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​Coding for Kids Helps U.S. Meet STEM’s High Demand
Educating young minds to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also known as STEM, should be a crucial aspect of every child's education if America is to stay competitive with other countries. Reports have shown that the U.S. is lagging behind when it comes to STEM education; that's why iCode in Frisco, Texas, has a mission to teach kids collaborative learning and problem-solving through robotics and computer programming classes.Today's children have educational challenges never seen before in history. Our country has a need for skilled computer programmers to solve problems we don't even understand yet. Technology moves forward quickly, and other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, are educating their youth to keep up with STEM's fast growth, according to Pew Research Center.Pew also reports that the U.S. does not rank well on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which tests 15-year-olds around the world on math, science literacy, and reading ability. In the most recent testing in 2012, the U.S. ranked 35th in math and 27th in science out of 64 countries. Classes in coding for kids are an essential step if America is to catch up with the rest of the world.The high demand…
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The Dallas Morning News Photo of the Year
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Students “Use the Force” at Hour of Code
Misti Clark, curriculum manager at iCode, teaches area students about computer science during first annual iCode Hour of Code event.Students from across Collin County were able to “use the force” at iCode’s first annual Hour of Code event on Friday, December 11 during Computer Science Education Week. iCode hosted Star War’s themed coding activities at its state-of-the-art facility in Frisco that included introductions to Python, JavaScript and gaming. Activities incorporated the beloved characters Obi-wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker to get students engaged and excited about the upcoming movie premier.Hour of Code, a global grassroots campaign, aims to get students to try a coding activity for one hour during the week of December 7-13.  Groups like iCode hope participation will help demystify code and show that anyone can learn the basics of computer science, a growing industry with fewer than 2.4 percent of college graduate degrees.About iCodeiCode is an after school and weekend program that offers holistic STEAM education to students in 1st through 12th grade, equipping them with skills to think critically, solve problems logically and imagine endless possibilities. With its state-of-the-art facility, iCode students have the ability to use the latest technology to design and develop their best ideas into…
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iCode Participates at the International Conference on Education as a Human Right
iCode was at DFW World Affairs Council Conference hosted at Southern Methodist University campus on March 28th. The topic was “Education as a Human Right”. It was a very grounding experience to see the endeavors that the awe-inspiring panel members, had taken upon themselves, to make access to education an equal right for everyone.Participating from iCode, we asked several questions on how they were leveraging technology to bring Education to the Masses and where did Tech Ed figure, in the basic Ed, they were struggling to provide?On behalf of iCode, we offered access to our scholarship fund to several institutions that were there that have students who would be interested in pursuing an education in computer science. All in all, it was an extremely positive experience. Team iCode is inspired by this engagement.
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Why Learning Coding is Important for Kids
At iCode, our teachers work with students in grades 1 through 12, teaching them everything from basic coding, computing essentials, project development, to advanced Java, and iOS development. We believe that when young minds collaborate and brainstorm with one another, it leads the way to previously-untapped innovation and exploration. If you would like to learn why coding is important for kids, read on!Creativity – Once students learn how to code, the world is their oyster. There are limitless projects that can be completed using code, it all comes down to the student’s imagination and creativity. In our own coding courses, we promote an “outside the box” approach when it comes to innovation and brainstorming. A coding course can teach students to expand their minds and come up with new ways to problem-solve that they have never considered before.Patience – In order to learn how to properly code, and then how to come up with the perfect idea to design and create, patience is definitely a much needed skill. For children with short attention spans who are used to instant gratification, coding is a multi-step process that will require them to rely on their logic, concentration, and critical thinking skills instead.…
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