Nottingham Participates in Hour of Code Day
Video production by Wyatt Rue
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For the third year in a row, Nottingham participated in the national "Hour of Code." More than 400 Nottingham students practiced programming during their lunch or study hall period on Tuesday, December 6th in the media center. The number of Computer Science classes offered at Nottingham High School doubled from that of last school year.
Approximately 82% of students participating in Nottingham’s Hour of Code were coding for the first time, and approximately 55% of the students are now interested in taking Computer Science at Nottingham. This is such great and exciting feedback! It is wonderful knowing that so many of Nottingham’s students are planning to continue what they started during our Hour of Code, especially when statistics show that almost 60% of schools nationwide do not offer Computer Science classes. We are very fortunate in the Hamilton Township School District to offer Computer Science A and AP Computer Science courses, preparing our students for 21st century job openings. National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES), 2009 (CIP 11); 2008–2009 CRA Taulbee survey (Computer Science). |
The Hour of Code is a global, computer science initiative reaching tens of millions of students in over 180 countries. The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code"
or programming, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. The Hour of Code is at its core not about learning a brand new skill in just one hour. One hour isn’t enough to learn how to code. It's about increasing access to computer science by breaking stereotypes and opening doors. Somebody may learn programming concepts like loops, conditionals, or basic debugging through the Hour of Code. But a much more important goal is for students and teachers to learn that computer science is fun — you can start at any age, in any classroom, even if you don’t have a computer. Why computer science? Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science. It helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path. Who is behind the Hour of Code? The Hour of Code is driven by the Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week Advisory and Review Committees as well as an unprecedented coalition of partners that have come together to support the Hour of Code — including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board. |
Students who participated in Nottingham’s Hour of Code were asked what they found most enjoyable/informative about the Hour of Code. The following are a few responses:
"I loved it! It was fun to do, I want to just do that over and over again because I really enjoyed what I could do with it.” |
Source: National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES), 2009 (CIP 11); 2008–2009 CRA Taulbee survey (Computer Science).