By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — It was Pong all right, but not quite the way Virginia Mireau remembered it.

On Thursday afternoon she watched Grade 6 students Donta Desjarlais and Reggie Heinrich at a computer in their classroom at Davidson School, setting up a sophisticated game of table tennis.

The program — running on a KANO kit computer pieced together by the students — allowed them to customize a wide range of options, from the size and speed of the ball to the type of playfield.

It was a far cry from the black-and-white game she remembered playing on the TV set in her brother’s room decades ago.

But more impressive than the technology was the knowledge and mastery shown by students throughout the school.

“I’m surprised at the depth of understanding, right from Grade 1 on up,” said Mireau, an early learning coach based in Rosetown with Sun West School Division. “It’s apparent that there’s a lot of engagement with the students in the process.”

Mireau was one of roughly 80 guests visiting the school on Thursday afternoon for a school-wide demonstration, showcasing the results of a pilot project that began this fall in Davidson.

“Up to Code” is a program that aims to teach students the basics of computer literacy and introductory coding, by integrating these skills into their everyday curriculum.

It is based on an idea developed by staff members Sandra Baldwin and Arlene Low, who wanted to create a program to help students become fluent in what they called a new literacy and a 21st-century skill.

For the full story, see the May 30 edition of The Davidson Leader, or phone 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.