Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is teaching its students a new skill this year and, in doing so, is developing the next generation of coders. "We started by learning Scratch and figuring out what all the buttons do," Keenan Ross, a Grade 5 students who attends Wye Elementary. "We had to work together to overcome the challenges. It was fun but also hard at the same time."
Those skills are being showcased at the inaugural Coding Quest Arcade, which is taking place at the Sherwood Park Community Centre - Agora on May 29. The Arcade is the culmination of The Learning Partnership's new Coding Quest program designed to bring coding into the classroom. Earlier this year, students in grades 4-6 were introduced to the program, which integrates science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); coding and creative thinking into curriculum-aligned coursework. All participating students were then tasked with designing and developing a fully functional computer video game and a corresponding storyboard.
"Coding Quest is a win-win for us," says Danielle Nelson, a consultant with Learning Services at EIPS. "The tech sector is transforming the way we do business, consume products and even how we interact with one another. So, having this incorporated into the curriculum offers our students the opportunity to develop their coding know how. Ultimately, we want to develop the skills and knowledge needed to harness our increasingly digitized world."
In total, more than 250 students from both EIPS and Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) will reveal what they've created and demonstrate their coding abilities at the Coding Quest Arcade. Some of the featured video games, which vary in both theme and objective, include: "Claire Catches Butterflies," "Feed the Fish," "Hardcore Hockey," "Homer's Healthy Plan," "Tomatoes Zombie Outbreak" and "Zoo Animal Catastrophe."
"Every day is a learning process for these students," says Sid Shugarman, the program manager of The Learning Partnership's Coding Quest. "They're encouraged to explore, collaborate and to always try something new. By doing so with curriculum-aligned coursework, students are able to innately develop their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, math, writing and coding skills they'll be able to apply long term no matter what they do later in life."
Representatives of the media, family and community are invited to join students as they showcase their video game creations. There will also be an opportunity to take photos and to speak with students about how they developed and designed their games.
