ED2 101 TECH NEWSLETTER OCT 12, 2021 (2)

TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER

TECH 101: KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY IN THE KNOW

Learning to Code: Why Does it Matter ? Next week is the world wide celebration of coding known as the “Hour of Code” annual celebration. More than 100 million students have participated in the Hour of Code around the world. We will celebrate this event across our District in so many fun ways such as, a District wide coding advisory at DHS (thank you Programming Club!), as well as coding events in all our school libraries. Only 51% of all high schools teach computer science. We are so fortunate that our District provides a wealth of experiences with coding. From our earliest learners mastering Scratch (a language invented at MIT) to our high schoolers taking on AP Computer Science, App Development or AP Computer Science Principles, our students are prepared to enter a world that increasingly desires a workforce savvy in coding, an emerging global language. Whether you are a fashion designer or a microbiologist, knowing some type of code advances your ability to succeed in life. Perhaps you have hopes of your child becoming an investment banker? Goldman Sachs employs more programmers and engineers than Facebook. In fact, the chairman of Goldman Sachs once stated that the company is in reality, a technology company. by Dr . Joan McGettigan , Director of Instructional Technology

DECEMBER 3 , 2021

D A RIEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Our commitment to ensuring that our students are prepared for the evolving global workforce begins with the work of our librarian media specialists in the elementary schools who offer our students a variety of coding activities. At Middlesex, your child can dive into App Creation or Design and Modelling - both Project Lead the Way classes. At the high school, students may choose a variety of computer science classes. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of the Darien Foundation, we are embarking on our inaugural year of Robotics Clubs. This extracurricular learning opportunity directly supports the District’s interest in enhancing STEM learning opportunities for students. We want our students not only prepared for college, but for life. We realize that whatever career our students may follow, the chances of their success increases dramatically by having some coding experiences. In the recent Princeton Review article, “Colleges That Pay You Back”, (the institutions which give you the best return on your tuition), Harvey Mudd is #1 in career placement, and in the Payscale.com College Salary Report, Harvey Mudd College again finished #1 followed by MIT and at #3, California Institute of Technology. What do these institutions have in common? They focus on engineering, computer science and technology. We will continue to look at our curriculum to explore ways to continue fostering an understanding of coding and in computer science in general.

D A RIEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DECEMBER 3

, 2021

Why Computer Science ? Many people assume computer science i s coding but real ly , i t i s so much more. As we know, STEM i s al l the rage and for good reason. Most jobs worth having in the future involve STEM, thi s i sn’ t new and i t wi l l probably never change that much. In order to be compet i t ive you need advanced problem solving ski l l s and STEM i s al l about that . However , at the high school level i t i s l imi ted on how much you are able to learn in many of these areas before col lege. One except ion to thi s i s computer science. I t i s very common to hear of how the next br i l l iant student in computer science i s changing the way we communicate (who hasn’ t even graduated f rom col lege yet ! ) . Computer science i s so much more than programming. Cybersecur i ty , art i f icial intel l igence, network archi tecture, systems engineer ing are al l part of computer science. Once you have completed AP Computer Science Pr inciples and passed wi th a score of 4 or 5 , you are now qual i f ied for internships at most technology companies . I f you can double down on that exper ience wi th a 4 or 5 in AP Computer Science, you have strengthened your future hi reabi l i ty . Computer science i sn’ t just for the computer scient i st . Computer science gives us a set of tool s , logic and concrete usage of mathemat ics to help solve problems , to increase our cr i t ical thinking. Wi th these ski l l s anybody , whether or not they are interested in a career in computers , benef i ts f rom learning these ski l l s . One doesn’ t have to love computers to understand that they involve just about everything in our l ives today . Check out al l the amaz ing coursework Dar ien of fers in computer science, engineer ing and technology and encourage your chi ld to dip thei r toe in the STEM waters . I f your fami ly would l ike to join in the Hour of Code, head to thei r s i te at https : / /hourofcode. com/ us/ learn where one can search for act ivi t ies based on age. As you wi l l see, there are a wide var iety of apps and s i tes that can help your student learn to code outs ide of the classroom. In fact , i t ’ s a great individual or fami ly act ivi ty!

" Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe , or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century , basic computer programming is an essential ski l l to learn ."

- Stephen Hawking

D A RIEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DECEMBER 3

, 2021