The Incredibly True Adventures of an EdTech Trailblazer: Coding is a Basic Literacy Library Centers Deep Dive Part 3/10

Saturday, March 9, 2019

Coding is a Basic Literacy Library Centers Deep Dive Part 3/10

Recently, CBS aired a 60 Minutes episode highlighting the gender gap in the tech industry. Hadi Partovi, founder of Code.org, along with top computer science based industry leaders and a majority of developed nations, recognizes coding as a basic literacy that schools should start teaching at the same time that we teach students how to read and write.

Each year schools across the world observe Hour of Code, a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.

Teaching coding just one hour per year is tantamount to teaching reading, writing, and mathematics just one hour per year, and simply will not meet the needs of the fastest growing job industry in the United States.

Starting with Kindergarten, the Winkley Library incorporates coding and other computer science skills into library classes. Students rotate through a series of center activities each time they visit the Winkley Library. One center that has been a constant in the Winkley Library is the Coding Center. Coding is introduced to students in grades K-5 through both unplugged and device based activities.

A few of the recent coding/computer science activities students in the Winkley Library have explored include:

Blockly App

Additionally, thanks to a recent generous parent donation, the Winkley Library has been able to add one LEGO WeDo 2.0 kit that combines learning how to code with robotics.

The Winkley Library is committed to supporting literacy, in all its forms, through library classes and collaborations with classroom teachers.