Meet 3 Teachers Who Made Coding a Priority During a Global Pandemic
It’s June 2021 and we are finally at the end of the school year in which the word “unprecedented” ironically became a cliche. It’s no secret in education that the rapid shift to virtual learning brought forth a tidal wave of challenges for our students and teachers. As education grappled with this new shift we saw the discrepancies in tech know-how and the deep gaps in access to technology take center stage. In a year as challenging as this, two realities became true:
The reliance on technology made it clear that getting more students access to a computer science education is more vital now than ever before.
At the same time, virtually teaching computer science in elementary schools became more difficult than ever before.
We’d like to highlight three teachers who prioritized teaching coding despite the hurdles of virtual learning: Ms.Pizzuto, Ms. Ramos, and Ms. Duong. We asked these teachers to tell us more about why and how they made CS instruction possible during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here's what they responded:
Ms. Pizzuto at Grant Elementary
Ms. Pizzuto is a special needs 3rd-6th grade teacher at Grant Elementary. It’s her first year teaching coding with the 9 Dots Get Coding program.
There was a lot going on this past year, how and why did you keep coding as one of your classroom priorities?
Answer: “It was so different from our daily curriculum [and] it was much needed for that specific reason. [Our 9 Dots Instructor] was absolutely incredible in building relationships with my students. It was also a distinctly different way to challenge my students and tie these skills to other academic content areas”
How do you think coding has helped your students?
Answer: “[Coding] deepened their problem solving and reasoning abilities. Also in the beginning for some of my students ...it required teaching of coping, calming and beautiful student support and encouragement grew out of that as well.”
Ms. Ramos at Dickison Elementary
Ms. Ramos is a Kindergarten teacher at Dickison Elementary. This is her third year with 9 Dots and her second year teaching CS without 9 Dots in-class support.
There was a lot going on this past year, how and why did you keep coding as one of your classroom priorities?
Answer: “I want my Distance Learning students this year to experience what my former students had experienced before- to have fun as well as the ability to solve with success every reading, writing, and debugging challenge.”
Why do you feel it is important your students learn how to code?
Answer: “Reading codes, writing codes, and debugging helped my students' ability to solve problems in sequential order. I do believe that this coding practice and these challenges affected their ability to comprehend and solve problems not only in Mathematics but also in Language Arts. Following directions thoroughly when solving every challenge would mean success. This vital skill is a must in literacy.”
Ms. Duong at Longfellow Elementary
Ms. Duong recently transitioned from teaching 3rd to 5th graders at Longfellow Elementary. Ms. Duong has been a partner with 9 Dots for four years and has been teaching CS without 9 Dots in-class support for two years.
There was a lot going on this year, how and why did you keep coding as one of your priorities?
Answer: “I keep coding as one of my classroom priorities because coding skills are useful in all subjects. My students are always engaged and motivated when learning and solving coding challenges”.
What’s one thing you wish more teachers knew about coding?
Answer: “One thing that I wish more teachers knew about coding is that it is a fun and engaging way to motivate learning. Also, 9 Dots coding has a wonderful support team and their platform offers various lesson plans and videos that help teachers get started with coding.”
Conclusion
Access to computer science education remains blocked as Black, Latinx, Native American students and girls remain underrepresented in CS courses but Ms. Pizutto, Ms. Ramos and Ms. Duong remind us that:
Computer science builds students’ confidence, problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills, which is essential for every subject and job.
Teaching coding is a great way to engage students and is fun!
With a support system like the one that 9 Dots provides, teaching coding is easy and accessible for all.
These teachers, along with the other 290 Get Coding teachers throughout LA County are breaking down the barriers to accessing a quality computer science education. Thanks to them, students now have a real opportunity to see themselves in computer science and build the confidence they need to pursue some of the fastest growing and highest paying careers. And nothing—not even a pandemic—can stop them.
The work we do is made possible by generous donors and fellow supporters. Take action by making a donation to support this work. Together we can make an equitable and transformative CS education possible.