England has made computer programming compulsory in schools from ages 5 to 16. In the US, only 1 in 4 schools teach coding despite high demand for coders. Lakeland Central School District started a coding initiative in 2013-14 with Scratch tutorials and clubs. They selected students by lottery and included those on the autism spectrum. Curriculum builds skills weekly through ELA, math and science projects. Students discovered concepts on their own and worked well in teams. The goals were to teach logical thinking, encourage tech careers, and make coding a literacy for the 21st century.

1. Breaking the Code:
Getting Elementary Students Started in Programming
NYSCATE Annual Conference
November 22, 2015
Linda Brandon, Manager of Instructional Technology
Chris Ruggiero, Director of Curriculum, K – 12 Mathematics
Lakeland Central School District

2. England became the first country in the world to make computer programming compulsory
at all levels. From the time they start school at age five to when they complete their first
exams at 16, children are learning coding, from understanding simple algorithms to using
programming languages to solve computational problems.

3. According to Code.org, only one in 4 U.S. schools teach children to code, despite
forecasts that computer-related employment will rise by 22 per cent by 2020, with the
strongest demand for software developers.

4. Source: code.org

5. Source: code.org

6. goformative.com
Quick Code: ERWN462
Continue without logging in.
Enter a name of your choice!

7. Let’s See What Happens!
Script #1
Script #2
Script #3

8. Lakeland’s Story: 2013-14
How the Coding Initiative Took Shape
• LHRIC Tech Expo 2013, 2014: Two sessions
• Wrestling with the CCSS for Mathematics
• Spring 2014: One club at one elementary
school
• Reading up on coding in schools
• “Running parallel”

9. Lakeland’s Story: 2014-15
• Not exactly aggressive out of the gate
• Fall 2014: plan emerges
• Where do we find the time?
• Where do we find the funding for stipends?
• Staff selection
• Training
• How did we select students?
• 2015-16: Part of Enrichment Program AND
continuation of clubs

10. Our Philosophy of Student Selection
• Presentation to all fifth graders
• Limited size of group…to begin with
• Selection by lottery
• Gender-based “affirmative action”
• Be flexible; students on autism spectrum tend
to excel at coding

11. Curriculum
• Join Scratch (scratch.mit.edu)
• Do the tutorials
• Join the Education Group and download
Curriculum Guide (http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/)
• Be prepared with a discrete project each week
with many permutations for those students who
need more challenge
• Have skills build upon each other week by week
• Provide activities that are ELA based as well as
math and science based

13. These are “givens”
• Students will discover on their own
• Teacher does not need to have all of the
answers
• Students work well in teams
• Be flexible!
• Allow students to showcase their work (within
parameters) by setting up a Scratch Studio

14. Suggestions
• Set up accounts for students with generic log-
ins (no personal information shared)
• Show students scripts and have them predict
what will happen
• Provide debugging activities
• Provide vocabulary or word wall
• Get parents involved!

15. • Common Core
• When children go home, what do you want
them to do?
• Fun
• Public relations
• Staff morale

16. Student Projects
• Gabby’s Name Project
• Aiden’s Maze Game
• Make a House for the Lion (check out comments!)
• Conversation
• Basketball Simulator 1.0

17. Why Coding?
• Students are producers, not consumers of
technology
• Teach students to think logically and sequentially
• Students begin to understand the technologies
we use every day
• Encourage interest in careers in technology
• Start young when they are ready to learn these
skills (like foreign language)
• It’s a 21st century literacy
• It’s fun!

18. Contact us!
• Linda Brandon lbrandon@lakelandschools.org
• Chris Ruggiero cruggiero@lakelandschools.org
Join Linda’s Scratch wiki:
http://scratchcoding.wikispaces.com/
Code to join (by November 28) 7X3Q9D4
Send Linda an email if you request membership