On December 18, Carroll Hill students in Grades K-5 logged onto computers and Chromebooks and, with a little instruction, began computer programming.
The event is Hour of Code and students throughout the District participate each year. Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science designed to show that anybody can learn the basics of coding. Millions of students and teachers worldwide celebrate the event in early December during computer science education week and beyond.
Principal Roy Stiles welcomed special guests Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce Membership Manager Maureen McGuiness, Tech Valley Center of Gravity Executive Director Holly Cargill-Cramer and Troy CSD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Donna Watson.
Students use an app called Symbalu that demonstrates how video games use code. For example, students coded commands that tell a bird which direction to move in order to capture a pig, set to look like the characters from “Angry Birds.”
The District offers computer programming activities in all eight of its buildings, in every grade level. These activities are designed to help students learn new skills that can lead them to pursue careers in computer programming and other STEM fields. Additionally, coding helps students with critical thinking and problem solving, skills that are useful in almost any field.
