Jobs in technology are growing at an extremely rapid pace — currently in New York state, there are more than 39,100 open computing jobs. That’s why educators and administrators at the East Syracuse Minoa School District believe teaching kids with computer science activities is essential. On Dec. 9, about 100 students from all grade levels at ESM gathered in the high school’s main library to participate in computer and programming related activities through the worldwide Hour of Code event.
The Hour of Code is an annual event that occurs in more than 180 countries to promote the education of computer science and related fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Each year, more than 20 activities that range in skill levels, from basic drag-and-drop coding to more advance skills like learning JavaScript programming language, are provided for free to educators and students to complete to gain a better understanding of computers and coding.
“I want kids to realize the potential as far as jobs in the future, but also to have parents realize this too because they’re really the ones who will give them the support they need for the future,” said Rebecca Wenner, instructional technology integration specialist at the district and an organizer of the event. “I really was trying to schedule an event that not only got the kids interested, but showed the parents what this coding really is all about.”
Wenner said by 2020 it is estimated there will be more than 1,000,000 jobs open relating to computer science. But despite the growing need for these jobs there are not nearly as many people choosing to study those fields at a higher education level. In New York in 2013, only 3,166 people graduated with computer science degrees, according to the Hour of Code website, code.org.
“In a digital world, we know that students and, truthfully, all people, are more and more relying on computers to provide us with different types of resources and opportunities to do things for us,” said ESM Superintendent Donna DeSiato. “So the world is needing more and more people who are literate and capable of programming the computer to do the kinds of things we want it to do.”
According to code.org, nine in 10 parents want their students to learn computer science, but only one in four schools actually teach it.
“We’re very blessed here [at ESM]; we have two very successful STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics] programs in seventh and eighth grade levels that includes technology and computer science. But we also have at the high school level computer programming, web design, game design as credit bearing courses,” said Wenner.
The school is also involved with the Google Apps for Education program, said DeSiato, and all students in grades K to 12th have access to Chromebooks while at school.
Many parents who went with their kids to the ESM Hour of Code event saw this as an opportunity for their child to experiment working with technology. Dave Gerber said he signed his son Ronan, a sixth grader, up for the Hour of Code event at ESM because he has expressed interest in the subject, and someday hopes to go into a computer science related career himself.
“He’s been very interested in coding for about a year and a half now and he found out about it through his teacher. Ronan started a coding club at his school,” said Gerber. “It’s the nature of our life now and he needs to know how to use computers and understand what to do. The earlier you get them started thinking about careers, to more they will know about what they may want to do later on.”
Community establishments that promote STEM activities, such as the Fayetteville Free Library (FFL) and Bricks4 Kidz were at the event to give a taste of what they have to offer, such as robotics and technology clubs at the FFL and Lego themed birthday parties at Bricks4Kids
“I love technology and coding,” said Derek Wilson, a sixth grader, while using a tablet to program a robot provided by the FFl. “My dad signed me up [for Hour of Code] because he knew I would like it.”
This is the second year ESM has participated in the Hour of Code, said DeSiato, but the outcome and enthusiasm shown this year for the event proves that it may need to be expanded in the future.
“We have had a tremendous turnout. We’re very appreciative of the planning that has gone into this with the leadership of our teachers, administrators, parents and the community support,” said DeSiato. “We had 100 students who were signed up within a two week period so it tells us that next year, it will be even bigger than it was in 2015.”
Hour of Code activities are free to use to anyone at any time, and can be found at code.org/learn.