Coding, Games
and Robots
Hour of Code
The hour of code is run each year at the beginning of December. There are many online resources for taking up this challenge this list includes a few I've had a go at using in the classroom. These are quite basic courses that take students and teachers through an introduction to coding one step at a time.
- Hour of code - Check out what's happening this year with Hour of Code.
- BitsBox - Bits box hour of code activities
- Code.org Teacher Lead - Check out these hour of code lessons that go a little further than just an introduction
- CoSpaces Robot Rattle - One of the many hour of code resources from CoSpaces
- Tynker Hour of Code - Check out these free courses from Tynker for Hour of Code.
- Khan Academy Hour of Code - Check out the Hour of Drawing, Webpages and Databases
- Kodable - Year/Grade level based hour of code activities
- BitsBox Week of Making - Create a weeks worth of apps for hour of code using these resources
Coding Sites and Apps
Here are a few resources for creating your own games, apps and programs to share with others. These apps and sites aren't step by step tutorials they're open to use however you want to code.
- Scratch - Students can create an account to save their work or just work as a guest a great platform with plenty of room for creation (site)
- Scratch Junior - Check out this cute app designed for younger learners so now even little ones can control the scratch cate (app) Android iOS ChromeOS
- Hopscotch - Use the app to create your own art and games to share with others (app) iOS
- Touch Develop - Create your own scripts and share them with others (site)
- Unity - Do you want to get into some more in depth coding and create your own games? check out Unity find tutorials here
- Code Combat - text and picture based coding - some free items rest paid
- Swift Playgrounds - along with step by step tutorials app is also capable of controlling a variety of robots. iOS app Site
Creating Your Own Games
A platform that allows student to create their own games. Potential to export these to the Apple Store, Chrome Web Store and Google Play store if you're willing to pay for that option.
Games and Apps to
promote critical thinking and/or programming concepts
Apps and Sites with Coding/programming tutorials and courses
- https://www.tynker.com/
- https://www.cs-first.com/
- https://www.codecademy.com/
- http://www.alice.org/index.php
- https://www.touchdevelop.com/app/
- Osmo Coding (requires Osmo, coding addition and iPad)
- Swift Playgrounds
Tools for Teachers - Articles, Research, Professional Development
Thinking about coding by design
Take a look at this article published on Edutopia that looks at coding from a design perspective. Do we need to think about design before we think about code?
Computational Thinking for Educators by Google
Designed for educators, this course clearly explains computational thinking, exploring and developing algorithms, finding patterns and applying computational thinking.
Computational thinking research with scratch through Harvard. Interesting information on the definition of computational thinking into concepts, practices and perspectives.
Unplugged Activities
CS Unplugged introduces computer science concepts without the use of computers. The resrouces from CS Unplugged a free to use in the classroom.
Robots in the Classroom
To see further details in the speaker notes section and to add comments to this slide deck click here