Though Computer Science Education Week was celebrated this year from Dec. 5-11, in New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District “every week is Computer Science Education week,” according to coding teacher Lara Holzkamp.
Teaching students proper use of technology begins at a young age in the district, as each student is assigned a Chromebook starting in kindergarten. Kindergarteners learn how to properly use their devices, receiving lessons from district Technology Integration Specialist Jeanine Laurino. She has taught students how to use ClassLink, Seesaw and other apps.
Throughout their time in the district, NHP-GCP students learn coding, computer literacy and other computer science-related topics in their Project Lead the Way lessons.
Holzkamp teaches coding classes at Manor Oaks School and Hillside Grade School for the first half of the school year, and then teaches at New Hyde Park Road School and Garden City Park School for the second half. Students learn the basics of coding and the language and skills needed to create programs that work. They utilize coding programs like Code Monkey, Code.org and Kodeable. Recently, fourth graders created interactive posters with clickable elements and movement.
The district’s PLTW classes are led by Salvatore Giurlanda, who teaches at New Hyde Park Road School and Garden City Park School for the first half of the school year and then at Manor Oaks School and Hillside Grade School for the second half. A recent computer science PLTW lesson was the aviation unit for fourth graders. They created planes out of cardboard and measured how far they were able to fly. Giurlanda has the students use the engineering design process when completing their projects.
Additionally, in the school libraries, librarians Sharon Layburn, Natalie Hartmann and Barbara Nelson further assist the students with technology integration by utilizing choice boards and teaching tech-based lessons. Choice boards are librarian-curated websites, articles, games and activities that allow students to explore library, coding and computer science concepts. A recent library unit was Tech Boot Camp. Students learned keyboarding, Chromebook shortcuts and how to best use Google Slides and Google Docs.
Combined, all these lessons provide NHP-GCP students with a foundation for computer literacy and technology.
