SHARE

Hendrick Hudson Students Join Millions For 'Hour of Code' Initiative

CORTLANDT, N.Y. -- Students across the Hendrick Hudson school district took part recently in the “Hour of Code” global initiative, school officials said.

Students at the Furnace Woods Elementary School in Cortlandt take part in the recent "Hour of Code," a global initiative designed to introduce youngsters to the concept of computer language.

Students at the Furnace Woods Elementary School in Cortlandt take part in the recent "Hour of Code," a global initiative designed to introduce youngsters to the concept of computer language.

Photo Credit: Provided

Dr. Cindy Kramer, principal of the Furnace Woods Elementary School, introduced fifth-graders there to the concept of computer language by pointing out that the video games they love to play need coding to work.

“You probably all enjoy playing video games,” she told them. “Well, the characters in those games need directions in order to work properly, and today you are going to get to do a little bit of that type of programming.”

The "Hour of Code" is a global initiative, in which millions of school-age students are encouraged to learn about computer coding, the “language” that will drive so many industries in the future.

Classes at all three of the district’s elementary schools took part in the initiative, which consisted of age-appropriate lessons designed to whet younger students’ appetite for all things computer science.

After watching some celebrity-studded introductory videos about the global coding movement, the Furnace Woods students were excited to try hands-on activities, which featured simple coding exercises, using characters from “Minecraft,” “Star Wars,” and “Frozen.”

Similar activities took place at the Buchanan-Verplanck and Frank G. Lindsey elementary schools.

“Our students really enjoyed the Hour of Code, said FGL principal Donna Torrisi.

“They liked learning about programming and seeing how math, science, and technology are applied to things that they use every day,” she said.

Blue Mountain Middle School students also explored the world of coding. Working with technology teacher Colleen Ruiz. T, they learned about how web pages, games, and special effects in movies are created through coding.

“Steve Jobs said that learning to program a computer teaches you how to think,” Kramer said.

“Our students were able to experience that firsthand during the Hour of Code,” she said. “You could see their minds working as they decided what to tell the computer, and their smiles lit up the room each time they met with success.”

to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE