RCDSB Code
Learn to Code—Code to Learn!
In September 2020 and June 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Education released new Mathematics curriculums that include specific expectations for students in grades 1 - 9 to learn and engage with code.
About RCDSB Code
RCDSB Code is here to introduce RCDSB educators to the new The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics, 2020 and the Grade 9 mathematics course, 2021 (MTH1W)—specifically the new Coding section in the Algebra strand.
Here you will find a concise breakdown of the Coding expectations in each of the curriculums. Whether you are new to coding or are an experienced coder the getting started section provides a suggestion of where to start with your students. In our coding skills section, we have provided a scope and sequence for the coding concepts learned from grades 1-9 and have provided an example for each of those concepts. Finally, our coding platform section provides links to the various coding and robotics tools and platforms that can be found in our schools.
Our hope is that RCDSB Code will provide some guidance for those looking to learn more about coding and where to begin. As always, if you would like support with getting your class set up and ready to code, please contact one of your TELTCs.
About Coding in the Curriculum
As students progress through the grades, their coding experiences also progress, from representing movements on a grid, to solving problems involving optimization, to manipulating models to find which one best fits the data they are working with in order to make predictions.
Coding can be incorporated across all strands and provides students with opportunities to apply and extend their math thinking, reasoning, and communicating.
Benefits of Coding
"I see much deeper and broader reasons for learning to code. In the process of learning to code, people learn many other things. They are not just learning to code, they are coding to learn. In addition to learning mathematical and computational ideas (such as variables and conditionals), they are also learning strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas. These skills useful not just for computer scientists but for everyone, regardless of age, interests, or occupation." — Learn to Code—Code to Learn (2013)
Mitchel Resnick, Professor of Learning Research, MIT Media Lab
At the heart of computational thinking–and mathematics–is abstraction.
When children write code, they come to…
1. understand in a tangible way the abstractions that lie at the heart of mathematics,
2. dynamically model mathematics concepts and relationships,
3. gain confidence in their own ability and agency as mathematics learners.
Coding is a fundamental computational thinking skill of the modern world.
As technology continues to be integrated into our everyday lives, it is important as educators to provide opportunities for students to be innovative and create, and not just consume, technology.
Coding is an employable skill that teaches students to solve problems, take risks, think critically and logically while being empowered to fail in a safe environment.
Coding empowers students to be content creators rather than just content consumers.
Coding in Elementary: A Professional Learning Resource for Ontario Educators