The Hour of Code started as an introduction to computer science, designed to make coding easier to understand and to show that anybody can learn the basics. During the time of Hour of Code at Ascension, students participated in activities that encourage the widespread of coding. With the technological advancements we have at Ascension, each student had access to the variety of Coding apps on our electronic devices. These apps allowed the student body to get involved in programming as we are not typically exposed to it. While playing the games, the students connected with the idea of programming and gained insight into the computer language that could possibly be a student’s career in the future.

On our devices, we were able to choose between many different types on coding games in an app called Tynker. Within these games, you format different actions in code and the object responds to the command. This allows students to grasp a concept of coding and sparks the idea for creativity while learning a second language. Junior Piper Blancher says, “I’m really not that into coding so this ‘Hour of Code’ was a total waste of time for me, but I do think that it could have been beneficial for anyone who is into technology or plans to go into coding one day as their profession.”

Attempting to make Hour of code at Ascension a success, there were problems that came along with it. Everybody was all over the school and it wasn’t organized as most upperclassmen just took this time as another Triple AAA. A junior at Ascension named John Picard said, “It was irrelevant and a waste of time but a way of improving this would be only doing coding for no longer than thirty minutes.” When consulting my friends, I got around the same responses but junior Graci Hargrave provided me with a positive thought and said, “it was better than tech free day.” Most students don’t understand the importance of the Hour of Coding as they would rather expand the knowledge of the students. What they don’t understand is that this technological language provides us with innovation, creativity, and knowledge of coding as many celebrities view that computer science should be apart of our curriculum.