Kids, Coding, and Computer Science

Kids, Coding, and Computer Science
January 14, 2020 3 min read

Trafera (previously FireFly and Trinity3) joined Earle Brown Elementary for a Day of Technology

In December, educators around the world joined together for Computer Science Education Week. These seven days were aimed at inspiring students to take interest in coding and computer science.

Earle Brown Elementary School, joined the over 140,000 organizations putting on events for #CSEDWeek2019. Trafera worked with the tech team at Earle Brown to make “Day of Technology” happen. Over 125 fourth graders took part in the day’s activities with an hour of code, computer dismantling, augmented reality (AR) technology, and robotics. Trafera's techs Quinton “Q” Winkel and Tomas Carlson joined representatives from the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, Apple, and C.H. Robinson in supporting students’ curiosity and encouraging them to explore emerging technologies.

Day of Technology at Earle Brown Elementary School

More Than 1s and 0s

Earle Brown centered their day around teaching basic coding to students. Coding is a language. Just like any language, the earlier you start learning, the better. At a young age, the language center of the brain is still developing. Learning comes faster, easier, and is more likely to stick.

“Tech languages can feel overwhelming later in life,” says technician, Quinton. “Teaching these skills early helps break down the barrier for kids to interact with technology on a deeper level.” Technological literacy prepares students for life and learning in a computer-based world by getting them to look past the screen and start thinking about what’s behind it. In fact, by teaching these skills, educators are giving students a leg up on filling the over half a million open computer science jobs in the US (it’s the fastest growing industry in the world).

Learning and continuing to practice coding shows major benefits for children. It promotes logical and structural thinking, strengthens problem-solving, boosts creativity, helps develop persistence and resilience, and improves communication and math skills.

Electrical components kit for building digital devices

Something For Everyone

Computer science is everywhere. Coding, robotics, and computer engineering are just a few of its real-world applications. Educators at Earle Brown set up activities that let students explore these different areas. One of these activities involved block coding and robotics. By entering simple codes on a computer program, students were able to control a robotic figure, making it dance, walk, or wave.

Another portion of the day was spent deconstructing computers and learning how they worked. After tearing apart different laptops with Trafera technician, Tomas, students could take one home so they could teach their parents what they learned about computer hardware. AR was also on the docket for the day. Using a special app, students could augment reality right before their own eyes–with just a touch of a button!

It’s Your Turn!

Getting kids involved in computer science is a no-brainer. They already can’t get enough of tech, so why not take them deeper? You could be opening the door to a bright future! Computer science is the fastest growing industry in the world and offers seemingly limitless opportunities for those who take the time to learn it. Learn more about how you can get your school involved in #CSEDWeek2020 at csedweek.org

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