#CodeInEveryClass had me at the dedication:
Code in Every Class written by Kevin Brookhouser and Ria Megnin will not make you a coder. It will not walk you through step by step block coding so that you can be a proficient coder. It will not have you writing and decoding javascipt.
If it doesn’t teach you to code…then what is it about? How will make you a “coder”? Code in Every Class gives you the inspiration, encouragement, professional imperative and permission to be true co-learners with our students on the coding journey. It’s about empowering our learners with the opportunities to learn the 21st century skills that will provide them leverage in the post-education world. It’s about teaching our learners to demonstrate innovation, creativity, logical thinking and, most importantly, grit in all aspects of their lives. It’s about giving them the power to shift from being consumers of technology to creators of technology.
Still not convinced? Code in Every Class will provide you with the inspiration to take that leap and incorporate coding into a small part of your classroom. Yes, Megnin and Brookhouser provide many reasons why providing equitable access to coding opportunities for all our students is vital to our students’ futures as well as ours and yes, they do provide resources to get you started with this new learning, but what they do best is make the case for educators to take the leap and get “coding”. The authors humanize the coding experience in such a way that it makes the idea of coding attainable. It makes the impossible possible for all. it will inspire and encourage you and that is why I recommend that all educators across the systems we work within read this book.
As an Ontario educator, one of the most compelling reasons to “get coding” is to model the lifelong learning that we want to see in our students. The Standards of Practice of the Ontario College of Teachers support lifelong learning as a standard of professionalism:
–Ontario College of Teachers, Standards for the Teaching Profession
Continue to be curious. Continue to be a learner. Continue to challenge yourself.
Coding is scary. I get that. Trust me. I mean, if the Chief Product Office for Amplified It doesn’t consider himself a “coder”, what hope is there for me?
I will never consider myself a coder, but I am a learner, and in today’s classroom that is what matters! Not only do we it owe it to ourselves to push our comfort zone, but we owe it to our students and in the end, that is all that matters…
To view my visible learning on Twitter click here.
To join the Teach Ontario #CodeInEveryClass Book club, click here.
Stacey Wallwin 