computational thinking throughout FWSU; these include experiences like Ozobot robots, Arduino’s, BeeBots, Game Design, E-textiles, Scratch, HP Learning Studios, Tinkercad, and much, much more. These experiences engage kids in authentic learning and foster student leadership and creativity.
Target 1 – Proficiency-Based Personalized Learning: FWSU students and staff design and engage in proficiency-based personalized learning that integrates collaborative inquiry, problem-solving, and creativity
Action Step: Support proficiency for all learners in student-centered, collaborative, digitally-rich learning environments
Indicator of Success: Teachers provide learners with multiple pathways for meeting standards so that students achieve proficiency in essential areas of learning.