How I intregrate coding across subjects

As educators, it’s our job to figure out how to equip students with the skills they need to be well-prepared for college and careers. At Amana Academy, a public charter school that is part of Fulton County Schools in Georgia, our instructional approach calls for students to solve real-world problems using engineering design and technology. As a certified STEM school, we’ve tried to think outside the box when it comes to integrating tech across subjects to boost student learning.

By moving away from the textbook in traditional classes and instead integrating technology and projects, we are able to take our students by surprise, grab their attention, and increase their confidence in STEM-based skills.

Bring coding into the classroom

Our curriculum is based on an expeditionary learning framework, meaning that teachers develop curriculum that involves all content areas and encourages collaboration across subjects. This method of cross-curricular thinking means we’re training multiple skills at the same time. We identified that coding was a great asset that could be integrated into all of our subjects—not just computer science class.

I’ve found that the first step to success starts with the teachers becoming comfortable with tech and recognizing that it can be applied in any class with a little bit of creativity. You don’t need to be a coding expert to bring coding into the classroom. It’s a process, and there are a variety of resources available to implement it with ease.

My coding toolbox

By now, most of us are aware of the breadth of coding products available that are specifically targeted to education. Navigating through the options can be a bit overwhelming, so here are three resources I’ve used successfully in the classroom.