By Greg Hamilton / Franklin County Superintendent

It has been a great school year so far, as we near the end of the first semester.

Our school system is ecstatic to announce that we received a $25,000 grant from the Alabama Middle School Computer Programming Initiative. Items purchased with this grant, including robots and programming tools, will be main-streamed toward introducing and exposing students to the career field of computer science. We already have STEM/STEAM programs in our schools; however, we are ready to take it to the next level.

Several of our schools already have junior high and high school robotics teams in connection with the UNA Robotics Initiative, but we are looking to expand those teams to the elementary level, as well.

Tharptown Elementary School began just this week meeting with its robotics team. The programs averaged 50 students this first week of implementing the program. That is a tremendous turnout, and that shows me that students are interested in computer science, especially robotics.

I have watched my own children program a robot, and I am amazed at how much they enjoyed working on the robot. Students are having fun, without realizing that they are learning and enhancing their skills: critical thinking, problem solving, perseverance, mathematics, creativity, collaboration and many more.

It doesn’t take a formally-trained computer science teacher to implement coding and robotics into his or her classroom. We have teachers with very successful robotics programs, and also those who have taken the initiative to implement coding into their classrooms, as a part of the regular curriculum.

I think this is wonderful, and I commend the teachers and administrators who are supporting this new trek of learning for our students.

Just last year in Alabama, undergraduate students in computer science saw 91 percent job placement with a median starting salary of $62,500. Computer science applications, such as coding, can be implemented into any classroom and any subject. It is such a versatile implementation that we can use to expose students to a fast-growing career field.

Just last week at least one class or grade level in each of our schools participated in the worldwide Hour of Code 2017 event. This event is meant to bring computer science awareness to schools and communities. Our teachers and students who participated had a wonderful experience, and I thank them for their participation in this event.

Without the great administrators, teachers, staff and students, our district’s success would not be possible, and I want to thank them all for their hard work this semester. I am looking forward to an equally successful semester this spring. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a very blessed New Year.

Coming together as a school is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together creates success, and students are the ones who benefit the most.