The Joy of Coding
theCodeMatrix x ICC : Week 3

The kids’ bright smiles and eagerness to code seemed contagious and made me look forward to a fun third week of coding at ICC. After a week of no class, I missed seeing the kids with their innovative projects and witty remarks. On the very first day back, I could see the kids had so much fun ‘coding’ their friends to dance some funky moves. Throughout the week, the kids programmed some amazing projects, including their own races and games. I greatly enjoyed helping them bring their creative projects to life. Along the way, I learned many new things, from the kids’ favorite songs to how to tackle some interesting bugs in Scratch. Besides enjoying themselves, the kids learned and reviewed several concepts they had learned in the past weeks and before long, they were all computer programming whizzes. Through engaging activities, like Pass-it-on stories, the kids could collaborate with their group and create a project together, which was always entertaining to watch. Of all the days in the third week, the last day, Spirit day, was the most enjoyable. As a great finish to the week, we all dressed up as different Disney characters, ranging from Mickey Mouse to Moana.
Although dressing up for Spirit day was extremely fun, fostering the kids’ excitement to code, create, and present their projects gave me the greatest joy. Even as an intern, I felt I was an important asset to the group and was overjoyed to be constantly involved in this team effort. I was encouraged by my peers who gave valuable advice and who have been great friends throughout my experience. Therefore, by volunteering, I was not only able to inspire kids to love computer programming as much as I do; I also learned some creative ideas to teach, made new friends, created lasting memories and made an impact by educating our future generations. Surely, I will be looking forward to the last few weeks of this session and to volunteering in the Code Matrix for years to come.

