Helping Youth Thrive through a Computer Science Lens from 4-H National Council

Build your capacity to help youth thrive with positive youth development through the lens of a computer science (CS) pathway. Discover how an exploratory computer science activity can catalyze youth to nurture sparks, find belonging, build relationships and find their voice. In this virtual session, participants will learn how to apply the foundations of the 4-H Thriving model more broadly to 4-H programs and get a feel for the CS activities developed for Clover by 4-H.

The 4-H PYD Academy equips other youth development professionals with the essential knowledge and skills to plan, implement, and evaluate high-quality youth development programs that help youth thrive. The National 4-H PYD Academies are convened and supported by National 4-H Council in cooperation with the National Association of 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP), the 4-H PLWG Chartered Committee on Positive Youth Development, and Extension 4-H professionals from across the country. The purpose of the PYD Academy is to ensure that 4-H educators possess the knowledge and skills they need to plan, implement and evaluate high quality 4-H Positive Youth Development programs for youth.

The cost to attend the Helping Youth Thrive through a Computer Science Lens virtual event on April 10, 2024 is $75.

Learn more at https://pyd-academy.extension.org/

Data to the Rescue

This virtual workshop will introduce you to Data to the Rescue: Penguins Need Our Help! – a learning experience designed for out-of-school time programs that includes learning about penguin populations on the Western Antarctic Peninsula, developing the skills to understand data about changes to these populations, and thinking like a scientist to help others learn and understand what is happening.

Youth in our programs today will need data literacy skills to navigate their world.  Join this workshop to experience some of the activities from Data to the Rescue and learn how they help learners be innovative and creative in this data-driven world.

This workshop has been rescheduled March 28 at Noon ET | 11:00 am CT | 10:00 am MT | 9:00 am PT.  It will be 90 minutes.  The workshop will be recorded if you are not able to make it in person.

You can Register Now with this link.

Building Strong Teen Leaders

The contributions from young adults who have not yet finished high school to out-of-school time programs are growing.  Across the US, teens are volunteering to teach computer science in 4-H programs, they are explainers or interns in science centers, they are working part-time in afterschool programs.

This virtual workshop will focus on how you can support the growth and development of young staff members and teen volunteers.  How can you prepare them to be successful as communicators, teachers or leaders in your program?  You will leave this workshop with resources, strategies and ideas to support the growth and development of young staff members and teen volunteers.  The Click2ComputerScience team will share about their experience supporting young leaders and facilitate an engaging discussion with colleagues about how teens and young adults contribute to out-of-school time STEM learning.

This virtual workshop was on February 14, 2024.  The recording will be posted here soon.

 

Preparing Yourself to Lead CS Experiences

Watch this recorded workshop from January, 2024 to get new strategies for preparing good out-of-school time learning experiences.  Well-prepared CS learning experiences are relevant, engaging, and appropriate for youth. Knowing how to effectively prepare for computer science learning will support inclusiveness and safety – and help you maximize youth engagement. This recorded workshop focuses on selecting and planning CS experiences for all your program participants.  You will leave with ideas you can use right away.

This recording will help you and your team:

  • Learn an effective process for preparing for CS learning.
  • Practice adapting available resources for your learners.
  • Prepare to integrate Computer Science into afterschool programming

 

 

Data Literacy in Out-of-School Time recording

Check out this recorded webinar from November 2023 where the Click2ComputerScience team shared the newest trends in data literacy for out-of-school time programs. They discussed the Why, What and How of Data Literacy. Why is it important for youth to develop data literacy skills? What exactly does this mean? How can this happen in your program?

In this recorded webinar, you will: 

  • Learn about data literacy and how Click2ComputerScience will approach this topic.
  • Learn why data literacy is important for young people and how it may fit with the goals of out-of-school time programs like yours.
  • See two fun activities: Collecting and Catapults – that foster curiosity, creativity and critical thinking about data.

Click2ComputerScience will be adding content about data literacy in the next few months – and we want to hear what you are thinking about this topic – and get your input about how we can support you in this new area of STEM education.

You’re a Computational Thinker recorded workshop

Check out this recorded workshop from September 2023 to learn what computational thinking means and reflect on the ways in which you are already a computational thinker.

In this recorded workshop, you will:

  • Learn how you can help youth develop as computational thinkers.
  • Try out a CS unplugged activity on Computation Thinking from Code.org.
  • Leave with and unplugged activity and strategies you put into use right away.

Teaching Kids the Magic of Computer Programming

Introduction:

In a world driven by technology, introducing kids to computer science early on opens the door to a world of creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. As educators, you have the incredible opportunity to guide young minds on a journey of discovery through the exciting realm of computer programming. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of teaching kids about computer science and share effective strategies to ignite their curiosity and passion for coding.

 

Why Teach Kids Computer Programming?

  1. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Coding challenges kids to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable steps. By planning and executing code, they develop critical thinking skills that are applicable in various aspects of life.
  2. Creativity and Innovation: Coding is a canvas for imagination. Kids can bring their ideas to life by creating interactive games, stories, animations, and even apps. Programming encourages them to think outside the box and invent new solutions.
  3. Future-Ready Skills: As technology continues to shape our world, programming skills become increasingly valuable. Teaching kids to code equips them with skills that are relevant across industries, from engineering to art.
  4. Confidence and Persistence: Overcoming coding challenges fosters a sense of accomplishment and builds resilience. Kids learn that persistence and patience are essential to achieving their goals.
  5. Collaboration: Many programming projects involve collaboration and teamwork. Kids learn how to share ideas, work together, and contribute to a larger project, enhancing their interpersonal skills.

 

Effective Strategies for Teaching Kids Computer Programming

  1. Hands-On Learning: Engage kids with interactive activities that allow them to manipulate code directly. Visual programming languages and block-based coding platforms are excellent tools to start with, as they provide a tactile and intuitive way to learn programming concepts.
  2. Gamification: Turn coding into a game by introducing challenges, puzzles, and quests. Platforms like Code.org and Scratch offer gamified coding courses that keep kids motivated and excited to learn.
  3. Real-World Projects: Encourage kids to apply their coding skills to real-world projects. Whether it’s creating a website, designing a simple app, or animating a story, real projects make learning meaningful and relatable.
  4. Storytelling through Code: Merge coding with storytelling by having kids create interactive stories or animations. This approach not only teaches programming concepts but also nurtures their creativity.
  5. Diverse Role Models: Introduce kids to diverse role models in the tech industry. Highlight the achievements of individuals from different backgrounds to inspire kids and show them that anyone can excel in computer science.
  6. Open-Ended Exploration: Allow kids to explore and experiment with coding independently. Provide resources and guidance, but let them take the lead in their learning journey.

Conclusion:

Teaching kids about computer programming is like handing them a key to unlock a world of possibilities. By fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, you’re preparing them for a future where technology plays an integral role. The strategies mentioned in this blog offer a roadmap to create engaging and effective programming lessons that will not only equip kids with valuable skills but also ignite their passion for the world of computer science. As educators, you have the power to nurture the next generation of innovative thinkers and creators.

 

Trust Wells

The Scary Future of AI Technology

It is common knowledge that programming and coding is an essential function of computer science. Right now more than ever is the best time to get into coding as well, but there’s a new technology out there that may affect that. The technology I’m talking about is AI. The term AI means “artificial intelligence.” Humans obviously have developed computers and code, but what happens when the computers are able to carry out functions on their own? It truly is a scary thought when thinking deep about it. 

A few months ago, a new website called “ChatGPT” emerged and some people didn’t quite know what it was. The term AI was brought about by the people who made it, but what were the true capabilities? When I heard about this during my first semester of college, I tried ChatGPT out. I was absolutely blown away by how a computer could practically understand very advanced instructions and perfect it. I was very hooked on how far I could push the AI and kept experimenting. I was currently in Calculus 2 and wondered how well it could perform very complex problems. The AI answered with absolute ease. 

There is a controversy about ChatGPT and other AIs. A lot of users started questioning if answers to math equations or stuff about history was correct information. I myself also started wondering if this can even be credible. Many users did their research and found out that while it is impressive how fast and useful the AI bot can be, the information it is giving you can be misleading and flat out wrong. That can give some people a relief, and especially me because I am a computer science major. 

Numerous majors could be scared right now in college because companies could easily replace us with AI so they wouldn’t have to pay for more employees. Software engineers and computer science majors could be in big trouble if this technology improves vastly over the next few years. Another scary thing about AI is its ability to adapt. AI is capable of adapting almost instantly if something is wrong. It learns things like a brain, but in much less time. 

I hope I haven’t scared you too much after this, but AI is definitely something to consider if you are trying to think of a certain career field you’d like to go into. It’s good to educate people as well on this topic because some think that AI will take over the planet or something else along that nature. That isn’t true for the most part. AIs have to be developed by companies and those companies put in procedures that the code must follow. If there is one thing you should learn from this, it should be that AI has a very interesting future and we should all learn more about it.

 

Trust Wells

Creative Coding

Creative Coding with p5.js 

Prior to coming to college, I had no knowledge of coding. I was entering the Emerging Media Arts program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hoping to become a screenwriter. As a part of the first-year curriculum, we were exposed to creative coding. Surprisingly, this knowledge became very useful later in my studies as I programmed props for use on film sets. Now, I recommend it to anyone looking to learn about coding. 

What is p5.js? 

According to their website, “p5.js is a JavaScript library for creative coding, with a focus on making coding accessible and inclusive for artists, designers, educators, beginners, and anyone else!” 

In other words, p5.js is a coding tool that is accessible through a web browser. This allows users to be able to save and edit their work from anywhere as long as they have internet. 

Why creative coding? 

My professor chose to teach us the concepts of coding through creative coding which allowed us to see most of the functions in a visual manner. For those who are visual learners, this made the process of coding more accessible. Additionally, p5.js used words that we were familiar and comfortable with to teach coding concepts. For example, each project was called a “sketch.” Then the default base code was set up like this: 

 

function setup() { 

  createCanvas(400, 400); 

} 

  

function draw() { 

  background(220); 

} 

 

This made it clear that we were creating a canvas to work on with the setup function and we were placing things or “drawing” on the canvas when we entered code into the draw function. 

Examples 

Coding can be an overwhelming task, but starting simply and working your way up can make it seem less daunting. To see how far your students can come, here are some of my “sketches” from when I first started to learn how to code. To run the code, you will have to press the play button. Also, feel free to move your mouse around and click to see if they are interactive! 

Surprised Cat 

The Three Little Pigs 

(Hint: Click on the canvas to turn the pages). 

Haunted House 

(Hint: Press and hold on the inside of the house. Let go when you see the ghosts)! 

 

Hannah Pedersen is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying Emerging Media Arts with a minor in Business and Law. She has lived in Nebraska her whole life. Hannah hopes to become a creative producer of film, television, and immersive experiences before “retiring” as a professor.