Reflecting Upon the Hour of Code

Having been involved with the Hour of Code™ in some way since its launch in 2013, I’ve heard both celebrations and complaints. While not all of the comments that have flowed past me have been in the best interest of child-development, I’ve heard opinions from both sides that are.

First, it’s important to realize that the Hour of Code has morphed since its origin nearly half of a decade ago. It was once a light introduction to computer science, meant to introduce teachers to the fact that kids could code. Now, with the proof of concept realized and thousands of teachers regularly bringing CS to millions of students, the Hour of Code has become an epic push to get coding through the door and to celebrate the craft in a more public way.

While the Hour of Code is a fun and empowering movement, it only takes over one week of each year. Many of the activities highlighted are relatively simple and leave more of a lasting impact on self-efficacy than on skill. To really take advantage of the momentum that CS Education Week brings, teachers need to revisit the ideas throughout the year, and schools need to offer coding classes (at whatever level seems appropriate) so that the inspiration doesn’t fade.

What I find really exciting is that there are more tutorials out there than ever. This means that teachers can guide students toward projects that mean a lot to them, whether they be pure programming, robotics, other physical computing, or eTextiles, and see a huge amount of growth while offering an appropriate amount of autonomy.

It would be a mistake for anyone to claim that one hour of code is enough to prepare our students for the future, but one hour done right is better than nothing, and it’s certainly the first step toward a passion for the craft.

(Note: The Hour of Code is a trademark of Code.org)