Get students excited about digital literacy, computational thinking, and coding concepts through a series of virtual sessions. Join the Northern Coding Academy team for a week of lessons and challenges where multiple classes and grades can participate together!
Digital Skills Week consists of two parts. The first part consists of four (4) live 45-minute sessions (1 per day) with your Northern Coding Academy instructor. The second part is dedicated to completing challenges.
Approximately 3.5 hours should be utilized for the challenge portion. The challenges can be completed before or after your scheduled live session, and should be completed within one (1) week of your final live session.
Teachers should set aside a minimum of 6.5 hours for the Digital Skills Week program.
- 3 hours of dedicated live sessions plus 3.5 hours to complete challenges.
Digital Skills Week is a new program providing digital learning opportunities to underserved students in rural and high-needs urban areas throughout Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
This program is funded through the Government of Canada's CanCode program, and is provided at no cost
Storybook Coding
Recommended for: Kindergarten to Grade 3
How do you use coding to tell stories? What even is code? Students will explore the concepts of “sequencing” and “variables” through both traditional and interactive digital stories, then apply that knowledge to create a story of their own!
Dates:
March 27-30: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
April 3-6: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
May 1-4: 9:45 a.m.- 10:30a.m.
June 5-8: 1:15 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Game On!
Recommended for: Grades 4-6
How do we create video games? What’s code got to do with it? Students will learn how computational thinking helps us design games—both online and unplugged—then create a game of their own using MakeCode Arcade!
Dates:
March 13-16, 9:45-10:30am
April 24-27, 9:45-10:30am
May 15-18, 1:15-2:00pm
June 12-15, 1:15-2:00pm
Digital Wellness
Recommended for: Grades 7-12
Why do we find it difficult to disconnect from our devices? Does social media affect self esteem? How do you stay safe online? Students will learn to navigate the internet with confidence, get tips on how to avoid deception, and embrace a growing library of online tools and digital wellness features.
Dates:
April 24-27: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
May 15-18: 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Creative Coders
Recommended for: Grades 4-6
Where do you use code? Math, science, and.... well any subject! Students will learn the fundaments of computational thinking then apply them creatively to visual art, dancing, and even music. Students will then create a cross-curricular art project to demonstrate what they’ve learned!
Dates:
May 29 - June 1: 9:45 a.m - 10:30 a.m.
May 29-June 1: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
June 12-15: 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m
Coding in Nature
Recommended for: Kindergarten to Grade 3
You're probably thinking, what do nature and coding have in common? More than you'd think! Students will explore how patterns, loops, and other coding concepts manifest in the natural world. Then, students apply those concepts to understand the changing seasons, Canadian wildlife, and the world around us.
Dates:
April 11-14: 9:45 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
April 17-20: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
May 8-11: 9:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
May 23-26: 1:15 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
June 5-8: 9:45 a.m - 10:30 a.m
Fact Finders
Recommended for: Grades 4 to 6
What is research? How can we be sure the content we find online is accurate? Students will learn to think critically about the media they consume on platforms like TikTok and on the internet more generally. With so much misinformation circulating online, learn to be search savvy and identify fraud from facts. Learn about bias in the media, copyright laws, and why a graph isn’t always what it seems. This program highlights climate change, health, vaccines, and more.
Dates:
March 20-23: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
March 27-30: 9:45 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.
April 17-20: 9:45 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
May 1-4: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Media Sleuths
Recommended for: Grades 7 to 12
What is “fake news”? How about peer review? Can you identify bias in a source? Students will use critical thinking skills to examine the spread of misinformation and to evaluate the credibility of content they encounter online. Understand how to apply copyright laws and discuss the ethics of copyright with respect to new machine learning technology. Learn about scientific research methods, how statistics can be misleading, and why a graph isn’t always what it seems. This program highlights health, vaccines and more.
Dates:
March 20-23: 9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
April 3-6: 9:45 a.m - 10:30 a.m.
May 8-11: 1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
