Ridgeland, Miss. – Highland Elementary School, Ridgeland’s elementary school for third- through fifth-graders, held a coding workshop for students on Saturday, November 15, to encourage early computer science learning. The workshop was part of Mississippi Innovation Month’s 30 days of events to promote innovation, creativity and STEM education in our state. More than 30 students attended, along with several teachers, parents and volunteers.
Highland parent Randy Lynn led the workshop. Lynn, a partner and creative director at the advertising agency, Maris, West & Baker, addressed the importance of computer programming skills and provided hands-on training using Scratch, a platform developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to introduce computer programming to elementary-age children.
“Computer programming has a reputation for being difficult to learn,” said Lynn. “But it’s hard to learn any new skill if you have no foundation. Learning to code is the key to true digital literacy, and there are resources available that make coding accessible and fun for kindergartners on up. Parents and teachers in Ridgeland have really embraced this idea.”
According to Highland Principal Paula Tharp, “Coding is something that shouldn’t be reserved only for gifted students or high-achievers. It’s important for all students to be exposed to this kind of learning.”
Coding activities will continue in December with the school’s participation in the Hour of Code, a global initiative launched by the organization Code.org in 2013. “Hour of Code is a great way for our students to begin learning about coding,” said Tharp. “The lessons are a lot of fun, but they’re designed to teach real-world programming concepts, logical thinking and problem-solving skills that will benefit our students as they continue their education.”
Last year’s Hour of Code was the largest education event in history, reaching more than 15 million individuals across 170 countries during Computer Science Education Week, which is held annually during the second week of December. Last year, Highland was one of 13 schools to participate fully in Hour of Code, and the school was selected to win $10,000 worth of computer equipment from Code.org.
All students at Highland will participate in Hour of Code for the second straight year. Hour of Code is an initiative launched by Code.org, an organization which is working to counteract the decline in computer science education that has occurred over the past 10 years, which includes dramatic decreases in female and minority students choosing computer science career paths.
About Highland Elementary School
Highland Elementary is the third- through fifth-grade school serving the Ridgeland attendance zone of the Madison County School District. The school is located at 330 Brame Road (off Highland Colony Parkway). For more information, please call 601-853-8103 or visit madison-schools.com/hes.