Seventh grade English teacher Amy Cuomo (left) and student Malachy McAteer learning JavaScript during Blake Middle School’s Hour of Code. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools) 
From left: eighth-graders Conor Guiney, Nash Ten Hagen, Sara Sahr and Soren Krauss during Blake Middle School’s Hour of Code. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools) 
Blake Middle School eighth grade students participate in Hour of Code activities. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools) 
From left: eighth-graders Zach Tirrell, Jacob Loynd, Jonathan Underwood and Bryce Jennings during Blake Middle School’s Hour of Code. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools) 
Sixth-grader Abigail D’Espinosa created Pixel Art using Python during Blake Middle School’s Hour of Code. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools) 
Blake Middle School eighth grade students participate in Hour of Code activities. (Photo courtesy Medfield Public Schools)
MEDFIELD — Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden and Blake Middle School Principal Nathaniel Vaughn are pleased to share that Blake Middle School students recently participated in several activities to learn about computer science and coding.
Computer Science Week, better known as the Hour of Code, is celebrated around the world during the week of computer scientist Grace Hopper’s birthday. It is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers and partners in the field.
Computer Science Week at Blake was coordinated and led by Diane Horvath, Technology Integration Specialist and CSTA (Computer Science Teacher Association) Greater Boston K-8 Representative.
This year, Blake expanded Computer Science activities into each academic content area to show how computer science can be applied and its impact. There were a number of coding and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities organized for students covering a range of topics from chatbots and artificial intelligence, to NASA solar system and sonification lessons, to learning about Morse Code as part of the history of cybersecurity.
Some of the activities students participated in were unplugged and involved no coding, and other activities were online, self-paced tutorials for students to complete. The activities were coordinated for every student to have opportunities to explore career pathways, the potential impact of computer science, discover creative tools, learn a new “language,” apply math and science, and have fun.
“I’d like to give special thanks to Diane for her work organizing this year’s Hour of Code at Blake,” said Principal Vaughn. “Diane makes the Hour of Code an educational, inspiring and fun event for our students, allowing them to learn about computer science through innovative and forward-thinking activities that are relevant to their interests.”
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