For many educators throughout the world, last week was known as the "Hour of Code." The Hour of Code event was a global initiative started by code.org. Their purpose was to bring coding and computer science into as many classrooms as possible. Code.org did a fantastic job at getting resources out to educators and providing the students great content to work with. What exactly is coding and why it is so important are great questions. Coding is a way of talking with computers to have them do what you want. Coding is expanding so rapidly into so many fields, as almost everything is computer based. It is quickly making its way into business, mathematics, and medicine that its importance cannot be ignored. Coding requires problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills. It is so much more than just sitting at a computer by yourself and typing. There is also a desperate need for females in the field of coding, as it is currently male-domi

With my blended learning classroom truly coming into its own, me finally feeling as if I am no longer treading water, and all of my students engaged and energized, I am now starting to see how the puzzle pieces fit together. It has taken a long time to get to this point, 15 weeks to be exact, but it has been worth it. Not only do I feel confident and comfortable with the blended learning approach, but I also feel relevant again in the true world of education and what it should be. Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Commonly referred to as the 4 C's in education and I have wanted to incorporate these since I read about them years ago. Finally, now I am with the blended learning classroom. Utilizing online learning forums like Khan Academy and Study Island have allowed me to personalize student learning and make my class student-centered. However those were just part of the puzzle. Now I am piecing the puzzle together using Google Classroom and code.