Letter to Students and Parents about Online Coding Sessions

Owned by Colin Clark
Last updated: May 03, 2020
3 min read

Dear Students and Parents!

While we are on this extended break, we have decided to try out a live-streamed mini coding lesson. Our partners from the IDRC (Inclusive Design Research Centre) at OCAD University will be leading these optional mini sessions and each week they will introduce students to a new coding concept through interactive and fun activities!

The IDRC team has been working with our school over the past year and a half. Before the school closure they ran 8 interactive sessions with students in several classrooms. This will be their first time running coding classes online, however, so please bear with any technical hiccups... Like the previous sessions, we expect these to be a blast! The workshops will provide an opportunity for students to learn through play while connecting with peers and classmates. They will also encourage social interaction with the IDRC adults, strengthening skills in online group participation and social interaction.

Here is more information about the goals and logistics of these mini sessions:

Why is IDRC offering these mini sessions?

IDRC is developing an accessible and inclusive coding environment for kids with complex learning needs through a project called Coding to Learn and Create (C2LC).
These mini-classes are an opportunity for the IDRC team to directly work with the students and learn more about their experiences and co-design this coding tool together. In these classes, learning and giving feedback are intertwined and as the students learn about different coding concepts, they can express how a coding environment should be designed to address their needs and preferences. The IDRC team will use the feedback from each session to improve their designs.

To learn more about this project please visit the C2LC project website at ​https://www.codelearncreate.org/

An Example Session

What is “coding?”

1. Virtual circle time (2-3 minutes)
2. Facilitators will share a few real life examples of coding, such as adjusting the thermostat

temperature (5 minutes)
3. Facilitators will show students several cards each containing a different activity. Students are

asked to identify the cards that show a coding example (10 minutes) 4. Feedback (2-3 minutes)

Technical Details:

  1. Equipment and technology: You will need a computer, tablet, or a smartphone and good internet connection to participate in this virtual class.

  2. Dates and times: to be determined - sessions will run for approximately 15-30 minutes, once per week.

  3. This class is geared towards students who are interested in working with computers.

  4. Who will be involved: Students from 3–6 families will work with 2–3 members from IDRC who will

    facilitate the session. 1–2 Beverley teachers will also join to provide support when needed.

  5. We will need a family member, a parent or sibling, to accompany the student during the class.

  1. We will use Zoom to run these classes. Meeting links will be sent to participants before the class.

  2. IDRC will be recording these sessions and synopsis of those videos will be posted on the ​C2LC website​.

Before the class / what you'll need:

  1. Clear out a small area for students to move and play and set up the screen so students can see it.

  2. Before each class, look for an email from IDRC with a short description of the activity planned for the day.

  3. Students may need a few blank pieces of paper, markers and a few toys depending on the activity. We will let families know what is needed ahead of time. Most of those things will be common household items and families don’t need to make any special preparation for a class.

That's it!

We are really excited and will be looking for your feedback to see how we can improve these mini coding sessions.