Coding
Celebrating College & Career-Ready Students
By Florida Virtual School on February 26th, 2019
From contests to clubs, FLVS offers a variety of ways to learn about coding and computer science, including online technology courses that develop the skills students need for the careers of tomorrow.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses combine academics and the real world, providing hands-on learning that puts students at the center of the action. CTE also helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills, which means students are better prepared for college and career life.
As we wrap up CTE Month at the end of February, we want to celebrate several student participants who wowed us with their entries in our recent #FLVSCodes contest. Continue reading
Congrats to our #FLVSCodes Contest Winners
By Florida Virtual School on February 1st, 2019
February is Career and Technical Education Month – a time to recognize the importance of practical skills students need to succeed in the real world.
In support of this same goal, FLVS recently held an online photo and video contest encouraging students to share their love for coding and computer science. The entries featured students participating in a variety of STEM-related activities, from programming robots to participating in an Hour of Code. Continue reading
Win an iPad in our #FLVSCodes Contest
By Florida Virtual School on December 3rd, 2018
To celebrate our tech-savvy students, FLVS is hosting a contest from Dec. 3, 2018 through Jan. 14, 2019. We want to see how our students are engaging in computer science activities — from coding to construction!
Three lucky winners – one in elementary, one in middle, and one in high school – will be chosen to receive an iPad generously donated by the FLVS Foundation. Winners will be selected based on the quality, creativity, uniqueness, and relevance of their entry. Continue reading
Career and Technical Education Month
By Elizabeth Fulcher on February 13th, 2018
In honor of Career and Technical Education Month, a public awareness campaign takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. I would like to recognize all of our outstanding CTE educators and students for making a difference in the world.
Each month, FLVS CTE will focus on a different soft skill that is essential for today’s students as they enter college or the workforce. This month’s focus is communication. Continue reading
Bringing Learning to Life with Practical Experience
By Guest Blogger on December 4th, 2017
We know students learn best through experience, but how can they get hands-on in a virtual learning environment?
Say hello to Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). These professional student organizations are integrated into the FLVS Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. Why? Because they give students tons of personal growth swag. Continue reading
Aliens and Explosions
By Guest Blogger on March 30th, 2017
This post was written by FLVS student Sarah Weyand about her award-winning research in astrophysics.
My science fair journey began about a year ago.
I was approached by a Harvard graduate who wanted to mentor a high school senior in an astrophysics and computer science research project.
I knew nothing about astronomy and I didn’t know a single programming language, but I love space and I plan to major in computer science in college. Naturally, I said yes. This project has taken me to the Science Talent Search, the Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and, now, the State Science Fair.
My project is titled Aliens and Explosions: How Supernovae Affect the Habitable Zones of Exoplanets.
The purpose of the project is to calculate the percentage of exoplanets, a planet that does not orbit our Sun, that would no longer be in the habitable zone of their host star due to a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star. Continue reading
Catching Up with a Computer Science Expert
By Guest Blogger on December 9th, 2016
To get a better idea of what Computer Science Education Week and Hour of Code is all about, FLVS Content Writer Irene Pynn-Cunha sat down to chat with Amie Ross, FLVS Computer Science instructor.
Mrs. Ross looks forward to Computer Science Education Week every year. In the past, she’s worked with students both online and face to face. She loves watching mental light bulbs go off all around the room as, one by one, students who thought they would never learn to code begin solving programming puzzles.
“When something works,” she says, “the excitement on their faces, that’s really cool.”
This year, she’ll be helping students with one of her favorite puzzles: a storybook about Santa’s missing socks. It may seem like a simple exercise, but by the end, students discover they’ve just worked through a challenging computer science concept: the binary search.
Mrs. Ross says one of the great benefits of Computer Science Education Week and Hour of Code is that participants “tackle very complicated concepts without even realizing it.” In many ways, this is the key to showing students that programming actually is for anyone. In fact, she says, programming is a heavily creative field. “I’ve watched a lot of students really surprise themselves,” she says. “There isn’t just one type of person who gets into programming.” Continue reading
Coding Workshops Help Elementary Teachers Revolutionize Classrooms
By Guest Blogger on July 13th, 2016
Back in 2013, twin brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi started Code.org with the goal of expanding access to computer science to all students.
Their vision is that “every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.” They also believe that computer science “should be part of core curriculum, alongside other courses such as biology, chemistry or algebra.”
Since that time, Code.org has blossomed into a full organization that supports access to computer science for students of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Continue reading
Let Your Summer Sizzle with STEM
By Guest Blogger on June 30th, 2016
The countdown is over and summer is now in full swing!
Can you hear the rejoicing cries of school-age children saying “no more alarm clocks,” “no teachers,” and “woohoo, no homework!”
Ask students what they want to do as they’re just beginning to submerge themselves in summer-break mode and more than likely you’ll get answers like: relax, watch TV, see movies, go to the beach, and chill with friends. Continue reading
Join an Hour of Code!
By Guest Blogger on November 23rd, 2015
Computers are everywhere, but fewer schools teach computer science than 10 years ago.
The good news is, we’re on our way to change this. If you’ve heard about the Hour of Code before, you might know it made history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code with fun online games and tutorials featuring Star Wars, Minecraft, and Frozen.
This year, students of the FLVS STEM Club will give presentations about creating websites and more. Last year, every Apple Store in the world hosted an Hour of Code and even President Obama wrote his first line of code as part of the campaign.
Over 100 partners have joined together to support this movement. Continue reading