Coding Starts Young

Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching commands to first steps in debugging, Barbie shares a classroom approach that builds problem-solving skills long before students write their first line of text-based code.

Website: spotlight4success.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company. I am Devin Pintozi, your host. We are here in wonderful Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the uh OKSTE conference, and we are so excited to be here with our special guest, Barbie Day.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Hi.

Barbie’s Role And Background

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Barbie Day joins us. She is coming to us from Sand Springs Public Schools at Pratt Elementary School. That's correct. That's great. And can you tell me a bit about your work? I understand you're an instructor.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yes, I teach kindergarten through fifth grade, um, uh computer science and STEM, and uh we have a lot of fun in class, and I'm really excited about it. I've been teaching for about at least five years.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Oh, that's great. Wonderful. What got you into teaching?

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Um, I come from a long line of educators. My mom was a teacher, my great-grandparents were teachers. It's just in the DNA.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Oh, that's wonderful. My mother is a teacher too.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Yes. And it was a long journey to get here, too. Oh, really? Yes, uh-huh. I've done many other things. Oh this it led me straight back into education.

New Curriculum: Code Hop And AI

SPEAKER_02 1:13

That is great. Uh I understand you're working with the kids to really do some really kind of vanguard kind of things in the classroom.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Uh yes, we have a new curriculum. It's called Code Hop, and it is the elementary version of Code HS for the older students. And they um it's turning out to be a very good thing, and it we can also use AI using this curriculum too. I can integrate it in that.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Oh, that's great. You've given them a lot of exposure, and what and what age group are you working with?

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Well, kindergarten through fifth grade.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

So it's gonna be like six-year-olds, twelve-year-olds, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

So you're teaching kids as young as six things about coding and yes, we start out very simple.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Um we start out with a program-based learning, uh, project lead the way, and it teaches it teaches the little ones um they match like colors with what they want their computer to do or their mouse or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Yes. They have fun doing that.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

That is great. That's um wow. Yeah, I I've I've uh uh you know it's amazing how fast things have come and and how young um you know can go with really exposing uh the next generation with where things are going with technology. Planting seeds planting seeds.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yes, and technology's here, and it's in our face, and we have to be flexible and um work out the bugs on the way.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Oh, that's great. Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success. I am David Pentosi, the chief operating officer of American Book Company. We are located here in our headquarters in Woodside, Georgia. All of our materials are in the USA. You can get three samples of our materials either in print or in electronic format at ABCK12.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

Do you have any special moments in the classroom you can share that that happen? You're like, wow, this is why I got into teaching.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Um, yes, my payment is the the children's the expression on their face and how they feel and expressing themselves when they learn something. Okay. That is my payment. And it's very exciting. Um, and like I said, I've been doing this for at least five years in the classroom.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Wonderful. And you say in the classroom, were you doing this outside the classroom, similar kind of activity?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

No, I had um I went through training.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Uh a boot camp training. Oh to become a teacher. I am screening. Oh, it's all right. No, we're fine. I got lost.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

Oh, that's okay. So yeah, you're a boot camp trainer, or you got a boot camp training prior to starting in the school?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Through Tulsa Public Schools. Yes, okay. So I was thrown in running head first.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Oh, that is so great. Yes. And you're in a high need area.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Well, I'm in Sand Springs now, so yes, children are very important to us, and the younger we can get them learning, the more successful they can be.

Conference Goals And OKSTE Support

SPEAKER_02 5:00

That's great. Did you have any uh special classes or things that you wanted to explore while you're here?

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Well, I came here to get some fresh ideas. I like to keep like on the pulse of what's happening. So because technology changes so fast, and I want my children to have the most current information as possible. Even though it goes out, you gotta bring it back in, bring additional things in because life is changing fast. All you gotta do is blink your eye, and time goes by.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

It sure does, Barbie. That is so true. Um, do you have anything you'd like to share with the OKSTE community?

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Uh yes, I really appreciate the OKSTE. They have done so much for me, um, and they're very supportive of teachers, and I've gotten to do a lot of a lot of um education, um, professional development uh through OKSTE. So I am I am very grateful for them.

Closing And Appreciation

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Oh wonderful. So happy to hear that. Well, thank you so much, uh Barbie Day, for joining us today, and uh we look forward to uh hearing more about uh good things happening in your classroom when you come back next year.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Great, thank you. Thank you. Look forward to it.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Bye bye. Bye bye.