Nowadays, there are several ways in which your kids can learn how to code. Coding has been included in many school curricula all over the world, and there are numerous extracurricular activities for your boys and girls to learn how to program and to create breathtaking apps, cool software, or even robotic stuff.
In the past, we’ve talked about many people who are active advocates for inclusivity in the tech field and for an undeniable accessibility for all kids to learn scratch programming, app development and even robotics. We talked about Linda Liukas, for example, and also about Reshma Saujani; two great examples of both inclusivity and accessibility within the fields of code and programming.
Today, we want to talk about the Hour of Code, an extraordinary project from Code.org, one of Hadi Partovi’s most important and praiseworthy projects.
Do you know what the Hour of Code is? Do you know what are the Hour of Code activities and where to find the closest one? Did you actually know that there are Hour of Code games that will give your children useful 21st-century skills?
Well, let us tell you a little bit more about the Hour of Code… you and your kids will appreciate this information.
What is the Hour of Code?
The Hour of Code, founded by brothers Ali and Hadi Partovi, begun as an introductory computer science class with one big, fat goal: showing students that anyone can learn how to code and that coding isn’t only for a “very specific kind of person”. The Hour of Code was born to show the world that any kid can learn the basics of coding and that all children can participate in one way or another, in the wide field of computer science.
Since it was founded, it has become a worldwide effort to, as they say themselves, “celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities, but expanding to all sorts of community efforts.”
In other words, this is a global movement that reaches millions of kids, from all over the world, to play and learn coding and programming, in courses with the “1 hour” format.
Nowadays, there are multiple education companies, products and services joining this initiative to help more and more kids learn how to code and ensure they enjoy the multiple benefits of doing so.
Hadi Partovi: The Founder
Hadi Partovi, one of the founders of The Hour of Code, is also the CEO of the educational nonprofit organization Code.org, an entrepreneur and a well-known investor. Hadi and his brother Ali were born in Tehran and since his school did not offer computer science classes, he taught himself how to code at home, using a Commodore 64.
He has given multiple TED talks about coding and inclusivity, and about the power of The Hour of Code. In those talks, he repeats once again the main motto of The Hour Code: Computer Science is for everyone!
Hour of Code activities
Although the Hour of Code takes place on Computer Science day (at least in the United States), it works with kids throughout the entire year. There are a number of activities your kids can do within this valuable frame, and there are several levels, so your kids can turn their learning experience with The Hour of Code into something scalable and even more enjoyable.
You can check out their activities page and see what kind of things your kids can do, to learn how to program in a fun, easy, enjoyable way.
Their activities go way beyond pure coding and it includes several STEM subjects, together with robotics and other fun activities. The Hour of Code has become so popular that there are even recommendations from teachers’ organizations, recommending activities to do with students while celebrating the Hour of Code.
Both the site Code.org and Hour of Code are full of activity ideas to celebrate the glorious Computer Science day, but let’s try not to forget the main motto of all of this: understanding that Computer Science is for everyone!
So, what kind of experience should you offer your kids, for them to not only understand this but also for them to actually feel and see that computer science is also for them? Well, we have some suggestions for you.
Hour of code experiences
If you’d like to have an Hour of Code session at your kids’ school, you can definitely suggest that to whoever is in charge of the STEM, or the Computer Science department. The good news is that they don’t need to register for it!
When offering your kids a useful, unique, valuable experience… what is the most transcendental part of it? As we’ve discussed before, we understand education from a Vygotskyan perspective, meaning that education – and all processes of it – should be considered to be a big process of human interaction. That allows parents and educators to focus on the process of those who are learning, rather than only paying attention to the final result of it, like a standardized test, for example.
Initiatives like these ones enable us and our kids to be fully present in the learning process itself, and that makes the delivery of 21st-century skills easier, more effective and more enjoyable.
Even if your kids are not going to dedicate their lives to app development, having a nice and memorable experience of the period of their life in which they learned how code is extremely important.
Anyone can code, anyone can create
Who knows? Maybe after taking the YouTube course for kids that Tekkie Uni offers, they’ll become the next Jay Leno of the internet era. Or, who knows? Maybe your kids will be the next ones to create something to make their local community happier, just like Natalie Hampton did with her anti-bullying app.
There are numerous available activities to enrich kids’ experience of coding, and at the end of the day, even if you are going to follow their Hour of Code guide or not, the main point is to enable kids to enjoy a fulfilling coding experience, in an open space, and a space where they can be themselves and express who they truly are, through the creation of an app, a video, a robotics program, or something cool created in Scratch.
Coding in a fun, natural way
Minecraft can also be part of your own “Hour of Code”. We discussed this subject when we talked about the pros of gamified learning. Coding doesn’t have to be boring and your kids should be able to deeply enjoy the process of learning how to code.
Initiatives like the Hour of Code, or the multiple online coding courses your kids can do with Tekkie Uni, appear to show the world that it is possible to learn how to code in a fun, engaging, safe, and open learning environment.
Making learning fun is fundamental and the guys behind Hour of Code have this principle extremely present. One of the best ways to make sure kids understand computer science is for everyone, is to remove the density and boring-ness of the subject.
Tekkie Uni: Prepare your kids for the future
By joining one of Tekkie Uni’s online coding courses your kids can do fantastic things. First of all, they will receive all the information they need from fun instructors, who will encourage them to become the best version of themselves. Then, they will get a lot of motivation to identify their dreams in order to turn them into realities, through coding and creativity.
They will be able to join an app development course for kids and create breathtaking apps that’ll surprise both their classmates and family members. If they love the world of robotics and robotics competitions, they can join the robotics course for kids and learn how to program their very own virtual version of the LEGO Mindstorms EV3. If your kids are just beginning in the world of coding and programming, they can join other kids of the world and start learning with the fantastically colorful Scratch programming (we mentioned Scratch a few paragraphs ago).
And it doesn’t stop there… if you have a creative kid who likes to be the center of attention, Tekkie Uni also offers an extraordinary YouTube course for kids. In this course, your kids will learn how to elaborate ideas, edit videos, and turn their thoughts into actions.
Are you ready to be surprised by the amazing things your kids can create? Are you ready for them to be the next superstar in the upcoming Hour of Code their school organizes? Give them this amazing present, enroll them in one of Tekkie Uni’s coding courses and let them be ready to succeed in the near future. It is up to you!
