The Province is connecting students with the skills they need to succeed in today’s changing world, including coding.

Coding uses logic to execute problem solving actions by a machine – a vital skill for 21st-century students to understand. Logically, the first step in this learning process is ensuring teachers have the skills they need to bring coding alive in B.C. classrooms.

Beginning this November, teachers from around the province will be given the opportunity to participate in specialized coding training sessions offered by Lighthouse Labs, in partnership with Kids Code Jeunesse.

These two-day workshops will provide intensive training to teachers, giving them the digital-literacy skills required to captivate and empower students in grades 6 to 9. All 60 school districts are being invited to send two teachers to attend one of six regional sessions taking place over the next four months in Victoria, Vancouver, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Trail and Prince George. Followup training sessions will be available in the spring. 

The participants will then go back to their own communities armed with the tools required to effectively train their colleagues, spreading coding skills throughout the school district and to students.   

By the end of Grade 9, every student in British Columbia will take a module of basic coding, ensuring they learn the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills needed to thrive in any field, including coding.   

Coding is a hands-on way of teaching students how to analyse a problem, determine the steps to fix that problem and then create directions so a machine can carry out those steps. Whether or not students pursue careers in the technology sector, these are vital critical thinking skills for future success.

Teaching children coding is part of B.C.`s new curriculum, as well as the #BCTECH Strategy – a key component of the BC Jobs Plan to support the growth of the province’s vibrant technology sector and strengthen British Columbia’s diverse knowledge-based economy.

Quotes:

Mike Bernier, Minister of Education –

“Preparing our kids for their future is our most important job, and getting teachers trained to teach coding and the new curriculum is just one way we are doing that. These new training sessions will provide teachers with the important tools they need to teach students the skills they need to succeed when learning coding.”

Jeremy Shaki, co-founder, Lighthouse Labs –

“Lighthouse Labs is proud to support the Ministry of Education, teachers, and students across British Columbia. It is imperative that we show Canada’s next generation that code is a vessel for whatever passions you may have ​ and inspire them to create rather than consume technology.”

Kate Arthur, founder and co-director, Kids Code Jeneusse –

“By educating children with the tools needed to create and communicate within the 21st century, we are providing them with the skills needed to build their own future success.”

Quick Facts:

• Government has awarded a two-year contract to Lighthouse Labs, in partnership with Kids Code Jeunesse, to deliver regional training sessions on coding curriculum for teachers.
• Founded in 2013, Lighthouse Labs is an immersive, modern approach to teaching web and mobile software development. With a hands-on curriculum built by a community of industry experts, Lighthouse Labs focuses on transforming passionate people into agile programmers.
• Kids Code Jeunesse is a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids, teachers and parents with the skills needed to thrive in a technology-driven society.
• While coding is currently an optional part of the Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies K-9 curriculum that is being implemented this school year, many teachers already teach coding.

Learn More:

Earlier this year, Premier Christy Clark announced funding to help connect students with coding, new curriculum and computers. Learn more about this announcement: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016PREM0065-000994

Learn more about Lighthouse Labs: https://lighthouselabs.ca

Explore B.C.’s new curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca

For more information on the #BCTECH Strategy, visit: www.bctechstrategy.ca

The B.C. government has launched a new parent engagement process to better understand how parents want to be informed of their student’s success from kindergarten to Grade 9.  Participate in this important process by visiting: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/yourkidsprogress