December 7 through December 13, 2020 is computer science education week. During this week every year K-12 grade students are encouraged and inspired to learn more about computer science, with that hope that upon matriculation (graduating to another grade or receiving a diploma) they would consider entering a STEM field or use computer science to enhance another discipline (subject) of study.
This year while many programs, activities and events have been cancelled during the pandemic, learning to code and having digital literacy skills is paramount more now than ever before, as we find new ways to connect to one another. Learning more about computer science is one of the areas of study that was already primed for distance learning. Many organizations, bootcamps, curriculums, and coding education platforms already engaged in distance learning and online education, so these programs have had little disruption during this pandemic that has taken over our lives. Organizations, platforms, and curriculums like CS First, GitHub, Code.org, Apple's Swift and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have offered free access to computer science courses and learning tools for many years. Code.org especially has offered Hour of Code activities that are a quick way for older and younger students to be introduced to coding in a fun and very interactive way.
This transition has also occurred with many of our coding education program offerings as well. The San Jose Public Library has been dedicated to teaching our local community coding with our Coding5k Challenge. With this pandemic we understand more than ever how learning to code and digital literacy, as well as access to internet and devices that are internet ready, is an essential for all learners of every age. While the natural collaboration that happens when we are in a shared physical space cannot happen, we have been able to use tools such as Google Classroom, Kahoot, and others to to set up learning environments that allow for more robust independent learning and cover more information. Coding and Computer Science education teaches 21st century skills that can be used in every facet of life as computational thinking is not just limited to programming but is a problem solving skill.
So during this week in December, take time to learn more about coding, check out one of our many titles that teach coding, join one of our online classes, or learn to code on your own using our free online learning platforms.
Happy Coding!
LEARN TO CODE AT A CODING5K PROGRAM
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