The digital divide in tech is growing rapidly and cities nationwide are looking for creative solutions that entice kids to code. While there are a number of apps and platforms that aim to do just that, most of them focus more on "gamifying" coding, and less on writing actual code. Once a student understands her first coding concepts, there are few kid-friendly tools that teach a specific language (Python, Javascript, etc.). That’s where Kiwi Compute comes in.
Founded in 2016, Kiwi Compute hopes to pass along the passion of coding and teach kids “how to speak a language that’s increasingly important and needed in today’s world.” This year, ATA College Prep partnered with Kiwi to bring coding into the classroom.
Jordan Phillips (8th grade) presents her game, Shooter Frenzy.
Last week, students had the opportunity to present their final projects to the whole school. Working both in pairs and individually, the students presented their own unique programs, each conceived and created through writing code. The projects included different games and surveys, all utilizing different applications and demonstrating the distinctive qualities of their personalized code. Jordan Phillips (grade 8), explained her project, titled Shooter Frenzy, as “…a game where you guess numbers, and the computer awards points based on the accuracy and success of your guesses.” All of the presentations demonstrated code language comprehension, as well as other transferable skills like teamwork, communication, and time management.
