Linda Runatz
New Brighton Area School District New Brighton, PA
Tell us about yourself
I have been teaching for 17 years. I teach Accounting, Computer Applications, Spreadsheets & Database, and 8th Grade Computer Skills. I started using CodeHS this year in the 8th Grade Computer Skills class because I wanted to be better aligned with Common Core Standards and be more focused on STEM. I had been teaching keyboarding and application software in the past. I was inspired to make the change after attending the 2012 Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference. There I heard students speak about learning code and creating video games. They were very excited about the work they were doing.
What do you like about CodeHS?
There are several things I like about CodeHS. I haven’t done any programming since my early years of college so my own skills were a bit rusty. CodeHS is very easy to understand and pick up. I like that students can practice concepts with short programs that are interesting and fun. Karel is an attention getter for the students and immediately draws them in.
I like that students can work at their own pace. I have some students who are really excelling at CodeHS. There is an abundance of material for them to progress through. No one is held back while they wait for other students in the class to catch up. I worked mainly with Zach Galant at CodeHS. He has been extremely helpful, personable to deal with, and continues to provide help whenever I need it.”
“I haven’t done any programming since my early years of college so my own skills were a bit rusty. CodeHS is very easy to understand and pick up.”
Tell us about your Students
Every student in 8th grade takes the nine week computer skills class so my students range from academically gifted to learning support and every range in betweern. I found that some students had already been coding on their own using online sites to learn coding and html.
I’m happy to say that I have students who are blowing me away with how fast they are picking up the material and proceeding through CodeHS. I’m not afraid to admit to them that they are or probably will be, beyond my level of expertise. That is another great thing about CodeHS. These students can proceed even though my knowledge may not be as indepth on the subject matter.
“I have students who are blowing me away with how fast they are picking up the material and proceeding through CodeHS. I’m not afraid to admit to them that they are or probably will be, beyond my level of expertise.”
What do your students like about CodeHS?
My students enjoy working with Karel. Most of them do not get beyond the basic Karel exercises within the nine week period. I’ve witnessed my students cheering when they get their program to work, congratulating classmates when they accomplish a task, and collaborating with each other to determine how to solve a problem. I have found it to be very rewarding.
I will be honest though, some of the students hit a wall of frustration at a certain point. They are not used to trying over and over again to get something to work. They are used to doing something once, maybe twice, and then being done with it. One of the biggest challenges I think they face is realizing that coding is a lot of trial and error. They can’t give up! It may take a few hours or a few days to accomplish a task.
“I’ve witnessed my students cheering when they get their program to work, congratulating classmates when they accomplish a task, and collaborating with each other to determine how to solve a problem.”
Biggest Success Story
I believe academically talented students will succeed no matter what as long as they put forth the effort to succeed. What I am finding to be most amazing is watching my learning support students work in CodeHS. I am amazed at the tasks they are accomplishing on their own.
CodeHS is organized into small chunks so these students can take in, process, and comprehend the material. The visual display on screen and seeing Karel perform the tasks is engaging to them. I think it interests them much more than traditional classroom work. I’ve been so pleased with the progress my learning support students are making!
Originally published at codehs.com.
