Marymount Students Learn the Language of Code

Throughout the week of December 8th, Marymount students, along with schools around the world, are participating in the initiative, Hour of CodeTo participate in this program, Marymount faculty and staff created a variety of opportunities for students to begin to ‘get their feet wet’ in the world of coding.  
 
Under the direction of science faculty Kim Bathker and Erin Ruesler, freshman Biology classes took a break from studying life science to explore the building blocks of game design. They began with a tutorial and explanation of a problem to solve in the game,  ‘Jetpack Jumper’.  Once they figured out how to fix the problem, these budding coders were given the tools to change the game in a variety of ways—from the look of the main character, the robot, to the background artwork and the obstacles set for the robot to overcome. By the end of the coding session, the games were as varied and unique as the girls themselves!
 
Co(de)Literate is a new workshop that will introduce students to the plethora of languages that make up the world of computer programming and web design. Run by Registrar/Student Services Coordinator, Adrian Skrentny, the goal of this ongoing workshop will be to expose students the vast opportunities that ‘speaking code’ will open up to our students.
 
Asked why he launched this workshop, Skrentny answered, “As we rely on computers more and more, it will become increasingly important to know how to communicate with them. Learning code is like learning a new language. Reading and writing code is a form of expression,  and will change how humans interact with one another and the world.” 
 
 
 
 
Sponsored by the non profit, Code.org, ‘Hour of Code’ is a one hour introduction to computer science, dedicated to demystifying what goes on behind the scenes of our favorite computer programs, video games and apps. This initiative is dedicated to giving students a glimpse into how game design works, and to expanding girls’ participation in the computer sciences.
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