Computer Science Education Week
Learn How Coding Can Help You Create Your Own Video Game During Hour Of Code 2022
By Katie Hodgins on December 1st, 2022
Get ready for the global movement! Over 180 countries participate in the annual Hour of Code, where you can dive into the world of Minecraft, create your own Star Wars game, or even build your own custom face filter for social media. Join your fellow Florida Virtual School (FLVS) students and millions more from around the world for one (or more!) hours to learn the basics of computer science on December 5-8.
Continue readingWin 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
FLVS Corkboard: Thanksgiving Edition
By Florida Virtual School on November 12th, 2018
With the summer sun slinking away, we’re furiously free-falling into Fall — and holidays are around the corner! These months are bustling with activities at school and at home, so we are combining your November and December highlights.
First, there were many festivities in October. Here’s a recap of a few notable events from last month. Continue reading
Coming Together with CTE
By Florida Virtual School on December 7th, 2017
It is hard to imagine anything good coming from the devastating winds and rain of Hurricane Irma or similar storms that ravaged homes and communities this past hurricane season. If you look hard enough, though, you can find unexpected positives even in the worst experiences.
As a member of the Florida Army National Guard, I was activated during Hurricane Irma, and there I had the fortunate, first-hand experience of seeing people come together to help others. Most of these people were actively using skills found in CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses: both soft and hard skills. 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
FLVS Corkboard: Thanksgiving Edition
By Florida Virtual School on November 17th, 2017
And just like that, fall is nearly complete and the winter holidays are upon us! We know these months are bustling with activities both at school and at home, so we are combining your November and December highlights. Here are some of the activities happening at FLVS! 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
FLVS Career and Technical Education Course Tour
By Guest Blogger on December 10th, 2015
Computer Science Education Week is a great time to think about getting certified with FLVS!
But what exactly does getting a technical certification mean?
With more than 20 Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses to choose from at FLVS, you can earn certifications from companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Cisco. A certification shows employers that you have the most current skills and that you meet performance standards within the tech industry—an industry that continues to grow every year.
Interested in Computer Programming, Networking, or Digital Media and Design? With CTE courses at FLVS, you may be able to get a jump start on college credit and earn a weighted credit to boost your GPA. 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