What have you found to be a useful tool for kids to learn coding?
I am learning computer programming. In the process of developing ideas for apps for young children and working with animator and programmer, Heather Larkin, I realize that I can't really develop the best products if I don't understand how the interactive media is built under the hood. I have worked with Flash for many years, but never on the coding side. As I jump into this process, I really wish I had done this years ago. Here are some of the best tools for teaching kids programming I have found.
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| Black board in my office |
I feel like pleading every 10 year old I meet to learn how to code NOW, while it's relatively easy...compared to an older brain like mine. Fortunately for kids today, there are some a number of ways to do just that.
My coding education is self-directed. This is not necessarily the ideal way to do it, but this is a procedure that has worked for me in the past. Self-directed with lots of help. In my current situation the help comes from online resources and associates. This blog is primarily about kids and technology...so how would I go about learning coding if I were a kid or I had a kid who wanted to learn programming?
Khan Academy
I have found Khan Academy the most accessible approach to introducing young children to programming. The site is well designed and easy to navigate. The audio instructions enhance the process and the ability to test what you have just learned in a new program reinforces the lessons.
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| Khan Academy home page |
I took some of the coding lessons on the Khan Academy site and they were definitely kid-friendly for lower(perhaps with assistance) and upper elementary school kids. The very pleasant voice of a young woman guides you through the lessons. She is funny and engaging.
As you practice the code you get instant gratification as the results are seen simultaneously in a panel beside the code. I learned how to draw a duck and change the features and move them around. Then I had the opportunity to go to a new program and create my own wonderful Green Head. In the online tutorials I have followed in my adult course of study, many of which have been really excellent and extremely helpful, I am reading not being read to, no surprise here. For kids an audio track is a big plus because it is easier to follow. Also the nuggets of information are much smaller.
Khan Academy has been getting lots of publicity recently. Founder Salman Khan has recently written "The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined". I heard him interviewed on NPR. It is hard not to be impressed by an articulate impassioned educator with three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard.The tagline on the website is "Learn almost anything for free." A bit of a stretch when you look at their course offerings, but what's not to love about the concept.
Scratch
Scratch is another application to help kids learn programming. Modules of instructions are made available in categories (motion, sound, control, etc) and these blocks of instructions are dragged onto the coding area and collected to provide direction for the sprites (images) on the "stage". These modules allow input to implement changes within the instructions, ie you can move 25 steps, or -27 steps, etc.
Scratch is a project of the MIT Media Lab. This video presents an overview of their vision for the project. The student projects can be shared and downloaded so that the code is also available to review. Ideas can be shared and modified.CargoBot
CargoBot is an iPad app also designed to familiarize the player with the concept of developing reusable blocks of information that perform tasks. It's fun and get challenging quickly.
As previously stated, the Khan Academy would be my first recommendation for young kids looking for a cool way to learn to make computers do what they want them to do.
Please share the coding tools you have found effective.
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