Every year, CIS Primary students participate in Hour of Code activities. These activities help them learn basic programming concepts like “if...then” statements, variables and loops. As an MYP school we created an immersive coding experience called “Week of Code” to build on the Hour of Code and open the students to a wider understanding of computer science through hands-on experiences.

Katherine Ross, our MYP coordinator, MYP teachers and myself organised a week in which students worked on a project for most of their school day across 5 different areas of computer science:

• 3D graphics for virtual reality
• mobile app development
• webpage development
• programming with Python
• game development

There were three specific skills for students to gain throughout the week.

The first was basic programming skills in a language of their choice. By being exposed to real programmes and tutorials from professionals in that field, students realised that coding was not impossible and with enough hard work, they can create amazing products.

The second skill was working in groups to deliver a product within a deadline. To succeed, students had to organise and delegate tasks as well as manage their time accordingly.

Lastly students learned computational thinking skills by breaking down big problems into smaller, more manageable sub problems. Once students understood how to think in a way that both the user and the computer understands they could instruct a computer to carry out desired tasks.

After a week of problem solving, discussing and designing, students presented their final products to peers and teachers. We were impressed by the quality of the work, and how well students had understood the concepts behind how their products worked. Through feedback, students told us they wanted to worked harder on this project because their group wasn’t restricted by specific guidelines but rather empowered to “make something you are proud of”. It is clear that through perseverance and determination students gained the in depth knowledge and valuable skills that we teachers had planned..

Because of the success of Week of Code, we look forward to planning more “Weeks of…” so students can learn and practice more real life skills that will be beneficial for their future.