Cracking the code at TCI

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This article was published 31/12/2014 (4028 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Transcona Collegiate Institute (TCI) is bringing computer sciences to the masses with the Hour of Code.

“It’s an opportunity for anyone, whether they are eight, 88 or 108, to get experience using (computer) code and getting a chance to try it out themselves,” said Chad Duffield, a teacher at TCI who heads up the one-hour sessions.

“Not everyone is going to be a professional programmer, but everyone should get an opportunity to see what it is like and experience it — especially in the world we live in, where there are tablets and smartphones all around us all the time.”

A global movement, one that reaches tens of millions of students in over 180 countries, the Hour of Code is a series of one-hour tutorials designed to teach computer science to anyone.
TCI is running the event for the second year in a row. The hour-long session runs over the lunch hour and the turnout has been solid according to Duffield.

“We learned some code around Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies,” he said. “We also tried a website called Code Combat, where students play a game where they can unlock more code they can use to do more stuff. The cool part about it is as they are doing it, they are using real code.”

Some big players, not only in the world of computers but also in pop culture, also back the event. Bill Gates of Microsoft fame, Chris Bosh, NBA player for the Miami Heat and even U.S. President Barack Obama.

“I love the Hour of Code, because anyone can do it, it’s really easy,” Duffield said. “Coding doesn’t have to be hard. I think there is a stereotype out there that where it’s just some guys sitting in a basement, but that’s not the way it is.”

According to the Hour of Code website (hourofcode.com) over 80 million have participated in an Hour of Code to date.

Duffield said he is always on the lookout for new resources. He found out about the Hour of Code through some circles and emails that led him to the website code.org.

“I looked into it a little bit and found out about the Hour of Code and thought, ‘Hey, let’s try this out at TCI,” he said. “We had an awesome turnout last year so we decided to keep going with it. I hope it continues to be a tradition that we keep going with.”

The Hour of Code tutorials work on PCs as well as smartphones and tablets. No computer? No problem.

There are also “unplugged” tutorials that require no electronic devices.

Tutorials include “Write your own computer game” and “Drawing with code.”

For more information, visit hourofcode.com

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