District 70 Elementary Students Learn How to Code

Submitted by Libertyville School District 70

Kindergartners through fifth grade at all four schools will spend some time in the next three weeks and before Winter Break participating in coding as part of the global boast of an “Hour of Code.” Hour of Code, held Dec. 7-13, is a grassroots movement to encourage students to learn computer science.

Learning Center Directors will start the effort by taking time to explain to all students about computer programming, including what a programmer does and why its important, said District 70 Technology Literacy Coach Chris Vipond.

Then Vipond, along with fellow TLCs Jill Przybylski and Caren Kimbarovsky, will assist teachers and students in working on the special programs through iPads and Chromebooks. The programs will remain on the D70 Internet, so that students may pick them up at any time in their classrooms to work on.

“This is a great way to introduce coding and computer science to the students,” said Vipond, who noted that students at Highland Middle School already are exposed to STEAM during their studies. But this is the first time all grade school students will experience some formal training, he added. The idea to introduce coding came from Learning Center Director Keri Johnson.

To make programming more fun, Vipond applied for a mini-grant from the Partners for Excellence in Education to purchase four Spheros, app-controlled robotic balls which students learn to program on iPads. Partners is a group of business leaders who support District 70 with monies as well as working with students during career days.

Vipond will use the Spheros to create a sort of golf game with PVC pipe that students will need to program the ball so that it maneuvers around the PVC pipe.