Coding and Computer Science are becoming increasingly more important for students to learn, and Oñate High School is trying to get more students interested.
The Hour of Code is a worldwide effort to help teach students the importance of computer science. Oñate High School Computer Science Teacher Jeff Waugh says they’ve participated for the last three years.
“We would like every student at Oñate to participate in the hour of code,” Waugh said. “So, that we can say every student has completed an hour of code before graduating from Onate.”
Waugh says coding is an integral part of daily life.
“Coding is in everything that we do,” Waugh said. “Coding is in your car, in your cell phone, in your computer, and even in things you don’t think about. The internet of things, of your refrigerator, your security alarm, your thermostat, so it’s in everything we do.”
Every Student at Oñate completed the Hour of Code, and for their efforts they were awarded a $10,000 grant. Waugh says the money will be spread throughout the school, because the entire school participated.
“We’re going to buy some robotics equipment for classrooms,” Waugh said. “As well as some programming equipment. I’m obviously going to help out the school around here, and help out our media programs, buy some new cameras for them, and some new cameras for the yearbook. Just try to help everybody out.”
Waugh says the Hour of Code tries to make something students sometimes find boring, more fun to learn.
“It comes in the shape of a game,” Waugh said. “So they look at the game, and they play the game, and then they turn around and tell you this isn’t so bad. And then you show them the next step, and they see that it’s not so bad doing computer science, and it all makes sense. It doesn’t necessarily have to deal with a computer, it just deals with a way of thinking.”
Waugh says he hopes to see the size of the computer class continue to grow.
“I have about 75-100 kids right now,” Waugh said. “Next semester it should double. And from there I’m predicting that every year it’s going to double. We’re really pushing it, and the kids are really excited about it.”
Waugh says one of his main goals is to get more girls interested in computer science.
