01

2017-18
CODETN
MANUAL

PLAY
BOOK
EDUCATE: CREATE: REFRESH

codetnofficial

CodeTN

Code_TN
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. About CodeTN
a. CodeTN Staff – Your Support Team
b. CodeTN Organizational Values
c. CodeTN Format

II. Volunteer Commitment & Logistics

a. Procedures for Volunteer Absences
b. Fingerprinting and Background Checks
c. Timeliness
d. Professionalism & Commitment to
Organizational Values
e. Media / Speaking with the Press

III. CodeTN’s Curriculum

a. Curriculum Structure
b. Teaching Tools
c. Curriculum is a Guide, Not a Script

IV. School Logistics & Procedures 

a. How to Work Within Your School Based
Team
b. Student Procedures
c. Keeping Lesson Notes & Giving Feedback

V. FAQ's 
 Caleb Fristoe

CODETN TEAM

CodeTN’s team is dedicated to

ensuring that this program is
transformative for our students
Program Manager
and a positive, impactful
caleb.fristoe@codetn.org
experience for our volunteers.
CodeTN positions itself as a
grassroots, volunteer-shaped
Answer Bot
program and relies on your
participation and feedback for its
success.

CodeTN’s team is listed below.

While you will interact frequently
with every member of the team,
you will meet most frequently with Info, updates, more
the team (Sponsor, TechPro, info@codetn.org

students) at your local school. The

Program Manager will be up-to-
date on your team and its progress,
and act the go-to-person for
questions, problems, and
resources.

03
OUR 
VALUES
II. EMPOWERMENT  our students’ learning and
CodeTN is committed to
empowering our students with
the experience and expertise
to define their futures.  This
empowerment helps level the
playing field for our students
that, in turn, promotes
diversity and inclusion in the
technology industry.
IV. COLLABORATION
CodeTN values collaboration
between students, teachers,
volunteers, and partner
organizations. We appreciate
others’ contributions and are
committed to bettering our field
through the services each of us
provides to our community.  It is
the strength of our
collaboration that broadens the
impact of our service.
04
 I. HUMILITY
We value the experiences and
perspectives that each of our
students and volunteers bring
to our organization. We
express this admiration
through: the way we support
discuss their experiences, the
way our volunteers work
together in the pursuit of our
mission, and the way we
interact with our partner
organizations. We humbly
engage in self-reflection in
order to ensure that our work
continues to deepen the impact
we make.
III. CREATIVITY
We are committed to solving
large-scale problems using
innovative solutions. We also
encourage our volunteers to
adopt inventive solutions when
teaching complex materials. We
persist when faced with
obstacles, and in turn, we lend
our students the ability to
persist as they continue to grow
and learn.
 ABOUT CODETN

Welcome to the CodeTN community -- we're grateful you've

joined us!

Founded in 2014, CodeTN is a program funded by The Great

Schools Partnership that aims to equip students in public schools
in Knox County and other partnering communities in Tennessee
with the fundamental coding skills and professional experiences
that together create access to careers in technology. Our annual
competition serves as our primary outreach tool to engage
students and schools around computer science and web
development. 

 We bring our tuition-free program directly to schools, where

classes are taught by software developers on a volunteer basis.

In its first year, CodeTN served 85 students in 8 high schools in

Knoxville, Tennesse. In the 2014-2015 school year, CodeTN
expanded to serve approximately 115 students across 12 high
schools in three counties in Tennessee. This year, we hope to
expand to 16 schools in TN to serve approximately 150 high school
students, with plans to slowly engage a handful of middle
schools. 

02
 COMPETITION PROCESS MAP 

Get your school

Aug
administration's approval
to start a team

Aug Identify Teacher Sponsor

Recruit team (between 3-6

Aug
students per team)

Aug Identify team roles among

students

Recruit a Tech Pro in one of two

ways: 1. Supply your own 2. If you Sep
can't find one we'd be glad to help
you.

Sep Watch the kick-off as a team

(Teacher Sponsor and
students)

Develop your team

application idea and who Sep
will do what on the project.

Sep-Mar Code, code, code!!!

Make sure the project is

complete by preliminary Mar
judging deadline.

Show the world your

Apr
project for the chance to
win $5000!!!

06
 CODETN RELATIONAL MAP 

TECHPRO
e

T
v

e
it

c
r

h
o

in
pp

c
u

la
S

Supervisory
TEACHER STUDENTS
la
n
xE

os
t

r
e

e
r

p
n

r
la

etnI

TEAM

05
TTheESpecialist
CHPROS

If you’re a volunteer (A.K.A. TechPro) then chances are

you’ve seen the value and potential of CodeTN and
want to help in taking it to the next level. If the
teachers help make the development and assembly of
the competition possible, then you most definitely
make the technical execution and deployment of the
student work possible. Your time is valuable so we
want you to know exactly what you’ll be getting into.
Here are a few of the roles and responsibilities of the
TechPro:

Historically TechPros have spent Thorough knowledge of basic

between 3-5hrs per week with their
teams, which includes both in-person
and online meetups
The main role of a TechPro is to be the
go-to technical expert that can aid and
coach students through more rigorous
or complex problems. It is not their
responsibility to code or produce a
product for the student, but rather to
guide and share potential solutions
around such problem sets. 
Familiarity with with deployment and
team sharing on Cloud9 IDE: this will be
our main tool for developing as teams
and you as the tech pro will manage
and administer the space
development concepts, both front,
and backend. Our competition is not
language specific, but we do expect
our Pros to possess advanced
knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
and how to integrate with a backend
language like PHP, Node, Python, etc.
as well as GitHub
Communicate with your teacher
sponsor around timelines, agreed
upon meeting dates, goals for
students, etc.
Apply your working, real-world
knowledge to the classroom
environment, which could
encompass, but is not limited to,
Agile Development fundamentals,
time line and project management,
debugging, etc. 

06
 TTheEConnector
ACHER
SPONSOR
As teachers, you are the lifeblood of the CodeTN
competition. Without you there is no
competition. But here’s the thing, you don’t have
to be an expert developer, programmer, or code
genius to join. In fact, all you have to do is what
you already do: lead, encourage, be inquisitive,
and help students get the right tools to succeed.
Here’s a quick snapshot of a few things you
might run across during preparation for the
competition:

Historically Sponsors have spent

between 3-5hrs per week with their
teams and TechPros, which includes
both in-person and online meetups
Post information about competition in
your school to recruit students
Organize your students to think
critically about the purpose and
use of their application in the real
world and set meeting time for

Work with your tech pro to determine
the hours and times that your team
will meet during the week and
throughout the semester
Collect and organize student release
forms and upload them for the
your team(s) with students and
tech pro
Attend a summer session to
become familiar with basic
website layout - HTML, CSS, and
GitHub and how to be the
resident Scrum Master (project

competition leader)

Make sure students attend work

sessions and complete their team tasks

07
STUDENTS
The Creators

At CodeTN we are all about education and

creation. Nowhere is that personified more than
in the lives and actions of students. They are
the reason our project exists. We want to equip
and inspire them with the necessary tools and
environment to pursue development as a career.
They are the creators.  Here’s a little bit about
what they should walk away with: 

Individual Outcomes

A solid understanding of the organized parts and functions

of a dynamic website

A realized project that they hand coded

Increased knowledge around a text- based coding language

The ability to work with others in a team environment, as

well as working within their identified project roles

The ability to manage due dates and task management as a

team 

CodeTN is not just about code, though we believe every

student should have a working knowledge of some
language. It’s also about encouraging and supporting the
functions of a team.

08
STUDENT TEAM
Today, the work required to produce, sell,
market, distribute, design, and deploy a website,
software, or a mobile application, is beyond the
skill of a single individual. As a result, there will
be a need for diverse skill sets among each team.
Here are a few examples of roles that will aid in
making each team more diverse and well-
rounded:
 

 1. Designer - creative lead who might be familiar with Adobe Illustrator

or Photoshop and has the necessary skills to create, design, and

wireframe the look and feel of the project

2. Frontend developer - works with HTML and CSS to translate the

design structure, layout and style of the site through code

3. Backend developer - takes the creative output of the designer and

frontend developer and connects the site to the web, a database,

assures that the site is secure, and gives it the functionality that is

necessary to exist as a dynamic application (PHP, Rails, Python, etc,)

4. Project Lead - works with all team members to assure that the

project timeline is moving as scheduled, helps to plan the phases and

testing of the projects, works with marketing and design to develop the

identity of the project

5. Marketing and Branding - the public face of the project, the outward

facing spokesperson for the project, someone who - like the project

lead - must possess knowledge about the entirety of the project (a jack

of all trades) and how each piece ties into the end product and its

presentation to the public

09
 VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS
Volunteers should plan to attend each of the agreed upon
sessions. However, job commitments sometimes prevent
some volunteers from attending.  Please work within your
school based teams to ensure that there is sufficient
coverage for your class. Also, see below for further
information on procedures for volunteer absences. 

A.  Procedures for Volunteer Absences: While we understand that

conflicts inevitably arise, it is important to alert your program manager
and your school team as soon as possible about your absence so that we
can ensure sufficient coverage for your class.  Please provide at least 1-
week notice for all absences, and ASAP for emergencies.

B. Background Checks: CodeTN volunteers are required to complete a

background check prior to working with students.  However, if you have
already completed a background check with your employer, please
provide a letter of suitability (attached at the end of this document) that
your employer’s HR can fill out and return.

C.  Timeliness: Please arrive 10 minutes before the start of class.  This will
allow you to settle in and prepare before the students arrive. It is
extremely important to model timeliness and commitment for your
students.

D. Professionalism & Commitment to Organizational Values: While we

encourage fun & relationship building, we require a high level of
professionalism and commitment to our organizational values from both
our volunteers and students. We anticipate that both our volunteers and
students will exceed these expectations.

E. Media / Speaking with the Press: Occasionally, journalists have asked

to interview CodeTN volunteers and students on their experiences. For
this, we will provide a media release (also at the end of this document)
for you to fill out and return. Please consult with a CodeTN staff member
before speaking with the press. If a member of the media approaches
you with a press inquiry, please contact Caleb.

10
 CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION
CodeTN’s Curriculum is in continually being modified and
updated so as to meet our state and district standards. We
are currently in the process of transitioning from our own
curricular track to Code.org’s AP high school and middle
school curriculum in partnership with Knox County
Schools.

A. Projects, Submission of Projects, and Portfolio: The goal of the

CodeTN project is to deliver a dynamic web page that looks to solve a
student identified problem. The ultimate aim is for students to leave
the class with a professional site that serves as a portfolio of their
work. Our method is less about didactic instruction and more about
team collaboration – with individual learning objectives being learned
through action rather than passive learning. We understand that there
are certain basic principles that students must learn in order to excel
and grow as developers. For this, we will help provide resources to
encourage self-directed learning on the part of the student. This is
also apart our in-class strategy, in partnership with Code.org, that sets
aside time to re-enforce, coach, and practice hand coding from
scratch.

B. Teaching Tools: We recommend using web-based tools like JSBin,

JSFiddle, during class. Instructors may use their discretion when
choosing which platform to use during lessons, but to ensure program
consistency across schools we ask that all students complete projects
using Cloud9. In order to compete, each student and TechPro will
need to sign-up for an account.

 C. The Curriculum is a Guide, Not a Script: There is a teaching

strategies guide in the CodeTN Github repository that volunteers may
use to help plan lessons, should they feel the need to re-enforce
particular concepts that may be problematic for students. Otherwise,
we encourage dynamic, project-based problem-solving, related to the
project at hand. 

11
 SCHOOL
PROCEDURES/LOGISTICS

A. How to Work within Your School Based Team: Each school team will
have at least one TechPro and one Team Sponsor (teacher). This team is
responsible for deciding amongst themselves how best to delegate roles
and responsibilities throughout your project. Most common roles and
responsibilities are listed below (may be shared/combined/rotated as
your team decides). 

B. Student Procedures: Volunteers should make sure that students follow

the following procedures during each class: 

 Saving Work: All students will be working with web-based platforms.

Please ensure that students create logins for the platform you are using
and that they save frequently.  Students will sign up for Github accounts
and will learn how to use Github.  This way, student work will also be
saved to Github.

Wrap Up 5 Minutes Early: Please be sure to allow students five minutes at

the end of class to save their work.  This is especially important at our
school-day programs because students must leave on time to go to their
next class – after school programs have more flexibility. 

C. Keeping Lesson Notes & Giving Feedback: At the end of the second
session each week, please have one volunteer from your team write notes
on the class in the Google document for your school provided by your
program manager. Your notes will inspire curriculum revisions as well as
inform CodeTN’s Program Managers of any significant issues that he/she
should help you address. 

12
 F A Q ' S
What should I do if a student hasn’t shown up for two days in a row? In
the first instance, you should reach out to the teacher sponsor to alert
him/her of the student’s absence.  Teacher Sponsors are responsible for
following up with the student if they are absent. If the student has
shared his/her email address and the school allows volunteers to directly
contact students, volunteers should consider emailing the student to
encourage him/her to attend the next class. If the student continues to
be absent, please contact your teacher sponsor.

What should I do if a student is misbehaving? If a student is

misbehaving, please, first speak to the student privately to try to correct
the behavior. It is important to correct small behavioral issues as soon as
possible so they do not escalate into a larger issue. If speaking with the
student directly does not work or if the behavior becomes repetitive,
please contact the teacher sponsor immediately and send a follow-up
email to the program manager to report the problem. 

What should I do if a student has fallen behind or isn’t keeping up with

the rest of the class? Students who are not keeping up with the class
should be remediated by a volunteer. Please have a support volunteer
work with the student individually to bring him/her up to speed. 

What should I do if a student is far ahead of the rest of the class? We

encourage Teacher Sponsors and TechPros to identify students who
might have a high aptitude and encourage them to aid their peers, while
also emphasizing the team contribution as the ultimate measure of
success. 

What should I do if I am having an issue or problem with a fellow

volunteer? We expect our volunteers to act professionally and
respectfully toward both students and fellow volunteers. If any volunteer
acts inappropriately in class or is acting in a manner detrimental to
student learning, please immediately contact Caleb Fristoe.  

Any additional questions may be emailed to info@codetn.org

13
CodeTN
Code_TN