Try an Hour of Code!

Celebrate Computer Science Education Week with an Hour of Code! 

Computer Science Education Week is December 8-14, 2014. Educators, entrepreneurs, and programmers alike suggest that coding is the new literacy for the 21st century, but our students aren’t always getting the instruction they need.

Well-intentioned parents and schools may wish to provide their students with tools to succeed in the digital era, but implementing a full programming curriculum can be daunting. Never fear!  Free internet resources are here!

Start with an “Hour of Code” this week.  Code.org provides many free tutorials to help students of all ages learn basic programming skills.  Even preschoolers can practice computational thinking with activities such as “Happy Maps” in Course 1 at Code.org. Some students may enjoy learning to code with Anna and Elsa of Frozen, while others may feel inspired by learning to code with Flappy Bird.  Introductory videos feature programmers of diverse backgrounds, while interactive tutorials provide students with hands-on experience.

Is your student ready for more than an hour of code?  Try Code Combat, for middle and high school students.  An interactive, game-like interface encourages students to learn various programming languages, include Python and Javascript.  Artistically-minded students may wish to explore the intersection of code and design at Hello Processing.  More detailed online courses can also be found at CodeSchool.com, CodeAcademy.com, CodeHS.com, and KhanAcademy.org.

Lastly, for a bit of holiday fun, check out Google’s interactive Santa Tracker.  Google promises not only daily games to keep the kids busy in December, but also short projects that get them started on JavaScript!

Keep calm and code on!