Students across the Wentzville School District joined millions of other K-12 students learning computer code as part of Computer Science Education Week (December 7-11). "Hour of Code" is a global campaign designed to get students interested in computer science – the skill that programs our modern world.

Hour of Code offers web-based lessons in computer coding that are aimed at every age group. Schools held Hour of Code sessions, and some classes took advantage of the popularity of the video games like “Minecraft” to teach coding by having elementary students code characters in these games to dance or perform other tasks. Students used Chromebooks, iPads, and Spheros to complete programming activities and some learned to code their own video game. “Boone Trail students have been participating in Hour of Code since its inception in December 2013,” shared Katie Strokotter, Project Lead the Way teacher. “Our current 6th graders were in preschool the year we began, and have completed Hour of Code each year of their elementary school career. Since then, we have added an additional Coding unit to our computer curriculum that they will complete in fourth quarter. Their problem-solving skills have increased significantly each year and I have seen their understanding of computer science rocket. I am excited about the abundance of well-skilled young programmers that we will be releasing into the world.”

Computer science develops students' computational and critical-thinking skills and shows them how to create, not simply use, new technologies. "It is essential that students are exposed to the field of computer science in our K-12 system, as it is foundational in transforming the way a student thinks about the world," said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org, a Seattle-based national nonprofit that works to expand access to computer science and increase participation by women and minorities. For more information, or to help your child log on, visit Code.org.