This question provoked a little nervous tingle, as I realized this was the first time I had been asked to explain something about coding to another teacher. I started telling one friend about my goal of learning to code, and she asked a simple question: “What IS coding anyway?” Since most of us at the table were either teachers, spouses of teachers, or children…you can imagine how our conversation kept drifting back to issues in education. We were enjoying our feast and chatting about this and that. I sat at a Thanksgiving dinner table about a week and a half ago with a group of friends. We began by watching the Hour of Code Video Introduction together, which got her excited about being one of “10 million” students to try “An Hour of Code” (and the number is currently much higher). She loves reading, and has been known to read a novel per day.As long as I’ve known her, she has used gift-getting holidays as opportunities to raise money for animal charities. She insists on solving real world math problems in her head when they present themselves (before adults can tell her the answer).She is endlessly creative and self-motivated, loves art, theater and making all different types of things.She loves animals, and wants to be a vet when she grows up.This provides an interesting context for coding with her: She is technically a digital native, but does not actually engage with digital media herself very often. Thus, Z does not use computers or watch media at school, but she engages in these things very minimally and very mindfully at home. They choose to not completely swear off technology, but rather to have regular conversations about when and why technology can be appropriate. Her family takes an inspiring approach to this recommendation. Waldorf schools discourage children’s use of technology at school and home. Z is 10 years old, and currently a fourth grader at a Waldorf school. I was curious what I would learn by watching a young digital native engage with coding. I intentionally did not explore too much beforehand, wanting to experience the learning process alongside the girl (I will call her Z). I recently completed with my first Hour of Code experiment with a young friend.
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