Coding and Programming in the Classroom

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Tara Linney, in an Edutopia post, provides an overview of both coding and programming. She writes--
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"Programming is about the logic that goes into building a program. The blocks already exist -- they just have to be placed in the correct order to get the program to work."

"Coding...has to do with the syntax, the fine details that allow a computer script to work."

BOOKS ON THE TOPIC

• DK: Coding with Scratch workbook
• Guthals, et.al.: Minecraft modding for kids for dummies
• Liukas: Hello Ruby: adventures in coding
• McCue: coding for kids for dummies
• Morgan: Javascript for kids
• Richardson: Learning to program with Minecraft
• ​Woodcock: coding games in Scratch

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Why?

• 5 reasons to teach students to code (poster)
• Computer science for all (NSF/CNCS)
• Four reasong why kids should learn to program
• Resnick: Let's teach kids to code (TED)
• K-12 Computer science framework (2016)

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How?

• 3 steps to becoming a coding teacher
• Coding by design: a design first approach
• Computational and design thinking
• Google CS First
• Adding coding to your elementary curriculum
• Code.org: Teachers
• Beginner's guide to bringing coding into the classroom
• Teaching coding: Where do you start?​
• Lessons involving coding
• Beginner's coding guide
• 6 tips for teaching kids to code
• Glossary of coding terms for beginners

Apps and online tools

• Cargo-bot (iOS)
• Code Avengers (Online) (Chrome)
• Code Combat (Online)
• Code Monster (Online)
• Code Studio (Online)
• Codea (iOS) $
• Codeacademy (Online)
• Coding with Chrome (Chrome)
• Create Apps Anywhere (Online)
• Daisy the Dinosaur (iOS)
• DevKit (iOS)
• EarSketch (Online)
• Floors (iOS)
• Gamestar Mechanic (Online)
• Goolge: Made with code (Online)
• Hopscotch (iOS) (School edition $)
• i-Logo (iOS)
• Khan Academy: Computer programming (online)
• Lightbot, Jr. (iOS) (Android) $
• Lightbot: Programming Puzzles (iOS) (Android) (Win) (Mac)
• Lipa Train (iOS) (Android)
• Move the Turtle (iOS)
• Objective-C Programming Language (iOS)
• Pencil Code (Online)
• Pocket Code (Android)
• Pythoni (iOS)
• Run Marco (Online) (iOS) (Android) (Chrome)
• Scratch (Online)
• Scratch Jr. (iOS) (Android) (Chrome)
• ScriptKit (iOS)
• Simduino (iOS) $simduino a
• Sketch Nation Create (Online) (iOS) (Android)
• Stencyl (Download for Mac, Windows, Linux)
• Swift Playgrounds (iOS iPad) (Teacher's guide)
• Trinket (Online)
• Tynker (iOS) (Android) (Chrome)
• Unity Personal Edition (tutorials for students)

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Hardware and hands-on

• Bee-Bot
• Bloxels
• Coji the Coding Robot
• Cubetto: Education page
• Dash and Dot (Blockly iOS app | Android app)
• Fisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-pillar
• Lego Education WeDo 2.0 Core Set
• littleBits
• Makey Makey
• Osmo Starter Kit and Coding Kit
• Ozobot 2.0 Bit
• Puzzlets Starter Pack
• Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit
• Sphero 2.0 and Star Wars BB-8 Droid and Ollie

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 Coji the Coding Robot (ages 4+) by WowWee

• Program Coji with emojis
• Control Coji from a smartphone or tablet
• Memory coding games build problem-solving skills
• Can play with it on its own, too

WowWee sent me a Coji to try out.  It was a lot of fun! Feels a lot like real-life Scratch Jr. and also includes a way to move it via an on-screen trackpad. It includes memory games such as a maze, a sequencing game, and even teaches how to create macros!

A video of my test of Coji follows!

WowWee Coji video

​Extensive review of Coji (14:07)

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Copyright: Kathy Schrock. All rights reserved.
Republishing of these lists of links without express and written permission from this site's author is not allowed. 

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Created: 08/12/2016
Updated: 02/19/2021
Kathy Schrock
URL of this page:
http://schrockguide.net/coding.html