For this activity, I chose to accomplish the Hour of Code coding activities. I went with NASA’s Space Jam. At the beginning I wasn’t sure on what to expect, I’ve never really seen myself as someone who could or would be into coding, but I figured I would have to give it a shot! 

The Hour Of Code activity guided me through some of the beginner ideas using simple, drag and drop blocks. It was fascinating to see how simple the instructions would be to control the actions on the screen. Once I got the hang of it, I started to understand the basics of coding and how coding really is just giving such clear steps for a computer to follow. It’s somewhat like solving a puzzle, you think about what comes first, what happens in the next step, and how everything is connected.

What I Learned

Even though Hour of Code was super easy to use, I had to still stop and reflect about what I was doing. This took me by surprise, because I thought it would be just dragging and dropping and then I’d be done, but it did require a lot for me to focus and problem solve. If I didn’t do something the right way and it didn’t work the way I wanted it to the first time, I had to go back and read the instructions and figure out why it didn’t work. This part was super frustrating and oddly satisfying, and when it eventually worked, I felt like I completed something! 

I also took in that coding isn’t always about numbers or typing lines of codes like they show in the movies. It’s about logic, creativity and trying to figure things out step by step. The picture side of it, particularly the activity I did made it feel more like a game than it did homework, which was a nice perspective on this.

Is Coding Important

I’m still not really sure if I would want to go into a career that involves coding, but I do see it being a valuable skill. If anybody is interested in technology, video games, software, etc learning to code would give them a head start. It’s the kind of thing that teaches useful thinking skills, such as how to break big problems down into smaller ones, or how to troubleshoot something when it isn’t working.

Being said, I don’t think everyone has become a coder. Not every career will use it. But trying it once, helps you understand how the technology around us works, and that’s definitely worth something.

Final Thoughts

This coding activity made me think a bit different about what it actually means to code. It’s not just for “technology people” , it’s something someone can try once, and who knows, they might even enjoy it. I’m happy that I tried it, and now I know what coding really is, instead of assuming it isn’t for.