Orient-Macksburg students encounter technology during Day of Code

Orient-Macksburg students of elementary and middle school age received hands-on lessons in computer coding and other related technology during the school district’s second annual Hour of Code event Monday, Dec. 4, with help from staff from Green Hills AEA.

Computer Science Week was celebrated Dec. 4-10 this year, which made the Hour of Code event a perfect way for educators to drive home the importance of understanding computer science concepts with students.

The Hour of Code is described, on its website, as being a free introduction to computer science through fun activities and videos for learners of all skill level.

An important aspect of computer science is problem solving, which is an essential skill for life, O-M educator Samantha Thompson said.

Green Hills staff say that computer science is understanding how and why techonologies work, exploring whether and how technology could solf real-life problems, investigating procedures, creating solutions and learning about computing systems, programming, data, networks and the effects on society and the individual.

Iowa law requires schools to develop K-12 computer science plans for instruction and implementation.

Green Hills AEA has been working closely with local educators, providing professional development opportunities to understand the new requirements and create their district computer science plan. Over 90% of districts in Green Hills AEA’s territory participated in these workshops. The AEA also provided coaching, as well as assistance with understanding the computer science standards, available curriculum, best instructional practices, and resources to utilize in the classroom.

The Green Hills AEA media department works with districts to offer up-to-date, hands-on devices to check out for students, including programmable robots, drones, micro-computers, and many more.

Computer science is important because computing is a part of so much of the world today. It has many lucrative jobs, it enables one to make a positive impact on the world, it enables a person to provide solutions to complex problems, and it offers great future opportunities, Thompson said.

“As we live in a digital age, most industries rely on data and software programs,” Thompson said. “Computer science and IT impacts everything. If we can get the children interested they will not only gain computational thinking and problem solving skills, they will also have so many opportunities in the future.”

Stations for the Hour of Code included osmos, beebots, sphero indi, artificial intelligence, finches, micro:bits, drone flight, tello drone, sphero bolts and virtual reality.

“I would like to thank our staff for rearranging their schedules so we could make this happen,” Thompson said. “I would also like to thank Heather [Lundquist] and Kimberly [Adams] from the AEA for building and helping this whole day.”