ncompass live: coding corner @ your library
TRANSCRIPT
The Coding Corner
Starting a coding program
for kids @ your library
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• Two and a half years ago, I knew nothing about
computer coding!
• I’m going to talk today about the first coding initiatives I
was involved in at the Abrahams Branch.
(I’ve sinced moved to the South Omaha Library and I’ll
talk about some of the plans we have for that branch at
the end of this presentation.)
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A little about my previous service area….– Abrahams Branch OPL
• Diverse
– Racially and economically
– Educationally—many traditionally schooled and many
homeschooled
– A significant number of families in our service area are
without internet at home
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How this began…
• In the fall of 2014, we were the beneficiaries of
a $10,000 donation from the Sage family.
• How to spend the money?
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• We considered several ideas including a
aquaponic garden, but we finally decided
on…coding.
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Why Coding?
Anthony Cuthbertson says this about coding:
“Code powers our digital world. Every website, smartphone app,
computer programme, calculator and even microwave relies on
code in order to operate. This makes coders the
architects and builders of the digital age.”
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Why coding?
• In various parts of the world, coding is considered the
“new literacy.”
– Britain and Estonia have made coding compulsory
– Singapore will soon follow.
But in the United States…
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• Computer science drives innovation throughout the US economy,
but it remains marginalized throughout K-12 education.
– Only one in four schools in the U.S. teach Computer Science
– Only 5% of high schools in the United States offer Advanced Placement in
Computer Science.
– Only 32 states allow students to count computer science courses toward high
school graduation.
Code.org
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• Surprisingly, Arkansas is one of the leaders in
mandating computer coding in K-12 classroom,
beating out California and New York.
(They have made it a requirement that all public and charter high schools offer computer
science courses to students, however, students are not required to take them.)
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According to the National Science Foundation…
• Fewer CS majors than 10 years ago (and a shrinking %
are women)
– There are currently 525,293 open computing jobs nationwide.
– Last year, only 42,969 computer science students graduated into the
workforce.
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• Women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans are vastly under-
represented in the pool of candidates, making them unable to take
advantage of the opportunity to access the best paying jobs in the
country.
Code.org
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There are many reasons for the lack of
education in computer science:
• Lack of priority
• Lack of funding
• Lack of training for pre-service and in-service teachers
• Lack of time due to the demands of teaching the
“Common Core”
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• The many ways in which teaching coding is
important:
– This activity benefits children even if they don’t go on to study
computer science.
• It prepares them to understand the world in which we live.
• Learning to code helps students with critical thinking, logic, math and
computational skills.
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How does learning to code help kids?
Dan Crow, says this…”Computational thinking teaches
you how to tackle large problems by breaking them down
into a sequence of smaller, more manageable problems.”
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Libraries can help bridge the gap.
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• How can you offer coding experiences at
your library?
• Many online sources, such as Codeacademy and Code.org offer
information and applications for teaching coding for free.
• EDSURGE
–guide to the best coding resources for little or no money
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With dedicated funding, this is what we did:
• Purchased 12 ChromeBooks and a charging cabinet.
• Hired tech experts to teach, including Shonna Dorsey
and Dr. Victor Winter from UNO.
• Will be purchasing games and kits that can be
circulated throughout the system.
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•Key to success for us was to have expert support:
•Find partners!
– Shonna Dorsey, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of
Interface Web School
– Dr. Victor Winter, Professor of Computer Science at UNO
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• Get the word out!
– Talk to families and kids about coding.
– Invite experts to your branch to talk about the value of coding.
– Host programs for adults, including area teachers so they
understand what their children/students will be doing.
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How we’ve taught coding:
• We have been offering multi-session classes
where kids learn HTML with Shonna Dorsey.
• We had a Coding Lock-in for 4 hours on a
Friday night in August.
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Some of the
youngest
participants have
been 6-years old!
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Bricklayer (Brain child of Dr. Victor Winter)
• http://wintercoding.club/assignments/By%20Machine/level_4/level_4.html
• http://wintercoding.club/assignments/By%20Machine/level_4/Special%20P
roject%20-%20Minecraft/gallery/minecraft_gallery.html
Used with permission from Dr. Victor Winter
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Bricklayer is a 19 module program teaching
children to code based on LEGO.
•The students build in LEGO and then learn to code the objects
they’ve built.
•They often exhibit these finished works in a gallery setting (STEAM
versus STEM).
•With DoSpace, we hope to have the students experiment with 3-D
printing with Bricklayer.
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This is an example of the
type of artifact that might
be built in Bricklayer.
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• In December 2015, Shonna Dorsey emailed me and asked if we wanted to
host a Girls Who Code Club at Abrahams.
• Shonna and I met with two coding women , Sandi Barr from Omaha
Coding Women, and Lana Yager, the Computer Science Teacher from
South High School in Omaha.
• To be considered for a GWC Club, you must provide a stable
technological infrastructure, sufficient volunteers and teachers and a site
host.
• We filled out the application and waited to be approved.
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Girls Who Code Club:
• In February, 2016 we held information sessions to recruit girls from 6th to 12th
grades to be part of a Girls Who Code chapter at the Abrahams Branch of OPL.
• The application process was competitive: 3 essays and a group interview.
• We launched a 20-week, 2-hour per week session of Girls Who Code to 12 6th-9th
grade girls, and 12 10th-12th grade girls. (GWC requires 40 contact hours per
session.)
• This was the second GWC club in Nebraska (a club in Lincoln beat us by two
weeks!).
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Girls Who Code Club:
• There are many advantages to setting up a GWC club.
• They include:
– Curriculum already established and provided
– Support from the NYC office
– GWC Community resources
– Best practices worked out already
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Girls Who Code:
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Girls Who Code Club:
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Girls Who Code:
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Girls Who Code:
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Girls Who Code Club
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Girls Who Code Club
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Girls Who Code Club…
• It took a village!
– We had at our disposal 17 volunteers who
helped TA the classes, organize other
volunteers, organize guest speakers, provide
snacks, plan graduation party, etc.
We paid $0 for the Girls Who Code Club!
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Girls Who Code opportunities are expanding in Omaha:
• Do Space: Offering a session starting Sept. 25
• OPS: Shonna Dorsey is working with OPS to get clubs
started in as many schools as possible
• Abrahams Branch (Second Session of GWC starts in
September)
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Lessons Learned about all coding activities:
• Get out in the tech community and start networking!!!!!
• Get corporate support from local tech businesses.
• Talk to everyone you meet about coding for kids—you
WILL find supporters.
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Consider simple, “one and done” coding activities:
http://csunplugged.org/activities/
http://igamemom.com/kids-activities-learn-coding-without-
computer/
http://iexplorestem.org/computer-science-activities
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/15-ways-teaching-students-
coding-vicki-davis
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Future Plans at the Omaha Public Library:
• Offer an after-school club for a weekly coding
opportunity using Bricklayer.
• Recruit UNO Computer Science students to tutor our
Coding Club.
• Offer at-risk teens in South Omaha regular coding
events.
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New developments at the South Omaha Library:
• Our teen population is 90% boys so a Girls Who Code Club won’t really work.
• We met with a graduate of Interface Web School, Eric Swanson, who teaches at-
risk teens in the Highlander Program in North Omaha.
• We’re designing a program that we can offer at South starting in January.
• One size doesn’t always fit all—work to understand your community and reach out
to teachers who have an affinity for working with that community.
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Easy and inexpensive ways to offer coding:
• Buy coding games and kits
• Share staff and expertise across your library system
and across your geographic location
Finally…
• Host an Hour of Code
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• What if we gathered as many libraries as
possible in Nebraska and offered an
Hour of Code ?
You with me?!
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Articles supporting children and coding.pdf
Computer Coding Resources for your Library .pdf
Additional Coding Resources:
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The End.
Thank you.
Marvel Maring
Branch Manager, South Omaha Library
Omaha Public Library