Where do I start? I often think to myself that I wish I blogged more frequently. I'm making a mental note of this. I'm extremely excited for so many things that I know will be coming... soon. Our auction is coming up the weekend of my birthday, my 30th birthday none-the less. And it's our 75th anniversary! OH -- guess what?!? Marion Browne is originally from *drumroll please* Buffalo, NY! Yay! #hometownpride
What's the gimmick? #raiseyourpaddle for outfitting our #makerspace. Oh dear. Talk about an #emotionalappeal I don't only want to get behind, but be in the driver's seat of. Thrilling, but yet at the same time, a tiny bit frightening. Time to organize my thoughts on vision, incorporation, importance, the list goes on.
In trying to gather my thoughts to speak to this emotional appeal, I can't gather them because like the world wide web, the pieces and tidbits I think of are spread out all over the place! The students we have now will end up with jobs that don't even exist yet! They need to know how to create, innovate, think critically. I see them struggle with critical thinking and problem solving every single day, in all grades, and I push them to try, try again. Every day new resources and tools are becoming more and more available, things that will only benefit their intellectual growth. Just this morning I discovered a new card game called Little Codr that I know my kiddos in K-2 would soar with!
Why so much coding? "Coding and computational thinking are not the same thing!" [1]
- Coding is solving puzzles.
- Programming is making puzzles to solve.
- Computational Thinking is developing solvable puzzles for problems.
My kindergardeners are already one-by-one moving from coding to programming. "The Foos is part of a trend toward increasing emphasis on code as a fundamental literacy." [2] How many times have you heard your little ones talking about The Foos at home? "Republicans and Democrats don't see eye-to-eye on much these days, but there is one aspect of the future that they can agree on: "Becoming literate in code is as essential to being literate in language and math," says House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Republican from Virginia. President Obama agrees: "Computers are going to be a big part of your future," he predicts." [3] Did any of you see Amazon's STEM holiday toy list?
I download a free version of a new app and have a handful of them try it out to evaluate it before even considering making a purchase. Give it to me Goldilocks style: too easy, too hard, or just right.
Word on the street is Fairfax County is the next Innovation hub. The intention is to, "help diversify and bring more jobs and companies to the county." [4] "An innovation district is a type of investment where we just scratch the surface of future economic success,'" states Fairfax County Deputy County Executive Rob Stalzer.
A maker space not only can, but does change students' plans for their future, "because they experienced the power of designing and making something." [5]
It is truly so much fun to find all these amazing new things I know they will enjoy and learn so much from. Seeing their gears turning, the way they light up; it's incredible. I love learning with them! I'm fired up! They are our future, the future that will have jobs that don't even exist yet. They're ready, eagerly waiting, hungry for more. Are you?
In coming full circle on where to start, I guess I'll start here.
In coming full circle on where to start, I guess I'll start here.
References:
- Why Coding and Computational Thinking Are Not The Same Thing
- Coding Class, Then Naptime: Computer Science For The Kindergarten Set
- Computers Are The Future, But Does Everyone Need To Code?
- How Fairfax County Will Become An Innovation Hub
- How to Incubate Creativity in School Through Making and Discovery
