Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/510699
24 It's Monday afternoon in Andy Stone's fifth grade computer science class, and there isn't a screen in sight. Student iPads are turned off and put away, and Stone tells the fifth graders to pair up for a paper-airplane-making exercise. e assignment involves constructing a paper airplane and then writing detailed instructions so that a partner can perfectly replicate it. e task emphasizes the importance of precision in giving instructions, one of the foundational concepts of computer science. Leave out a step, give directions out of order or use unclear terminology, and your paper airplane will not fly. It's the same with programming: One tiny error in your syntax, and your code won't run. e point of this exercise is to ensure that the fifth graders are familiar and comfortable with the basic principles of computer science before they ever even think about actual programming. Similarly, when computer science is introduced to Latin's junior kindergarteners, it is completely unplugged. Instead, children play games, read stories and work with manipulatives and robots to gain an understanding of the concepts. "We are teaching computer science so that students can understand what is happening rather than just giving them a set of tools," said upper school computer science teacher GT Wrobel, whose room is often strewn with colorful LEGOs and blocks and can look more like a lower school classroom than a computer lab. Wrobel and Stone are part of the small team of information technology staff and faculty from various areas who have developed Latin's new JK - 12 computer science program. e mission behind their work is to provide the knowledge and skills that will allow students to understand and be prepared for the digital-based world they will encounter once they leave Latin. Code future for the Fifth graders follow each others' instructions for building the perfect paper airplane. Computer science requires logical reasoning, collaborative problem solving and critical thinking." – Shandor Simon, Director of Information Technology Students prepare for what's ahead through Latin's new JK-12 computer science initiative. 24