Portsmouth Students Take Part In 'Hour Of Code'

PORTSMOUTH, RI — Earlier this week, Portsmouth students of all grades were encouraged to exercise their creativity and learn more about computer science. Portsmouth was one of many districts across the country and world to take part in "Hour of Code."

The event is part of national computer science education week, sponsored by code.org. The organization partners with large tech companies to bring coding education opportunities to students of all ages.

Erin Healey, Portsmouth High School's instructional systems coach, said that activities offered in the district ranged from creative activities to educational games.

"They had a lot of options to test out," she said. "They could go at their own pace in a fun way."

Portsmouth High School chose to set up "Coding and Cookies," an event in the library with coding stations and snacks for students, and plenty of space to follow COVID-19 safety measures.

Students could join during their free period, or choose to stay after school to take part. The reception was positive, Healey said, with one student telling her the Star Wars game they played "tricked us into learning something!"

"We had every student, every group or personality that showed up," she said, adding that it was one of the first chances for students to get together as a community since the pandemic hit.

As technology quickly evolves, it's extremely important to set students on the right path to success in careers that haven't even been thought of yet, Healey said. By introducing coding and computer science from a young age, students learn the critical thinking and background knowledge skills they can build on in more advanced classes.

During the Hour of Code events, students in third and fourth grade spoke with a Raytheon engineer over Zoom, while nearby colleges and universities visited Portsmouth High School to explain the different ways coding and computer science can be used beyond just a career in technology or math.

Learn more about Hour of Code here.