Hour of Code week

This week has been exhausting, but so worth it. The way things work at Christie is that we come up with an idea and then we try to see just how big we can make that idea. We've experienced many successes and failures from taking this approach, but that's never stopped us from trying. This week was no different. We signed up to host an Hour of Code event, but instead of simply hosting an hour, we wanted to create a week long experience for our students. We wanted to completely immerse them in code.  We planned activities for everyday from unplugged activities that required no technology, to rotating every student and classroom through stations in the Learning Commons, to video conferences with experts, and even opening up our classrooms to other classrooms across the district! The students were using vocabulary that was completely new and actually understanding how the coding activities they were doing could eventually lead to the creation of video games, apps, or whatever they could dream of! Teachers even jumped outside of their comfort zones and tried activities also. It was an awesome sight to see. It all ended with a Community Coding event right here at Christie. We invited parents, administrators from the district, community members, and anyone else who wanted to come try coding  with us. We set up ipads, chrome books, laptops and any other device students brought and devoted an entire uninterrupted hour to coding. The engagement was astounding. Kindergartners all the way up to adults were coding and having a great time doing it! Never would I have imagined the number of people who would show up to code! Everyone loved it. I'm still kind of in shock at the turnout. I guess it just goes to show you what can happen when kids are excited about their learning and go home and tell their parents about it. I can't wait until next year!What crazy idea will we think of next? Stay tuned...