BY ROBERT ROSEN (@roberterosen)
Once again, Dover-Sherborn Middle School celebrated Computer Science Education Week in Technology Literacy class with teacher Sandra Sammarco from Monday, December 7 through Friday, December 11.
Students took part in their third annual school Hour of Code event joining over 120 Massachusetts classrooms.
“During the Hour of Code students in grades six and seven enrolled in my technology literacy course celebrate Computer Science Education Week by understanding basic computer science skills using a drag and drop style puzzle platform using Javascript,” Sammarco said.
“As students advance at their own pace through puzzles such as Star Wars, Minecraft, Flappy Bird and Course 4, they are challenged in each level to understand algorithms, variables, loops and functions such as repeat, if or else statements.”
Sammarco collaborates with Code.org, MassCAN (Massa-chusetts Computing Attainment Network), The Massachusetts Exploring Computer Science Partnership (MECSP), and the Massachusetts Technology Education Collaborative to integrate engaging and collaborative computer programming lessons into her classrooms for students in Grades six and seven.
Students were joined by faculty in Sammarco's classroom to practice computer programming and receive their special Computer Science button and Hour of Code certificate. Happy Birthday to computing pioneer, Grace Murray Hopper on December 9, 1906.
Collectively, DSMS students wrote 55,109 lines of code this year--tripling the amount of lines of code they wrote just one year ago.
“Each year we increase our goal for writing a certain amount of lines of code per year,” Sammarco said. “This year we almost tripled the lines of code we wrote just from last year.”
“I have added a Course 4 curriculum unit which challenges students at a higher level. I encourage students to work with a coding buddy so that they can problem solve and work together to reach the next level or unit in their puzzles or courses.”
“This year I visited grades four and five at the elementary school to see how they are engaged with Code.org and the House of Code. It was a great opportunity to meet my future computer literacy and computer programming students.”
“All of these students are and will continue to create amazing things using technology in their near future.”
