"Hour of Code Week" in the Library

Last week, we participated in the "Hour of Code" in our library!

Prior to book checkout and after a few book talks, I talked about coding and how we depend on devices that are programmed with coding.

I introduced the tutorials on the Hour of Code Week website and played the introductory video for the Minecraft version. Our learners loved hearing from one of the developers of Minecraft (Jeb) talk about how he started programming when he was 11 years old. Check out that video here.

In pairs and individually, learners tried out the tutorial with great success. (We used both iPads and desktops to code.) When they faced a challenge or weren't sure about what to do, they talked it out with each other. It was great to watch them collaborate and learn from one another. They persevered and work through each challenge, and I could see the pride on their faces when they reached the next level. I heard "Coding is fun!" several times. (I really like that the tutorials all had a translation feature, too!)

There wasn't enough time to complete the tutorial in the library, but students continued in their  classrooms. Some chose to do it as part of their #GeniusHour projects later in the week. Teachers were just as excited about coding, and I made sure to share more resources with them (apps such as Daisy the Dino and LightBot and my own Coding Symbaloo). Some of our learners had already been using Scratch and Kodable.

The coding will continue in the library -- next week and beyond. I can't wait to participate again next year!

Make sure to check out the #HourofCode hashtag on Twitter to see how others observed this week!