CO D I NG : T H E NE W L IT E R AC Y
: שפות פ יתוח ה א וריינות החד שה
By Miriam Seidman, Communications Manager
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hanks to generous philanthropy, the JCDS coding program was reinvigorated this year across all grades with an integrated K-8 computer science curriculum developed in partnership with Tufts Professor (and JCDS parent) Dr. Marina Bers (see Parents in the News p. 4) “Programming is useful for everyone and for every discipline,” said Marina in her January 2019 Boston Globe article. “We don’t teach people to write because they are going to be professional writers. We shouldn’t teach them to code simply because we want them to be software developers. Programming is a tool for civic power and social change, just like reading and writing.” Coding has become more than a technical skill; it is a way to achieve literacy in the 21st century. Essential literacy skills include the ability to use technology effectively for personal expression and complex problemsolving. Students learn best when solving authentic problems and engaging in project-based
learning. For example, the Kindergartners’ Chanukah cards were made using the coding program ScratchJr. Nitzanim were encouraged to creatively solve problems with empathy and curiosity, approaching each new challenge as an opportunity to reflect and grow. “It was amazing to see how much students learned on their own and how much they learned from trial and error,” said Catherine Ross, K-2 Engineering Teacher. “I was so glad that I had explicitly taught the Habit of Perseverance (one of the Habits of Mind and Heart) before beginning ScratchJr because it really gave the students the strength to continue and work through frustration.”
ABOVE: Catherine Ross, K-2 Engineering Teacher, works with Gan Nitzan students to program Legos to light up in their model of the city of Haifa. RIGHT: 1st graders use ScratchJr to tell “Knock Knock” jokes using coding blocks.
All students have been using coding and robots as a medium for self-expression and a vehicle for exploring their Jewish identities in multiple curricular areas. For example, 1st and 2nd graders used the coding program ScratchJr to tell “Knock Knock” jokes, while 6th and 7th grade Toshba (Oral Jewish Law) students illustrated their understanding of various interpretations of Jewish holidays and texts via Scratch. Coding is not just about STEM—coding is about expressing the human being, which includes Jewish identity.
LEFT: 2nd graders scan KIBO blocks to program the robots’ actions. RIGHT: 2nd graders use KIBO robots to tell the story of the splitting of the Red Sea in the Passover story. Students programmed the robots to dance and sing and even recorded their own voices reading parts of the narrative in Hebrew.
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