My son has a growing interest in computer programming and computer science. I have thereby scoured the internet in search of quality materials that are engaging and inexpensive.
Computer Science Education Week (December 5-11, 2016) is almost here. You’ll find a wealth of resources at Code.org®. Together with the resources listed below, you are guaranteed to have material and inspiration to teach computer science and programming all year-round.
This annual program is dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science. Originally conceived by the Computing in the Core coalition, Code.org® organizes CSEdWeek as a grassroots campaign supported by 350 partners and 100,000 educators worldwide.
5 Free Computer Programming Courses for Kids
Microsoft and Mojang are announcing the all-new Minecraft Hour of Code Designer, a tutorial that lets students code their own Minecraft rules. This year, students can use code to control how animals and other Minecraft creatures behave—they can create a totally unique Minecraft experience, and then share it with friends or play it on their phones!
A collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy, Pixar in a Box is designed especially for students in middle and high school. This free course sponsored by Disney, is a series of video lessons, interactive exercises, and hands-on activities.The course materials enable students to discover how the academic concepts they learn in school enable Pixar filmmakers to create new worlds, animate unique characters, and tell stories through animation.
If you are planning an Hour of Code event, be sure to signup and and look through the variety of tutorials and resources available for your students!
Tickle is easy to learn, fun to use, yet powerful enough for university courses and research projects. Experience the magic of programming drones, robots, smart homes, and Arduino, all wirelessly. You can even create custom robots by adding Arduino-based sensors and motors.
Computer Programming Kits & Resources
Computer programming and coding are not the only areas of career opportunity in the field of computer science. Computer science is the study of the theory, experimentation, and engineering that form the basis for the design and use of computers.
Piper is a complete DIY kit that provides kids with the chance to not only build their first computer but also learn about electronics along the way. Best of all, the kit grows with them. Included is the popular Raspberry Pi computer that budding makers can use in a variety of other projects.
Another exciting option is a monthly subscription box from Creation Crate, designed to help youth learn about electronics. Surprisingly, this box isn’t just for kids – it’s suitable for anyone age 12+ who wants to learn or enhance their electronics and coding skills. It’s fun and definitely educational!
Learn to modify the Minecraft game with Youth Digital’s Mod Design 1, a year-long online course that teaches kids programming with Java. Kids learn to code their own Minecraft mod from start to finish and watch as the end result becomes a unique, shareable Minecraft mod that they built from scratch. This course is currently available at a steep discount through Educents.
5 More Free Online Computer Programming Courses
TheNewBoston is arguably the single best resource for anyone who wants to become a Programmer. The tutorials in this channel cover a range of different programming topics including developing for android and Web design. Bucky Roberts is the guy who manages the channel and teaches the lessons using a teaching style best described as entertaining and simple. His coding tutorials are very easy for almost anyone of any age to grasp. This channel should be on your list for sure.
Derek Banas is a Youtube content creator who is very famous for his ” Programming language in a single video “series. Just as the title of that playlist implies, Banas explains the core concepts of a programming language in just one video. Among the content, you will find videos like Learn Java script in 30 Minutes and Learn the Ruby Programming Language in One Video. He explains a wide range of programming topics with content that includes thorough guides on PHP, along with MySQL and Java.
Pre-teens love Minecraft. Learn how to engage them in multiple subject areas with this Ultimate Guide to Teaching with Minecraft.
Treehouse is a educational resource established with the mission of providing affordable education. Treehouse offers lessons on numerous topics including coding in C# and Python. The videos are delivered in a casual and a easy-to-understand style by a variety of presenters. The channel’s content also includes the Treehouse Show, which is a roundup of web development and programming news along with helpful tips and interviews.
Learncode.academy is a great source for anyone who wishes to learn Web designing. In this channel, you will be walked through topics like jQuery and JavaScript in Stern’s efficient and thorough style. The channel’s trailer is one of his most popular videos and provides web development career advice. This video outlines the paths that you can take on your way to becoming a professional web developer along with the order in which you have to learn things.
The tutorials at ProgrammingKnowledge are specifically geared for new programmers and range from an Android tutorial for beginners to Python, Java, and C++. Among the resources is a C programming tutorial that is considered the best course in that language that you will find anywhere. The channel (along with ProgrammingKnowledge blog) are owned by Yogesh Patel. The sheer number of videos (over 1,000) that are geared towards beginners makes this one of the first channels that anyone who wants to get into coding should bookmark.
University Courses in Computer Science & Programming
Stanford’s CS 101 class taught by Nick Parlante teaches the essential ideas of computer science for a zero-prior-experience audience. Play and experiment with short bits of code to bring to life to the power and limitations of computers. CS101 also provides a general background on computers today: what is a computer, what is hardware, what is software, what is the internet.
Harvard College’s CS50x offers an introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, PHP, and JavaScript plus SQL, CSS, and HTML.