Programming- Tech Lab

Programming

Today I want to talk about the impact technology has on the Club. We use computers, iPads, etc. for a variety of programming at the Club. With a set schedule and timeframe, it is vital we get the programming completed in the time allotted so the kids get maximum programming exposure. It is critical we do not have delays in getting on the internet and high speed internet enables us to get on right away with no delay. We are lucky to have access to high speed internet in our area. 

In this week’s article, I would like to highlight when Elevate Internet came to the Olathe Club Unit. For those of you who don’t know who Elevate Internet is, it is a high speed internet provider powered by DMEA.  Before Elevate was available in Olathe, the kids were struggling to get on the internet. This was particularly a problem for our Power Hour homework help time as the majority of the kids’ homework has to be completed online. So once I heard we could get access to Gig speeds, I called up Elevate right away to get installed. Elevate came out and installed the network, checked my connections, and we were off! They even helped to double check our filter to ensure anything the kids searched for was appropriate. Now the kids have a full hour to get their homework done so, after Club, they can go home and spend time with their family. 

Since getting Gig internet, a whole new program has opened up for the kids called the Hour of Code. This program allows kids the opportunity to code computer programming. This coding program we are utilizing makes coding fun and was only able to be implemented because of the high speed internet at the Olathe Club. One particular Club member, Elijah, has been working on programming a character to find treasure in a Minecraft world. The first time Elijah worked on this it took him about 45 minutes and he got through 5 levels of coding. Level 1 of the program introduced Elijah to moving the character straight. Level 2 introduced turning. Level 3 introduced repeating processes. Level 4 and 5 applied the different techniques to the levels. The next day, outside of the Hour of Code, he decided he wanted to code during his free time. I find this to be pretty impressive for any young kid but particularly Elijah as he is only in the first grade!

One of the goals of Club is to expose its members to different activities to see what they might be interested in doing in the future. I was excited to introduce coding to the kids because there are definitely future career opportunities in that field. We are lucky to live in an area that supports technological pursuits. A big thank you to Elevate for your awesome services and constant support of the Club. 

Bud Taylor is the Executive Director for the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) and had been for the past two years. Prior to that, he was a BCBGC kid, junior staff member, and board director. Feel free to contact Bud Taylor by e-mail at btaylor@bcbgc.org or visit the Club’s website for more information, www.bcbgc.org.