#kids code

[socialjusticefail]

I Explained To A Court How California’s ‘Kid’s Code’ Is Both Impossible To Comply With & An Attack On Our Expression

Last year, Techdirt was one of only a very few sites where you could find out information on California’s AB 2273, officially the “Californi

This article talks about what it is like to pound the drum for why the California's kid's code is a bad law and it also tells what the owner of Techdirt told a court.

[tenthousandunicorns]

MakeCode Arcade games for Ovobot

Check out these mini-games I coded! Which one is your favorite?

These games were made with Microsoft MakeCode Arcade code block editor. All of these games can be played on the Ovobot Xtron Pro handheld game system or in your browser! For the most part, the backgrounds and sprites were pre-generated, my work was the code. My Github with all of the Ovobot gamefiles is here. Princess GameBat Pet gameCherry Bomber gameTalking Hermit Crab gameTalking Monkey…

View On WordPress

[innonurse]

Why all children must learn code

- By Bitange Ndemo , The Conversation -

Across the world, the conversion of information into a digital format – also called “digitalisation” – has increased productivity in the public and private sectors. As a result, virtually every country in the world is working towards a digital economy.

As this new economy evolves, special skills like computer programming are needed. This is like a language of numbers, known as code, which allows people to write instructions that are executed by computers. The goal is to create something: from a web page, to an image, to a piece of software.

Early coding languages emerged in the 1940s. These were basic in what they could do but complex to learn and needed an advanced understanding of maths. By the 1990s – when universities, businesses and people started to connect over the internet – computing speed and memory improved to use high-level coding languages. These became widely available on open source platforms and online tutorials made it possible for many people to learn and continue advancing the languages so that they became simpler. Today languages like Javascript can easily be learnt by children.

Nobody can escape the touch of digital technologies. It’s used in fields as diverse as hospital equipment, remote education delivery, marketing creative art pieces or improving agricultural productivity. Coding language develops the software that can effectively deal with problems and challenges – for instance, because of coding, people who couldn’t get a bank account can now keep, send and borrow money using mobile phones. It’s an important skill to have as countries develop.

In the past four decades, several studies have assessed the effect of learning code on primary school children – usually between the ages of six and 13. In each case, the findings show that it is beneficial to children, irrespective of their career path later on in life.

Computer language

Coding is just another language, and children are known to learn new languages faster than older people. So starting young is a good idea.

Several countries – including Australia, Finland, Italy and England – have developed coding curriculum for children between the ages of five and 16 years.

Coding language works with zeros (0s) and ones (1s) and strings of these numbers represent an alphabet. These then translate into words and sentences which triggers the computer or processor to initiate specific tasks. For example, print an image on a screen, open a document that is saved in a computer or play some music.

There are various coding languages. Some are so easy to understand and work with that even children can learn them. Visual programming languages – like Scratch – have been developed to help children learn code using images, signs and diagrams. Other programming languages that children can use include Python, Ruby and Go.

Most of these languages can be used to write a series of commands or to develop web applications.

Benefits of coding

Aside from giving them a head start for the future of work, compared to other forms of numeric sciences, learning code can enhance children’s creativity.

For instance, much of teaching math in Africa is still done through rote learning, a pedagogical method that is outdated and discourages creativity in children. Rote learning is based on memorisation of information and repetition, “parroting” so to speak. Research shows that rote learning isn’t effective because the learner rarely gets to understand the application of what they have learnt.

By comparison, coding builds logical thinking as it requires a focus on solving a specific challenge. This teaches children to evaluate situations from different angles and come up with creative solutions. They also get to test these ideas and, if they don’t work, figure out what went wrong.

Some studies have further suggested that coding enhances collaboration and communication, essential skills for future jobs.

Access to coding

Broadband and digital devices – such as computers and smart phones – are key tools for learning how to code. Access and affordability of these is essential. Governments must invest in broadband so that high quantities of data can be transmitted at high speeds. They should also provide subsidies, or at least not tax information and communications technology (ICT) tools, so that more children can learn coding at home or at school.

Many African countries, like Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Rwanda, have taken steps to reform the ICT sector and expand broadband capacity.

In Kenya the government is aware of the need for ICT education and has started to integrate ICT in the curriculum. The government also rolled out an ambitious Digital Literacy Program which would bring broadband to schools and try to integrate technology into learning.

But it may take some time to cover the entire country until there’s enough resources to integrate it into all schools. In many African countries, even the more developed ones like Kenya, there are still basic challenges to address. For instance, a lack of infrastructure – like electricity – resources, computers and teachers who know how to use the technology.

Fortunately there are informal ways in which children can learn to code. These include boot camps, codelabs, holiday coding camps and after school coding groups. In Kenya, independent modular coding programmes exist for children. There are also many free online learning tools that children can use such as Massachusettes Institute of Technology’s OpenCourseWare and Codecademy.

Coding is no longer the preserve of computer scientists. Every profession in some way needs it. Like other subjects, it is always better introduced at an early age.

Bitange Ndemo, Professor, University of Nairobi

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

--

Read Also

Augmented Reality Can Benefit Seniors Too

[kpaulinka]

Sphero - learning robot: moves in all directions, changes color, senses position in 3 dimensions. Shockproof and waterproof. Plenty of maker projects included in one coding app. Priced at around $130 retail - schools cheaper. Very similar to the Dash and Dot robots, but more durable, versatile, cheaper and all activities in one app.

[blackfemalesuperheroes]

Roxy Clockwise

ROXY CLOCKWISE…KID CODE’S partner and best friend…pencils the amazing Stacey Robinson…finishes by Jennings. Image by BLACK KIRBY! Information on KID CODE here!

Kid Code: Channel Zero is a rollicking, cosmic, time-traveling adventure, fusing classic hip-hop culture and outlandish sci-fi fantasy in this alternate universe to create the ultimate mash-up. 

[kidsstoriesandtech]

GREAT GIFT FOR KIDS - CODING

I am a Kickstarter addict, and this is my latest hit.

BITSBOX - kids coding challenges

Teaching kids to code with a choice of quick, customisable real-life projects that they get in the mail/post, can build on a desktop and easily transfer to any device.

Suitable for 5+ guided or 7+ on their own.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitsbox/bitsbox-monthly-coding-projects-for-kids

From two dads that met at Google, and beautifully designed. I just wish they would ship overseas! For us non-US-located-folks, they have a PDF of the projects - you don't need the physical stuff to build the apps.

And you can test it out with your kids for free, before you buy

https://bitsbox.com/

[flatironafterschool]

Announcing Flatiron School After School, A Coding Program for High Schoolers

We had so much fun teaching more than 100 high schoolers how to code with The Flatiron School Summer Program that we want to do it all year long. Today we’re happy to announce that enrollment is open for Flatiron After School—a 12-week-long coding program where high school students can learn the skills real developers use every day. Best of all, we’ll teach them the same material we teach adults in our immersive programs—the ones that gets folks jobs at places like Etsy, Boeing, and The New York Times.

Classes will be held every week for a total of four hours, either after school or on the weekends. The schedule is pretty flexible, so students can make time for coding among all of the other extracurricular activities they’re involved in. Students who enroll will get access to passionate teachers and the tools they need to learn real coding skills—something that you just can’t replicate with online tutorials.

Real Code. Real Apps. No Kids Stuff

Let’s not underestimate high schoolers. They are capable of doing amazing things with code. We just have to show them what’s possible by letting teachers who are passionate about programming use real-world concepts to teach students how to love it, too.

High schoolers enrolled in Flatiron After School will learn all the same stuff they do in our adult program—that’s HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Ruby. By the end of the course, they’ll be able to build and deploy working apps.

Why Code?

Code is in everything we do. It fuels our economy, drives our day-to-day interactions, and has the power to inspire billions of people. Technology is changing everything, and one way to help drive this change is to learn how to program.

Even if the students we teach don’t ever want to become programmers, they can use programming as a tool to be even better at whatever it is they want to do. They can build things that enhance how they listen to music, design clothes, watch sports, or interact with their friends. Code is for everyone (not just people who like math or video games), and it can help high schoolers engage with what they do love on an even deeper level.

The Details

Enrollment for Flatiron After School is open today! Students can select from two formats: (1) classes that meet once a week for four hours or (2) classes that meet twice a week for two hours each day. The structure of the program is designed to allow for flexibility in schedules but also leverage the immersive nature of our teaching methods.

All courses are taught at The Flatiron School campus at 11 Broadway in the heart of Wall Street in downtown NYC. The program is led by Director of K12 and Social Impact Lyel Resner and Lead Instructor Victoria Friedman, as well as a number of teachers specializing in web development.

We can’t wait to accept our first class of high schoolers to Flatiron After School and meet the future coders of New York. We’re going to have so much fun discovering, learning and growing together. Visit our website for class schedules, pricing information, and more!

[flatironafterschool]

High Schoolers Make Awesome Coders

Flatiron Summer School was an absolute blast. In just two weeks, more than 100 high school students went from little to no coding knowledge to building dynamic web applications in Sinatra—that's what we teach our adult classes in a month! They took on the exact same material and totally ran with it. We were so impressed with what they accomplished that we wanted to share a few of their apps:

Humans of New York

Ethan built an app that texts users when a new photo is posted to the wildly popular Humans of New York photoblog.

Dress Without Stress

Courtney (who attended with her brother and sister) made a practical apparel app called Dress Without Stress, which provides fashion recommendations based on the weather.

Random Facts

Rishi made a Random Facts app to serve up a new random fact every day. Look, now you know what phosphenes are. And knowledge is power.

Inspirational Quote Generator

Christine was super diligent about blogging her experience in a Tumblr. Her last post is on her final project, a Sinatra app that shares inspirational quotes (and good vibes).

SAT Trainer

Natalie's app posts a daily SAT question to help her study for the test (which according to her countdown is coming up soon!). It also offers some stress relief in the form of playlists and cute hedgehog GIFS.

Activity Generator

Really, really bored? Zoe Goldstein made an activity-generating app that suggests things to do when you can't think of any yourself—like "paint your nails" or "read a novel."

We also saw stock market scrapers, Lana Del Rey fan sites, and a whole bunch of animated GIFs, including this surprisingly well-prepared bucket head. It was awesome (and totally inspiring) to see these students express their creativity, intelligence, and incredible senses of humor through code.

What's Next

Flatiron After School was built using the momentum of the summer program’s huge success. Classes (which start soon!) are designed to allow for flexibility in schedules but also leverage the immersive nature of our teaching methods. Visit the program site for class schedules, pricing information, and more!