Your Voice is Power - coding competition

Preparing students for the challenges of programming at Key Stage 4 and for their future studies is something that as teachers, we embrace, and find new ways at Key Stage 3 to provide fun and contextual experiences.  I was delighted to be shown the EarSketch online platform (https://earsketch.gatech.edu/earsketch2/?curriculum=9-0-0&language=python) by Georgia Tech and the application of learning Python or JavaScript through the lens of music.  However, recently this opportunity has become even more exciting with the partnership with Amazon, YELLOW and Pharrell Williams with “Your Voice is Power”.  The competition provides students with the opportunity to ‘make beats, learn code and promote equity’ by engaging them in a new learning experience which explores music, computer science and entrepreneurship as tools to advance racial equity.   

A huge benefit of using EarSketch is the opportunity to take the output beyond simple console text, like we might do with Scratch but continue the progression through text-based coding, only in this case a focus on audio.  Also, the immediate feedback provided through mixing music also provides that extra opportunity for engagement beyond a text output console.  With a huge library of instrumental effects, voice and the ability to easily adjust tempo and create layers using subroutines really does provide a unique way of teaching pupils how to modularlise their code in an abstract way.  Also, using sequence, selection and iteration, pupils can apply these constructs creatively to create verses and choruses and reactive routines. 

The unique complement of the associated resources promoting entrepreneurship and equity provide a great avenue to explore the meaning behind music and how to be a better ally for racial equity.  This, in turn, assists pupils with the planning of remixing music through developing meaningful algorithms and become allies. 

Surely these resources and the newly launched competition Your Voice is Power will enrich any existing Key Stage 3/4 computing curriculum? 

You can find out more about Your Voice is Power here: https://www.amazonfutureengineer.co.uk/your-voice-is-power