Monday, December 9, more than 30,000 schools around the globe will dedicate at least one hour during this week to teach students computer programming coding skills during Computer Science Education Week.  Over 6,000 students in the Thompson school district will be participating!

“Computer programmers are in great demand by American businesses, across the tech sector, banking, entertainment, you name it. These are some of the highest-paying jobs, but there are not enough graduates to fill these opportunities.” Marco Rubio, Senator, Florida

Computer science is driving job growth and innovation throughout our economy. More than 50% of projected jobs in STEM fields are in computing occupations. Despite this, computer science education is a not a focus within the typical American K-12 education system. In fact, only 13 states and the District of Columbia allow rigorous and engaging computer science courses to satisfy a math or science requirement for graduation from high school. Colorado is not one of them. However in Thompson, we are working to increase access to this important skill.

Principals, teachers and technology facilitators across the Thompson School District are taking up the challenge to get their students involved in the national effort to raise computer programming awareness.  The following schools in Thompson are participating in an Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week December 9-15:

• B.F. Kitchen Elementary (200 students participating)
• Berthoud Elementary School (300 students participating)
• Big Thompson Elementary School (200 students participating)
• Bill Reed Middle School (700 students participating)
• Centennial Elementary School (500 students participating)
• Conrad Ball Middle School (651 students participating)
• Cottonwood Plains Elementary (412 students participating)
• Coyote Ridge Elementary School (400 students participating)
• Ivy Stockwell Elementary (350 students participating)
• Laurene Edmondson Elementary School (257 students participating)
• Lincoln Elementary School (200 students participating)
• Loveland High School (100 students participating)
• Mary Blair Elementary School (75 students participating)
• Monroe Elementary (300 students participating)
• Ponderosa Elementary (400 students participating)
• Namaqua Elementary School (400 students participating)
• Stansberry Elementary School (200 students participating)
• Turner Middle School (60 students participating)
• Truscott Elementary (250 students participating)
• Van Buren Elementary School (200 students participating)
• Winona Elementary School (400 students participating)

Next Steps for Thompson

This year, K-5 Technology Facilitators are increasing their knowledge of computer programming and the developmentally appropriate activities elementary students can engage in to increase their ability to code.

Next year, all of Thompson elementary students in grade K-5 will engage in units of study to learn to code in age appropriate ways. This will be integrated into their Computer Literacy classes of which they are enrolled for two days a week throughout the year.  Additional skills students learn in Computer Literacy class include, but are not limited to keyboarding, word processing, multimedia production, and research.

Furthermore, at the secondary level, students electing to take Computer Literacy classes at the middle school and high school level will have additional courses to select to increase their access to computer programming.