During Computer Science Education Week (December 5–11, 2016), almost 400 Ellis students will participate in Hour of Code. Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science designed to demystify code, show that anybody can learn the basics, and broaden participation in the field of computer science.

 

In the Lower School, faculty will integrate step-by-step coding activities into their student’s daily activities. These activities do not necessarily require the use of computers and emphasize a student’s problem solving skills.

 

In the Middle and Upper School, Ellis girls will complete an activity called “Code the News” where students will write and use the JavaScript programming language to create the graphics and headlines that can be seen on news programs on TV.

 

While most schools offer computer science electives in middle school, computer science is a required course for all Ellis students in grades 5 and 6, creating a unique opportunity for girls at The Ellis School. For Middle School students, this will be their first introduction to writing text-based code, which will build on the graphical coding skills they have already acquired.

 

Ellis Director of Educational Technology, Tim Howard says, "Coding is an invaluable 21st century skill for students to learn. Even students who have no desire to pursue a career in computer programming are still able to learn valuable skills from lessons on computer languages. Learning to code fosters the ability for our girls to become creators instead of just consumers. It requires them to think creatively and logically to figure out how to solve problems.”

 

According to a Gallup research study, released in 2016, 90% of parents want their students to learn computer science but only 40% of U.S. schools offer computer science classes with computer programming. Tim Howard adds, “considering the ever-growing need for women in computer science careers, we feel an obligation to provide opportunities for all Ellis girls to learn how to code.”

 

At The Ellis School, faculty have a year-round commitment to computer science and are rising to meet the rapid change inherent in our fast-paced, technology-driven world. Ellis teachers are constantly pursuing new learning opportunities and they make STEM a top priority at every grade level.

 

In the Lower School, much of the students’ work involves the use of iPads throughout the year. The use of iPad apps in the classroom opens up endless opportunities to learn in a way our students have not experienced before. Grade 4 students use what they have learned about programing to create robotics projects out of the Hummingbird Robotics kit, a spin-off product of Carnegie Mellon's CREATE lab.

 

In the Middle School, every student in grades 5 and 6 completes a full-year computer science class. In grades 7 and 8, students have the opportunity to take the Mobile Robotics elective in which they build and program Lego Mindstorm EV3 robots to solve problems and play games.

 

In the Upper School, the computer science offerings have recently been expanded. The existing Introduction to Computer Science elective will continue to focus on learning the basics of programing languages while a second elective, Computer Science II, has been added in which students will add the Java programming language to their repertoire.

 

The attitudes and aspirations of a girl’s peers have a powerful influence on her outlook. Students at all-girl schools are steeped in an environment in which learning and success are valued. As an all-girls school, faculty members at Ellis understand and provide the 4Cs—communication, collaboration,

creativity, and critical thinking—so that girls get excited about careers in STEM. These same cutting-edge skills have made Ellis graduates competitive in the STEM workforce.

 

All of these efforts to engage girls in STEM programming early, and often, are paying off for Ellis graduates. In 2016, 29% of Ellis graduates said they intend to major in a STEM related field in college. This is nearly twice the national average of 15% of girls who say they plan to major in STEM subject areas.