Computer Science Education Week was December 7th – 11th, and it was a busy week at Columbine!

All students participated in 90 minutes of computer science during that week to develop skills in critical thinking, creativity, and reasoning.

Preschool students received an introduction to Cubelets. They learned the difference between senses and actions to create several different types of robots.

In Kindergarten, students learned the basics of blockly coding on Code.org. They worked on manipulating the computer mouse or track-pad to drag and drop pieces together and direct characters on the screen.

First Graders coded with the iPad app ScratchJr, and worked with robots called Bee-Bots. These robots move around the floor after students enter the movement sequence via the buttons on the Bee-Bot’s back. They helped the Bee-Bot navigate a grid and solve addition problems by moving it to the correct answers.

In Second Grade, students developed stories on the iPad app, ScratchJr. Their stories had to have sequential plots, characters, and dialog. They used the blockly coding directions to move their characters throughout the scene and help them interact!

Third and Fourth Graders both completed Code.org’s Hour of Code Minecraft and Star Wars programs. While completing 15 levels, students learned some of the more challenging aspects of blockly coding like loops, if-then statements, and manipulating different aspects of the scene.

Fifth Graders learned how to code JavaScript with new tutorial kits from BitsBox. Students utilize BitsBox books to explore JavaScript programming and they learn code working iPad apps.

Computer Science was not just limited to classroom teachers. In Art, students discovered the connection between pixels and pointillism paintings. In Music, classes explored how keyboards work and discussed the programming needed to make them work properly. And finally, in PE, students learned that giving and following directions to perform actions is similar to how computers work. Students took turns giving each other directions while climbing the rope wall, and weren’t allowed to move unless they were given directions on how and where to move.

Overall, Computer Science Week was huge success at Columbine! Students practices coding on many different platforms and in several different coding languages. As the school year progresses, we will find more ways to integrate computer science into the content students are already learning.