TECHNOLOGY

A leader in the small but growing industry of “coder boot camps” announced plans to develop a new set of credentials aimed at certifying the skills these programs teach. (NPR)

Use our resources to learn more about coding and why it’s so important to education.

Teachers: Scroll all the way down for a short list of key resources in our “Teachers’ Toolkit.”

Discussion Ideas

• Read through the NPR article and our own article “Coded for Success.” What is computer coding? (You may also want to peek at this blog post!)
  • According to our glossary, coding is the study and process of writing and texts (codes) in programming language.
  • Coding can be as simple as making words bold or italic, or as complex as artificial intelligence.

• The NPR article on new coding credentials lists coder “boot camps” such as Dev Bootcamp, General Assembly, and Hack Reactor. What skills do you think these boot camps teach?
  • “Dev” is short for “development. At Dev Bootcamp, coders will get a crash course in such computer languages as Java, Ruby, and HTML5.
  • General Assembly courses include product management, web design, and the computer language Python.
  • Hack Reactor has a clear goal: Become a software engineer.

• The NPR article is about new “microcredentials” for coding. What are microcredentials, and how are they different from earlier coding credentials?
  • A microcredential is test-based. A traditional credential may include practical experience, academic education (such as a degree), or a series of training courses.
  • Earlier credential programs were associated with proprietary software programs. Microsoft, for instance, may have issued a credential in Excel, its proprietary spreadsheet program. But according to the NPR article, “today’s mobile apps and websites rely largely on more open programming languages like Java and Ruby.”

• You don’t need to go to boot camp to get started!
  • Get your school involved in Code.org—a free outreach program to get coding and computer engineering into school curricula.
  • Take an easy, one-hour tutorial—make your own game, play a game, or create a holiday card!
  • This is important: Don’t have reliable access to a computer or mobile device? Try “unplugged” computer science—here are two good activities.
    • fuzzFamily Frenzy is an introduction to programming logic for kids 5 and up. A teacher should explain the game, then students program a partner to complete a simple obstacle course.
    • With “My Robotic Friends,” students of all ages will figure out how to guide each other to accomplish specific tasks without discussing them first. This lesson teaches children the connection between symbols and actions, as well as the invaluable skill of debugging. “My Robotic Friends” works best as a group activity and includes a teacher workbook for classroom use.

• Already have some basic coding knowledge? Have you entered the Verizon Innovative App Challenge? Why not? The Verizon Innovative App Challenge “provides the opportunity for middle school and high school students, working with a faculty advisor (licensed teacher), to use their STEM knowledge, their ingenuity, and their creativity to come up with an original mobile app concept that incorporates STEM and addresses a need or problem in their school or community.” Learn more about the challenge here.
  • Registration ends November 24!
  • Teachers, create an account on the Verizon Innovative App Challenge website.
  • Assemble a team of 5 to 7 students who will develop an innovative app challenge concept.
  • Read the rest of the rules here!

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

NPR: A New Credential For The Tech Industry

NG Education: Coded for Success

NG Education blog: Reading, Writing, and Code

NG glossary:

• coding
• open-source
• software

Code.org: Tutorials

Verizon Innovative App Challenge