Coding, programming give charter school kids an edge
A unique technology program at a local charter school is teaching coding and computer programming to students as young as Grade 4 to prepare them for the jobs of the future.
Students at Connect Charter School in Lakeview are designing games and building applications as they become proficient in a variety of coding languages, from Swift to Java, using iPads and MacBooks provided through an annual enrichment fee.
“It’s about moving our students from being consumers of technology to being creators — creators of their own content,” said Gail Stevenson, a teacher at Connect Charter, formerly the Calgary Science School in Lakeview.
“Coding requires collaboration, problem-solving and critical thinking in a less linear way. Even as you are debugging programs, you are thinking critically.
“Our kids are learning Java, HTML web-based applications and creating their own websites.”
As schools across Canada celebrate “Hour of Code” this month, a global movement encouraging students to try coding through a series of one-hour online tutorials, Connect Charter is clearly ahead of the game.
Joseph Song, a Grade 7 student at Connect Charter, has already been coding for three years, enjoying its unique problem-solving challenges and puzzles of going back to correct coding chains gone wrong.
“I really like coding, I use it to create games, programs, it’s a lot of fun,” Song said.
Students in grades 4 to 6 are provided with lightweight iPads at the beginning of their school year, and are also invited to bring other personal devices to school. Once kids enter Grade 7, they graduate to the larger MacBooks, allowing them a broader range of creative options. They also carry the devices along on a variety of field trip events as part of the school’s unique EXPO program.
EXPO, Butterfield explains, is Connect Charter’s experiential, outdoor learning program engaging students in a variety of projects in and outside of the school’s walls.
It engages students in technology, from building robots and writing the code that controls them to creating apps that guide students toward volunteerism.
But it also takes them on a number of unique field trips, from parks and mountains outside the city to homeless shelters downtown.
“Integrating technology into our programs at the school allow for meaningful individual learning,” said principal Phil Butterfield.