Hour of Code and Making

This week students from JK to 8th grade participated in the world wide "Hour of Code." In Calling All Makers, the students participated as well. Some of the more experienced helped those less experienced figure out a platform that would help them develop an app for the App Fair in February. Others just picked up where they left off learning Javascript or Python. All students had fun discovering what they could tell the computer to do and then see it do it!

I had my own Hour of Code, reviewing the little bit of Java I learned several years ago using the activities on code.org. I don't have time during class to practice my own coding skills, but seeing the students work in class motivates me to use some of my free time to practice myself.

One of the reasons I see coding as important for Makers is that it allows the maker to have control over an aspect of the making or creating that is repetitive. If you're making involves big numbers, coding can handle big numbers. If your making involves measurements, coding can help with accuracy.