Coding in the Classroom: Students at Ernie Pyle get a head start on future career

INDIANAPOLIS — It's a career field in high demand right now, and local kids are getting a jump start in the industry as early as kindergarten.

At Ernie Pyle School 90, fifth and sixth graders are learning how to code.

Through their robots, they’re learning problem-solving and also how to use a coding system that could set them up for a future career. This is the first year STEM teacher Jenina Sorenson has taught using robots.

“They are learning how to code with Blockly, so they link the blocks together to tell the robots what to do,” Sorenson said.

She said these robots give her students the opportunity to learn in a whole new way.

“When they're in class they have to have like the exact right answer like five plus five is always going to be 10; but with the coding, they can code it in their own way and make it their own creation,” Sorenson said.

While it’s fun to play with robots, Sorenson said students are learning about future careers in coding.

“Looking at coding on the healthcare side of things as well and learning about that piece of it along with just like what other job careers are available to them based on knowing how to code,” Sorenson said.

Right now, a few Indianapolis Public Schools locations have this technology but with the rebuilding stronger plan every school will have it.