Coding Hour Demystifies Career

All math students participated in the Hour of Code during the week of December 7-11.

The Hour of Code is an international initiative to “demystify code,” according to the program’s website. Campolindo participants learned basic coding principles using a free iPad app called Lightbot.

According to computer science teacher Carol Paymer, who organized the event at Campolindo, Lightbot was used 2 years ago and was brought back by popular demand.

“I’m a big believer in the fact that everyone should have equal access to learning to code,” Paymer said.

She hopes the Hour of Code will give participants a more accurate understanding of coding, and consider it as a possible career path. “I think that some people just never consider it. They sort of picture programmers as little guys staring at a screen in the dead of night, typing at their computers, and they just don’t think they can do that,” Paymer said. “And even if they decide they don’t want to do it, they have at least discovered that they can do it.”

Paymer said she plans to “do it [the Hour of Code] forever, as long as it’s out there.”

“A lot of people who are not planning on being programmers are going to find in the future that what they want to do is going to involve a little bit of programming and I want them to not be scared when that comes up,” Paymer added.

Junior participant Lydia Hancock found the Hour of Code fun because she was able to learn through a game. Fellow junior Rishabh Roy added, “Lightbot itself is fun and then the puzzles that it is, it makes you want to win so you more learn more about coding in the process.”

“It’s like a fun way to get involved in it. And it’s a great skill to have in the coming age,” Roy added.