Dear Dr. Duron and School Principals:
The Digital Learning Team supports our District’s mission statement, Elgin ISD Changes Lives. We are supporting this mission by teaching students coding and computational thinking in all of our schools. All of the elementary schools teach these skills in their technology specials. At the middle school, students learn coding and computational thinking in College and Career Readiness and Fundamentals of Computer Science classes. Students learn the skill in Fundamentals of Computer Science 1 and 2 and AP Computer Science courses at the high school. We want more students to have the opportunity to learn coding and to experience the benefits of computational thinking.
In December or 2018, the Digital Learning Team hosted a very successful EISD Hour of Code family event. We were inspired by the excitement of all participants and wanted to build on the momentum from the event. An opportunity arose which gave our team training with curriculum and technology resources that we could use to inspire our students. We used these resources and training at our inaugural summer coding camp held in July of 2019. Sixty-one students participated in our four day mini camp. The skills and resources are also being used this year in the courses listed above.
As students learn to code, they learn computational thinking, which helps students to learn collaboration, communication, creativity, cooperation and critical thinking. Computational thinking is multi-step problem solving and can be applied to any discipline. It teaches students strategies of independent thinking and learning while simultaneously developing confidence.
We thank you for supporting our programs, and ask that you continue to do so by supporting two coding family nights this year, and a full day coding camp in the Summer of 2020. We also ask that you continue to support Computer Science Fundamentals at Elgin Middle School and an expanded Computer Science program at Elgin High School to include engineering and design. We also ask for support in expanding computational thinking and multiple-step problem solving at Elgin Middle School by giving us time and support to develop and implement cross-curricular units. Together we can continue our mission to change lives.
Sincerely,
The Elgin Digital Learning Team
Sandra Negro 