Coding and IT Resources

WHAT IS CODING?
Coding is what makes it possible for us to create computer software, apps and websites. Your browser, your OS, the apps on your phone, Facebook, and this website – they’re all made with code.

WHY SHOULD KIDS LEARN TO CODE?
Computer science opens more doors for students than any other discipline in today’s world. Learning even the basics will help students in virtually any career—from architecture to zoology. Just as we teach students how to dissect a frog, or how electricity works, it’s important for every 21st century student to have a chance to “dissect an app,” or learn how the Internet works. (code.org/promote)

ON THE IPAD
Bee-Bot:  Helps younger children program with positional language and programming sequences of instructions. Ages 4-7
Kodable:  Learn problem solving and programming basics. No reading required. Ages 5+.
Hopscotch: Learn programming basics with this visual programming language while building games and apps. Ages 8+.
Cargobot: A puzzle game where you teach a robot how to move crates. Sounds simple, right? Ages 8+

ON A COMPUTER
Tynker:  Build games and mobile apps by arranging blocks of code. Ages 5-13
Scratch:  Create stories, games, and animations using this visual programming language. Ages 8+.
Alice:  Create stories, games, and animations using this visual programming language. Great for middle and high school students.
SpaceChem:  Fight monsters, using programming concepts like in-order execution, loops, branching, and subroutines. Ages 10+

Continue learning online. Keep going with Code.org’s online learning platform, Code Studio. Courses and apps are available for all ages, with options to create interactive games, stories or apps. Start at http://studio.code.org.