Coding with Codding: Coding at Shore

As new technologies flourish, they impact almost every aspect of our lives, and one of the most important questions educators face today is how to adequately prepare their students to master life in the constantly growing and changing landscape that is our technological world. One educator's emphatic answer to that question has left a lasting impression on the Shore community, and thanks to her efforts, it will continue to do so for years to come.

"It's actually so funny, my last name became Codding right around the time I first taught coding here at Shore, so 'Coding with Codding' immediately stuck!" says a beaming Jill Codding, Shore's Lower School Innovation Specialist. "Students are introduced to the world of coding at Shore at a very young age with our Bee-Bots, basic child-friendly robots using beginner coding techniques, and as they progress through the grade levels, they take on more and more advanced coding challenges, such as Scratch, an introductory programming language, and participating in the annual nationwide Hour of Code." The Lower School coding curriculum which Codding has developed throughout her years at Shore is built to last, as each year of coding builds on the last, step by step, until students finish their work in Grade 5 with the rover project and dive into the Upper School ready to get to work in the Innovation Lab on more advanced techniques with Upper School Innovation Specialist Cam McNall. 

Grade 5's rover project, culminating each year with the Rover Olympics, is a seemingly simple yet fascinatingly complex climax to the work students have done in Codding's room for years. Students first work together in pairs to design and customize small shoebox-sized "rovers" out of cardboard boxes and other art supplies. Next, students attach their sensors, motor, and other pieces. Finally, they dive into coding software on their iPad, using the weight and tendencies of the rover they created to make intricate measurements and help the rover complete an array of difficult tasks, from stopping automatically, to turning in a circle, to moving in a straight line.

“When you adjust something, you basically have to start all over again with your code,” says Grade 5 student Nora R., working with Codding to re-attach a wheel to her rover. Elsewhere in the room, Jay C. and Abby B. high-five after making a breakthrough with their tinfoil rover, while Josie H. fashions her rover a scarf before the big run. 

Allowing students to personalize their rovers adds a fun aspect, deepens the student’s connection with their learning, and makes the project all the more memorable. Coding at Shore encourages students to work collaboratively with one another, often splitting up into pairs or small groups to attempt to solve complex puzzles and problems, and groups that finish quickly are often tasked with an additional bonus challenge, intensifying the student's understanding of the material. 

An important part of a Shore education is preparing students to thrive in the constantly changing world. Shore’s curriculum ensures that our students will have experience coding a wide variety of different programs by the time they reach high school, skills which will become increasingly more valuable with time and further technological advancement.