By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Never mind the Joneses.
This year, students at Davidson School are taking part in a new initiative that aims to have them keeping up with the Jetsons.
“Up to Code,” a program of basic computer literacy and introductory coding, is the brainchild of teachers Sandra Baldwin and Arlene Low.
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of programming using a variety of tools, ranging from remote-controlled toys to simple computers that they can put together.
Speaking at the Davidson School Community Council meeting on Tuesday, Baldwin said the catalyst for the initiative came last year when web designer Jessica Foster gave a presentation on technology to her leadership class.
Most of the students considered themselves computer-literate, but their feelings changed as Foster began asking them about hardware and other basic terminology.
“Slowly the hands sunk down,” recalled Baldwin. “We realized that we’re great at using technology, but we don’t really understand the technology that we’re using.”
Last spring, Baldwin and Low put together a proposal for “Up to Code: An Introduction to Computation STEM Challenges,” with input from Foster, Sun West School Division staff, and faculty from both the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan.
The one-year program involves two project teachers who learn the concepts and then share and teach these skills to students and other teachers, within the context of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) framework.
The proposal was completed in May and presented to Sun West officials, who approved it as a project under the Sun West Initiative for School Improvement (SWISI).
Four staff members are taking the lead, including Meaghan Greene, leading grades 1 through 6, and Baldwin, leading grades 7 through 12. Low is involved through her role as a learning coach, as is principal Jason Low.
The proposal sets out four phases, including the first, in which staff members began building on their own knowledge of computer literacy, developing and applying their skills.
Students are in the midst of the second phase, in which they are introduced to both the technological tools and the skills required for their use.
In the third phase, students will develop their own projects based on the ideas already introduced. The initiative culminates in a showcase of these projects in the spring for parents, the school and the community at large, scheduled for May 26.
Greene explained that programming code is a kind of literacy, along with reading, writing and arithmetic, that students need to keep up with a changing world. The initiative aims to foster students who are producers of technology and not just consumers.
Baldwin said the second phase of the project is well underway. All students in grades 7 through 12 have gained experience in scripting or coding in some form, while many elementary students have also been exposed to the basic ideas of computer literacy.
Total funding of $32,100 was granted by Sun West for the program, around $5,700 of which is being used to purchase materials and hardware for student use.
These include KANO kits that contain all the parts needed for a basic computer, which students can assemble and then use to learn introductory coding.
Foster spoke highly of the KANO kit — noting that her daughter used one to code a Father’s Day card for her dad — and said it would also introduce students to the Linux platform.
Other tools include the Lego WeDo kits, which allow students to build small machines and then operate them using a computer, and Sphero, a robotic ball that can be controlled by any Bluetooth-capable device.
Students in Grade 7 and up are all being introduced to basic coding through the “Hour of Code” program.
For the full story, please see the Nov. 16 edition of The Davidson Leader.
