Hausner's 'Hour of Code' Event Showcases Students' Knowledge of Computer Programming

Press release from Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School:

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School kicked off National Computer Science Education Week in a big way with their “Hour of Code” family coding event, which highlights how they empower students to be creators of digital media.

On Sunday, December 7, over 200 students and parents participated in Hausner’s 2nd Annual family coding day to apply their learning of computer science and hone their coding skills in a fun and interactive way!

National Computer Science Education Week – a global movement which reaches tens of millions of students – is designed to encourage students from kindergarten through grade 12 to learn more about computer programming and runs December 8-14, 2014.

“Our event is a natural extension of the technology which we are already using with our students,” explained Sam Patterson, Technology Integration Specialist at Hausner.

To cite some examples, Hausner 7th graders made an atomic mass calculator for their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class through writing code using the Scratch program. 6th grade STEM students used Scratch to model the behavior of molecules in different states of matter.

Hausner 5th graders developed a “Fifty Nifty” travel website for young tourists. “We believe the key to mastering technology is by integrating it into learning in a way that is meaningful and contextual,” Sam continued.

In partnership with Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science, Hausner held 15 unique workshops ranging from “Learning Code with Kodable” and “Programming and Design Thinking with Robots” to “Program through Hardwiring a Breadboard” and “Games Can Teach Code.” Ward Quincey, Hausner’s Director of Technology, went on to explain, “Hausner’s event gives students an opportunity to share their knowledge and skills of programming with their parents.

Workshop lessons leverage the learning already taking place in the classroom, such as coding using non-technological resources; programming on desktop computers, iPad apps, robots; and even hardwiring logic gates on breadboards.”

Even here in the Silicon Valley, it is no surprise to see the parents become the students as their children teach them how to use these coding programs.

Elena Silenok, Founder of Sputnik Mobile and Code.org Representative, was the keynote speaker and addressed the importance of computer science education.

In addition to Hausner staff, representatives from technology companies led workshops including: Grechen Huebner, Co-Founder of Kodable.com; Elliott Hauser from trinkett.io; Alicia Chang from Wonder Workshop; Barrington Lloyd from Orbotix; Mike Chen from Tickle App; George Saines, CEO of Codecombat.com.

As part of Hausner’s ongoing relationship with these companies, students also had the opportunity to hear from and talk with entrepreneurs of these companies about the process of developing a technology start-up. These accessible technology tools are so new that not one of these companies was in existence five years ago. Hausner alumni joined their alma mater as they returned to teach coding in a modern day context in their own workshops.

Tickle App seized this opportunity to fly their entire team of 12 developers out from Taiwan, which enabled them to immediately respond to what they learned while watching Hausner’s students engage with their app. Tickle App published three additional drafts of their app during the time they were with and observing the students.

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, founded in 1989, is an independent community day school providing an outstanding education for close to 400 students in grades K-8 on a state-of-the-art four-acre campus in Palo Alto. Hour of Code, which complements Hausner’s STEM initiative, teaches participants some of the basics of coding and exposes students to computer science careers. It is estimated that 71% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs in California within the next five years will rely on those with a computer science background.