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Campers Explore Mix of Creativity, Problem-Solving in Computer Coding

Computer programming and creativity conjure up powerful and often conflicting stereotypes. Those who write code, the instructions all computers follow, are frequently considered to operate in a left-brain fashion, focused solely on the analytical, logical,…

Computer programming and creativity conjure up powerful and often conflicting stereotypes. Those who write code, the instructions all computers follow, are frequently considered to operate in a left-brain fashion, focused solely on the analytical, logical, and mathematical.

But programming is an open-ended activity and each code writer makes unique choices in an attempt to create something that’s dynamic, compelling, and innovative. To conceive an original idea and bring it into being requires a hefty dose of imagination and artistry, even in the digital realm.

In the 21st century, computers run the world. They power our phones, our cars, our appliances, not to mention our economy, health care system, military, and manufacturing industries. We are undeniably and inextricably linked to these machines and the developers, computer scientists, software engineers, and coders who command them. Learning to code is comparable to learning a new language, complete with syntax. Codecraft Works is intent on teaching it.

The organization was founded by Shannon Landin in Melbourne in 2011 and it quickly grew, expanding to Tallahassee through a connection with Domi Station, a local startup incubator. Meagan Bonnell, the Leon County Director of Codecraft Works explains that through their educational programming, “kids become empowered. They start to understand that technology isn’t just this weird, magic, obscure thing.

It’s something that they can see behind the scenes of and make their own. There is a need for kids to start creating the technology they consume.”

Codecraft Works offers several summer coding camps in partnership with Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information and Florida A& M University’s Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development. Campers use the Codecraft Works platform to learn coding, ethical hacking and how to design their own web pages and games and explore methods for enhancing them with digital graphics, animation, and sound.

Describing the content that the campers encounter, Bonnell said, “we start with the HTML, which is the bones.” Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) acts as the underlying skeleton of any computer program. “Then we started adding in the CSS.” Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) determines the way information is presented. “I call that the clothes. It’s the design where you get to add the colors and the fonts. It’s how you make it look pretty. And then the hardest part is the JavaScript and that’s the interactivity so that’s what makes things highlight when you click on it or a button that does something.”

Once campers gain proficiency with the basic building blocks, they can begin to explore the possibilities.

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