So, your students participated in the Hour of Code. Excellent! Now, what?
Students don't have to wait until next year to code. The official Hour of Code may be over, but code.org is available to students and teachers year-round. Additionally, there are numerous resources you can use with students throughout the school year. Upside: many of these programs tie into subjects you're already teaching. Math, Science, Language Arts. And, there are resources available for almost any grade level.
If you're feeling apprehensive, don't! Whether you're a computer genius or just beginning, there are plenty of applications that can walk you and your students through the process. Collaboration + problem-solving = Common Core!
Check out some of these coding applications:
“There are many rewards when creating a project through coding. Not only will students have a better understanding of how the things they use every day (like websites, apps, and games) actually work, but they will also be on their way to joining the ranks of those who create these resources. The skills they're building are marketable as well, and along the way, these skills will open the door to an infinite amount of learning in the realm of math, computation, analytical thinking, and perseverance.”
—Mary Beth Hertz, via edutopia.org