Join the Coding Revolution
The Hour of Code is upon us. In fact, it’s this week: December 8 through 14. The Hour of Code (HOC) is a yearly event during Computer Science Education Week sponsored by Code.org® that introduces people of all ages to computer science (specifically, computer programming), with the goal of taking the mystery out of computer programming, or what’s also known as coding. (It’s called the “Hour of Code” because of the sponsors’ goal of getting every school-age child to spend one hour performing some introductory coding, so they can experience for themselves how easy and intuitive programming is.)
DMA Instructional Designer Jordan Hart introduces students in Silicon Valley to the Hour of Code.
In case you haven’t heard, programmers are the new Rock stars. Computer programmers create the code that powers the devices and platforms that we use everyday. ATMs, text messages and even automobiles rely on computer programming to carry out tasks and functions that we depend upon.
Code.org is a non-profit organization and, like DMA, Code.org envisions a world where “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. We believe computer science and computer programming should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.”
Impacting the Community with Code
“The Hour of Code encourages educators everywhere to run mini coding lessons, so all students get introduced to programming,” says Jordan Hart, an Instructional Designer at Digital Media Academy. He’s no stranger to programming. In fact, he teaches it at DMA’s Stanford tech camp. “At DMA, we’re determined that every student who attends our tech camp also learns how to apply STEM skills to their lives.”
You don’t need to be a programmer to enjoy modern technology, but understanding programming can certainly enhance your appreciation of technology. When you learn how to code, you begin to discover the sheer awesomeness of the digital world growing around us, and you gain the opportunity to add your personal touch to it.
Students create self portraits using the Processing programming language.
To engage students with the HOC, DMA created a shortened classroom experience to introduce kids to coding. In the experience, students were led through a series of fun exercises to learn the Processing programming language, based on Java. The program allowed students to draw shapes, use colors and even learn how to respond to mouse actions. The easy-to-use Processing program language makes it fun to learn a few weeks’ worth of programming topics in just over an hour.
Exploring any new language can be tough, but with great instruction, anyone can discover how to code. Learn computer programming at DMA this summer. You’ll be glad you did.
This year, DMA is hosting Hour of Code classes at the following locations:
November 21, 2014 – San Jose High School (San Jose, California)
December 6, 2014 – Math Circle at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia)
December 11, 2014 – Anderson New Tech High School (Anderson, California)
December 12, 2014 – North Druid Hills High School (Atlanta, Georgia)