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Digital Skills

Program Overview

Coding is a regular part of the school experience for all elementary student in second through fifth grades. In addition to learning how to use computers during their regularly scheduled visits to the computer lab, young students learn how to program computers. Utilizing web-based software available through Code.org and Scratch, students write programs to solve problems, create digital art, and craft interactive stories. Along the way, students will practice computer science terminology, hone their collaborative skills and consider what it means to be a digital citizen.

Curriculum Developmentcode studio algorithm

Mamaroneck’s digital skills curriculum creates a logical progression from elementary through high school grades, with the ultimate goal of graduating students who go on to pursue careers in computer science, engineering and design.

Standards Correlation

Our curriculum has been designed to align with the K-12 Computer Science Framework as well as the National Curriculum for Computing recently adopted in the United Kingdom.

The questions at the core of the curriculum are:

  • How do computers work?
  • What terms do programmers use to describe what they do?
  • How can working together make us more successful?
  • What tools can we use to make better programs?
  • How can we use software to solve problems or create new ideas?
  • How do computers change our communities and the larger world?
  • What defines a digital citizen?

Lesson Design

Our program offers students a variety of experiences both on the computer and off. “Unplugged” lessons will give students a better understanding of new concepts through hands-on activities, while online lessons will confront students with increasingly-complex programming challenges. At the end of each grade level, students will design a unique digital creation to share with their classmates.

Computer Science Terminology

Help your child to talk like a programmer!

algorithm - a list of steps that you can follow to finish a task

code - a set of instructions that a computer performs to solve a problem

debug - the process of identifying and removing errors in a program

loop - the action of doing something over and over again

pixel - the smallest square of color on a computer screen

 

Digital Skills Progression

Digital Skills Progression k-5

Lesson Sequences

Questions about elementary computer science? Contact jdancy@mamkschools.org.