CULLMAN, Ala. – Two students at West Elementary School in Cullman won the region in a statewide contest to design and build innovative new apps for learning.
Fourth grader Lauren Hughes and sixth grader Kinslee Barnett won their respective age divisions for their apps, as part of the Governor’s App Challenge. They’ll next compete at the Alabama Computer Science Summit in Montgomery on April 14, where their apps will face off against designs from students all across the state.
The goal of the challenge is to allow students to gain recognition for their mastery and application of computer programming and design.
As for the apps they built, Hughes created an app called “Presidential Brain Busters,” which provided fun trivia questions and answers about American presidents throughout history. Barnett’s app is “Daily Devotions for Daily Emotions,” which helps students cope with their feelings and emotions by connecting them with Bible verses.
Students not only had to conceive of their ideas and design the app, but they also coded and built their ideas into functional apps that can be used. Misty Waldrop, Cullman City Schools’ technology integration specialist, worked with the students to help develop their ideas and build their apps.
“As the technology integration specialist, I provided a time each week to meet with students to help guide them through the app development process. The students use code.org‘s app lab to create and code their app,” Waldrop explained. “The students are required to develop a functioning app, complete a written response and submit a video demonstrating their app.”
Waldrop said programs like the Governor’s App Challenge are a unique way to engage students to put skills they’re learning in class into a real world application to create something tangible.
“Computer programming is a foundational skill in Alabama’s Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards. Furthermore, at Cullman City Schools we believe that STEM education is crucial to preparing our students to be college and/or career ready,” she said. “Exposure to activities that promote computer programming lay a solid foundation for the future of our students. My hope is that this program will show students that they can bring their ideas to life through computer programming. Through the process students use their creativity, problem-solving skills and perseverance.”
