Replit.com or some other online compiler, get them to create some variables and add some numbers.
Move on to functions, arrays, ifs/fors, and maps.
Teach them the point of JSON and data objects, and then the world is theirs.
Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
101–110 of 192 posts
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#102> I'm afraid that if I show him how to download (or, better yet, build) emacs, how to build SBCL, install SLIME, etc... and hand the kid copies of SICL and PCL someone will call child protective services on me.
Fwiw, I'm only a couple years older than #2, and I would kill to have someone in meatspace who would help me with all of the above.
As far as other options, I would say Pico-8, tic80, UXN, Minetest/Minecraft, Godot, or Unity may all be decent options to start with, depending on how in depth you want to go.
Oh, also I really really really really like the book The Secret life of Programs. In my opinion, it really is worth learning how the layer below where you're working works.
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#103I personally would recommend How to Design Programs[0] as a starting point, then whatever technologies are best-suited for particular interests after that
[0]: http://htdp.org/
I'm guilty of this, but it's far to easy to spend too much time jumping between different technologies and programming languages and only learning the basics. So it's nice to have a concrete project in mind, so you can choose an established tool for that kind of project and not get lost with anything else until the project is done.
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#104There's something the "old hackers" know that many CS students don't learn from the start (in the introductory classes), and that is actually how a computer operates. Don't spend a lot of time on this unless he's really interested, but it's a good idea to sit down with him for a few hours and teach him what really goes on inside a computer. I'm talking about the concept of instructions, registers, addressable memory,…
I highly recommend "The Secret Life of Programs" for this purpose.
It starts at the hardware level and works up - it definitely massively improved my understanding of everything that goes on in a machine.
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
Every CS program of middling quality or above covers that material, but some may shove that coursework into mostly elective courses. Also, students can pass courses without really learning anything so if it's just one or two courses that really dive that deep over their academic career, they can learn enough to pass and then brain dump it.
Can confirm, I studied CS and don't feel like I really understand any of the low-level stuff.
You didn't have a course in machine structures? Including programming in assembly language?
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#106If he's interested, he'll figure it out. It's easier than ever in 2022. If he doesn't, he wasnt't that interested.
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#107We wrote a fairly simple introduction to using Unity, which might be worth a shot. https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/pathways/unity-intro
The first three projects introduce the skills. The second two give you some agency in decisions. The last lets you make whatever you want to make
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#108I personally would recommend How to Design Programs[0] as a starting point, then whatever technologies are best-suited for particular interests after that [0]: http://htdp.org/ I'm guilty of this, but it's far to easy to spend too much time jumping between different technologies and programming languages and only learning the basics. So it's nice to have a concrete project in mind, so you can choose an established to…
Came here to post this.
They make plenty of cool projects that young people might enjoy.
HTDP is explicitly designed to be a good pedagogical tool to drill down foundational concepts.
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#109[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: It's 2022. Where should I direct the youths to learn about programming?
#110games games games. best thing for learning.