#HourOfCode

Last week Leslie posted about Rose Park doing an early Hour of Code.  The official kickoff started this Monday and ends tomorrow.  My class did their hour today and I love introducing this to them. When I showed them what we were going to do they were just counting the minutes down until we actually started, literally.  I would hear students say "I can't wait to get back from prep to start coding" and "Only 2 minutes left until we get to code."  When is the last time one of your students has looked forward to learning with such zeal throughout the day? Hour of Code does a great job teaching students about coding using things that motivate them. Last year they capitalized on the success of the movie "Frozen" and were coding geometric chapes.  This year my students jaws dropped when they saw that they were going to be working with Minecraft and Star Wars. The levels are challenging enough to keep their brains working at full capacity, but easy enough that they won't get too frustrated.  I love seeing them work on a level that may take them ten or more attempts to complete. This helps them develop GRIT and the ability to develop a growth mindset. If you haven't made coding a part of your classroom you should at least give it a try. Hour of Code is a perfect way to get started.