BizVoice March/April 2016

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March/April 2016 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber 41
By 2020, there will be one million more
information technology jobs in the United
States than computer science students, according
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This gap has prompted many leaders in
the technology industry to think creatively about
how to increase interest in computer careers.
One promising initiative is the Hour of Code.
Launched in 2013, is a non-
profit designed to expand computer science
access to every student with the goal of making
it part of core curriculum. Hour of Code is
an online program that offers students (and
adults) hands-on exposure to coding. Currently,
the effort spans more than 180 countries,
reaching tens of millions of students.
Anyone can visit at any time
and complete an Hour of Code. There are
several themes for activities, including Star
Wars, Frozen and Angry Birds. Each program
has about 20 exercises in which the user
builds code and sees the results play out on
the screen. Instructional videos throughout
each program feature a person who uses
coding in his or her career.
It’s all about showing students how
coding is relevant in everyday life and,
potentially, to their future career.
During National Computer Science
Education Week (December 7-13, 2015),
Eleven Fifty Academy in Carmel hosted four
sessions per day in which coding instructors
guided school classes and other participants
through Hour of Code activities. Eleven Fifty
Academy employees also went to nine
WorkOne sites throughout the state to
engage adults in the program.
“The Hour of Code is part of our
outreach partnership with NexTech,” explains
John Qualls, president of Eleven Fifty
Academy. “It’s really about trying to catch
those kids in the important time between
fourth grade and eighth grade when they’re
trying to decide whether or not being smart
is cool. At the end of the day, we want them
to understand you can be smart and cool.”
Troy Cockrum, director of innovative
teaching at Little Flower Catholic School in
Indianapolis, took third and seventh grade
classes to Eleven Fifty for Hour of Code
sessions. His students were engaged with the
content, and some caught on so quickly they
began helping others.
“I felt it was important to expose the
students to coding and computer
programming because it’s such a part of their
current world, and it’ll be part of their
future,” Cockrum comments. “I wanted them
to understand the basics of what coding
consists of and give them the motivation to
pursue it further. We have a lot of kids who
say they want to build video games when they
grow up, but they don’t understand what that
actually means. The sooner they’re exposed
to it (coding), the more they can learn about
this career path well before they’re in high
school or college.”
RESOURCES: | Troy Cockrum, Little Flower Catholic School, at | John Qualls, Eleven Fifty Academy, at
New Program Makes Computer Science ‘Cool’
Troy Cockrum’s role as director of innovative teaching at Little Flower Catholic School involves
integrating new technology and programs, like the Hour of Code, into the classroom.
No experience is needed to complete an Hour of Code, and the courses are appropriate for “ages
four to 104.”