The school computer lab is one busy place with classes visiting all throughout the day. Sometimes it can be an overlooked and under appreciated area. So why not give your students something to celebrate when they come visit? In December students from all over the world will participate in Hour of Code. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event! It's a global movement in over 180 countries. Help host one at your school and then celebrate with a fun collaborative bulletin board that celebrates coding!
Start by lining your bulletin board with a neutral background. I love the denim fadeless paper because it doesn't show when you remove staples and stays vibrant all year long. Just unroll as you staple along the top of your board. Use scissors to gently glide through the edge trimming the paper along the bulletin board's edge.
I love the look of a layered border, it adds interest and color to your boards. For this look I chose 3 borders to combine. I started with the computer science border trim. I love this one because it's reversible! I added the black and white polka dot and the solid lime green (also reversible) to the edges and then stapled in the center. Let the dots guide you so there's no measuring involved, simply line them up.
Once you've stapled up all of the border trim you will need to dress up the corners. I like lining the border up so it looks continuous, however, this leaves holes in the corners. To fix this I used computer cutouts to bring the corners together. You could also use paper fans or any other decor to camouflage the ends.
Elementary aged students love bright colors and shapes, so be sure to add some color and fun to your computer lab boards. This robot is perfect for a technology-themed bulletin board. It's tall and made of colorful, durable cardboard and is easy to staple to any bulletin board. You can pose the arms and legs so you can configure it to meet the needs of your space. I added him to our board and used some of the computer science reversible borders to create a little sign for him to hold.
In order to celebrate your students who reach milestones in their hour of code journey you can use the computer punch cards to keep track of their minutes. In class my students work on their coding skills. For every 10 minutes they practice they get one punch on their card. You can punch it with a hole punch or simply mark it off with a Sharpie. Your students will love seeing all of their hard work and effort accumulate on their punch card.
Once your students finish the hour of code challenge they need to be recognized. Back in the computer lab you can celebrate student milestones and success by writing the students' names on a computer cutout and posting them to the computer lab board. Just add a computer cutout with a fun I can code sticker! This makes a cute award you can personalize with a students' names and display on the bulletin board. Then, when you are all done the students can take their computer cutouts home. You can also handout a coding pencil as a special prize for their efforts.
Inspiring your students to learn to code can be easy with just a few simple resources. Make great books like Kids get coding and websites like www.code.org available for your students to inspire them to learn new technology skills.
I hope that you will join in the coding fun this December. Encourage your school to participate in the hour of code and inspire your students to learn a little more about coding and technology fields. You never know where a little inspiration will take them, so get coding!