RESOURCES BKUP

from Code Savvy 2-26-2013

What's your favorite platform?  What  learning resources for coding have you found most helpful?  What learning resources are most helpful for children?  for young adults?  Here are a few for starters.  Tell us what's missing and we'll add it in.  Text is mostly self-descriptions copied from their websites:


PLATFORMS/TUTORIALS/CURRICULA
  • Alice  www.alice.org Using an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create animations or games, the Alice Project seeks to provide tools and materials for a conceptual core of computational thinking, problem solving, and computer programming.
  • Arduino  www.arduino.cc 
    Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.  Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.   excellent tutorial
  • Bootstrap  www.bootstrapworld.org  Bootstrap is a free curriculum for students ages 12-16, which teaches them to program their own videogames using algebra as the vehicle for creating images and animations.  Recommended by the CSTA.
  •  Codagogy codagogy.com   Online, collaborative web development courses for women.   Web Start Women is Boston is bringing the curriculum from their popular in-person classes in html, CSS, PHP, javascript, and more online. For profit company:  $34 for 6 session (2 week) course
  • Codecademy  www.codecademy.com  Free online curricula about javascript, html, css, python and ruby, in small pieces with lots of hands-on practice. 
  • CodeHS  These folks (a for profit company) want to have coding be part of every student's experience in high school.  Watch videos, try coding simple games in Java, and get help when you need it on their website. www.codehs.com Starting out is free; individuals can access the whole shebang for $25 month.
  • Code Player  www.thecodeplayer.com Learn HML5, CSS3, Javascript and more via video-style walkthroughs showing cool stuf being created from scratch.  Not for beginners, but very interesting for intermediate and advanced coders.
  • Coding for Good cfg.good.is Unique initiative to solve the skills gap and hire programmers.  16 free lessons (based on Code Academy) and you know all you need to get a job.
  • CSTA  Computer Science Teachers Association  Resources   
  • DIY   DIY.org is a new website(for profit, but currently free) for kids with lists of projects to do to earn cool patches.  One of the topics, called n00b, presents 7 challenges in elementary computing. Here's the link to the n00b challenges.   
  • Exploring Computer Science  www.exploringCS.org    ECS: a free, 1-year, college-preparatory course that teaches problem solving, web design, programming, animation, robotics, etc.
  • Hackety Hack  hackety.com 
    Hackety Hack will teach you the absolute basics of programming from the ground up, using the Ruby programming language. No previous programming experience is needed.
  • Hopscotch  www.gethopscotch.com a development environment focused on teaching young kids to program
  • Khan Academy Computer Science   www.khanacademy.org/cs  a completely new platform that targets people with no programming knowledge and gives them an engaging and fun environment to learn in.  Over everything else we wanted to emphasize creativity and exploration and make it approachable for people of all ages, including young kids. Free.  Javascript.
  • Kodu   http://kodu.en.softonic.com/   is a visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The visual nature of the language allows for rapid design iteration using only an Xbox game controller for input (mouse/keyboard input is also supported). Monthly challenge here: Feb 2013 challenge is a Mars Rover navigation
  • LearnStreet www.learnstreet.com  is a website where you can learn programming. We offer free online interactive courses on Python, Ruby and JavaScript where you learn by actually writing code in interactive tutorials and projects.
  • NetLogo   website   a programmable modeling environment for simulating natural and social phenomena that lets students open simulations and "play" with them, exploring their behavior under various conditions.
  • Nettuts net.tutsplus.com online tutorials and articles for web developers and designers, inclduing HTML, CSS, Javascript, CMSs, PHP and Ruby on Rails.  $19/month memebership; for profit
  • No Name Site  www.nonamesite.com  game-based, free online instruction in coding designed for 13-18 year olds by folks at Topcoder.com
  • Ruby   www.ruby-lang.org/en/  A dynamic, open source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. It has an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write.  About Ruby  and here's how to use Ruby on Rails to design web apps. Try Ruby  (free from Code School)
  • SketchUp  www.sketchup.com/ Not really coding, but way-cool software to build and control.  With this free 3D modelling software you can design a building, or a video game landscape or program a laser printer to cut two dimensional pieces for your project, or many other applications.
  • Thimble https://thimble.webmaker.org/en-US/  Thimble makes it ridiculously simple to create your own web pages. Write and edit HTML and CSS right in your browser. Instantly preview your work. Then host and share your finished pages with a single click. Easy, huh?  Start from scratch or try  out one of their very cool projects.  From Mozilla, a non-profit that believes everyone should be able to make and share with the open web.
  • W3Schools www.w3schools.com  At w3schools.com you will learn how to make a website. We offer free tutorials and certification in all web development technologies, including HTML5, CSS, Javascript and many others.  CSS lesson
  • Webmonkey www.webmonkey.com/tutorials  is an online resource for web developers, from the folks at Wired magazine. You’ll find tutorials, tips and advice for designing and building websites and programming web applications. It has articles for beginners, professionals, students, grandparents, bloggers and programmers of all skill levels. 

Confused by all the languages?  In this video Linda Luikas shows how RailsGirls explains what different languages are designed for using a BentoBox analogy.


LISTS OF RESOURCES:

  • Cool Tools from Teen Tech Girlz -- open source software for sound, image and animation editing and for learning how to code
  • also from Teen Tech Girlz -- video playlists packed with carefully chosen tutorials on web design, video game design, animation and more.
  • TEKD  a fun mobile app to help folks reach their tech education goals, whether that is to learn to code, find a community to hack with, or volunteer for a program. The initiative behind this app (Connect to Tech) came from the need to create more awareness and visibility of educational programs in technology for underrepresented groups in the US.   from Jennifer Arguello

 CONTESTS  -- I'm interested in expanding this list . . . please make suggestions!

  • National STEM Video Game Challenge  www.stemchallenge.org/about  Middle and high school youth are encouraged to submit their original game designs for the opportunity to earn recognition and prizes.  Opportunities for mentors to get involved through a new website featuring toolkits resources and curriculum.  Goal:  to motivate interest in STEM learning among America's youth by tapping into students' natural passion for playing and making video games.  


INTERESTING APPLICATIONS/PLATFORMS for learning about CODING

just a start so far . . .
  • Lego Robotics
  • 3-D chair from 2-D laser cutter projects 
  • Future City is a national competition where students experience project-based learning.
  • E-Textiles  

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