Coding

Code.org has free curriculum resources for K-12!

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Some of our NWOCA INS Staff attended a great workshop last week from Code.org.

I’m sure many of you have heard of Code.org, or used them for your own Hour of Code activities. But did you know that Code.org has a full Computer Science curriculum for students in grades K-12?  This is all free for teachers, and the best part is that for a lot of it, you don’t even need devices!

The Code.org curriculum includes many Unplugged activities that use simple supplies to teach computer science concepts.  From building a binary bracelet to learning through making paper airplanes, these lessons are engaging and fun for the students!

Why add coding into your classroom?  In Ohio, for example, there are currently 14,811 open computing jobs, and 92% of those jobs won’t be filled by computer science graduates from our state.  Yet Ohio has no dedicated state funding for computer science, and does not require all high schools to offer computer science. There are also no K-12 computer science curriculum standards.

The number of open jobs that requires computer science knowledge will only increase in the future. Help the students get the skills they need by implementing them into your classroom lessons.
Code.org offers Computer Science Fundamentals for grades K-5, as well as courses for middle and high school.  Here is a link to all the various curricula available on Code.org: https://code.org/teacher-dashboard#/plan 
Accounts are free for teachers and students, and you can use your Google credentials to log in. If you want some help getting started with coding, contact NWOCA Instructional Services and we would be glad to assist you.  Stay tuned, as we will be announcing some coding workshops in the future as well.
Good luck… and happy coding!