Imagine if you walked the school corridors, and you’re greeted not just with smiles and ‘hellos’, but also by enthusiastic queries about coding? Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Well, this is the impact that BSD Education has had on Ryan Kramer’s students at KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools. We sat down with him for an interview last month to learn how he has been building something different in his classroom and how his students have shifted from passive to active learning, from the mundane to the creative, and from followers to creators.
How have your students benefitted from using BSD? What outcomes has BSD produced for your students?
Ryan Kramer: My students’ curiosity has definitely grown from using BSD. I’m stopped in the halls every day with coding questions, as students are eager to get to the next step of their project. This also speaks to their resilience, as students push through their errors, typos, and bugs to further their own, and their classmates’, skills.
How have your digital skills, technology, and/or coding teaching experience improved by partnering with BSD?
RK: I’ve dabbled in line coding before, but with BSD it truly became accessible. Their code suggestions, error reports, and glossary work together to make learning a new coding language inviting. And their guided projects are perfectly paced for young learners.
Why did you choose BSD over other solutions and why would you recommend BSD to your peers?
RK: BSD’s platform is intuitive to use from both a teacher’s and a student’s perspective. What makes BSD stand out is their customer service. From professional development to coaching, to live technical support, educators are supported throughout the entire experience.
Why are digital skills/technology education/coding so important for your students to learn?
RK: Technology education goes far beyond learning hard tech skills, which are undeniably important, especially for students who interact with technology every day for schoolwork, entertainment, and socialization. Digital skills also grow students’ soft skills. BSD’s CARE values sum it up perfectly: Curiosity, Adaptability, Resilience, and Empathy. Each of these traits is present as students take on and push themselves through new challenges.
Final thoughts…
RK: Hearing that students have gone on to continue their coding education after they’ve left my school, having been introduced to it through BSD, exemplifies the ongoing impact tech education can have. Not to mention, it makes me pretty proud.
