Apple CEO Says Schools Must Teach Coding

Apple is hosting Hour of Code events around the world as part of Computer Science Education Week which runs through Sunday.

Some students will have the opportunity to learn how computer programming plays into a popular video game called Minecraft.

OMGTech! will also be running a social campaign using the hashtag #hourofcodenz to get as many groups who are participating in the Hour of Code this year in NZ to share their stories and images of kids engaging in code.

Liberty Elementary kicked off the computer science initiative with guest speakers, celebrating a $10,000 check the school received from Code.org, a nonprofit organization that started the nationwide initiative to increase knowledge and availability of computer science in schools.

In the Hattiesburg Public School District, computer technology teachers will be taking students through some basic computer programming, said Albert Galeas, the district’s instructional technologist.

“If you have access to technology, the Hour of Code event is an ideal starting point for elementary teachers”, wrote educator Brian Aspinall on his blog. She completed the Minecraft tutorial on Code.org and has an active interest in science due, in part, to her participation in OMGTech! events.

“Last year, my students spent a lot of time on digital devices (like cellphones)”, she said. “With “Minecraft” and Code.org, we aim to spark creativity in the next generation of innovators in a way that is natural, collaborative and fun”.

And if the concepts are introduced at a young age, in a fun way, it’s more likely that kids will find them cool and stay interested as they grow older, hopefully resulting in a larger and more diverse tech workforce down the road, he said.

“It’s always great when you can help children learn using real-world, and real life experiences”, said Edwards. Code Academy, worked together at laptops playing games created to bring home the lesson that coding is a set of instructions (or rules) that computers can understand, and that coding is everywhere.

According to Code.org, there are 1,052 open computing jobs in this state.

“Unplugged coding activities really helps develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving, directionality and the ability to articulate simple commands to sequence events”, Kathryn Zimmerman, the school’s instructional coach, said.