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Hour of Code 2018

By Jessica Winstanley
As many of you know, this is a special week in the edTech realm.  It is Computer Science education week, which is often highlighted by the "Hour of Code".  In order to cap off this special week, below are some great activities to engage your students in coding and build their love of computer science.  

You may be saying, "I don't know anything about coding. Can I still participate?"
Of course you can! For the most part, Hour of Code activities are self-guided. All you need to do is choose an activity and let your students create and learn. They have options for every age and experience-level, from kindergarten and up. Check out the wealth of resources on the Hour of Code website.

Some of Jessica's top picks:
  • Made w/ Code: This great site, brought to us by Google, was created to encourage young women to step into the world of computer science and coding.  Check out some amazing coding mentor videos and code some great beginner projects with Made w/ Code, including Wonder Woman and music.
  • CS First: Also from Google, CS First has created a new activity in honor of this year's hour of code.  CS First is a complete computer science-coding curriculum that requires no prior knowledge from the teacher or the students. One of these great lessons is the "Animate a Name" project.
  • Want an activity that is a little more festive?  Hour of code has an activity to go along with the new Grinch movie, and Google's Santa Tracker has their code lab activity and their code boogieactivity.
If you are a PPS teacher and would like some more ideas or plans for your specific grade level or content, please let me know!
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