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Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

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Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#31

Post by throwaway75849 »

wizofaus wrote: post #8

As someone who does this regularly as a code club volunteer I'm not sure I see much useful advice there. Honestly the biggest challenge is accepting that within a group of kids the same age there'll be enormous variation in ability and motivation to pick up learning how to code. And what I have no real insight into is whether it even makes any difference in the long run (i.e. how many of the kids that do the whole co…

Are you able to convey some more general or high-level understanding, such as: "A procedure has a starting point, steps in sequence, possible repeated steps, and an end point." For example, one could start with trying to describe/document how to move physically in a room to get from one place to another. Then suggest, e.g. as a bridge, most computers can only work with a written descriptions of a procedure.

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#32

Post by HenryBemis »

linuxftw wrote: post #20
rajamaka wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many different paths to the same goal. Some kids are maybe better off just picking up C documentation and going straight for it. Some are better starting with some web based gamified psuedo language.

No. If you have to infantilize something for them, they're not capable of learning it.

I politely disagree. I have used hundreds/thousands of times in my life the "ELI5" method to explain anything and everything from IT security to budgeting, and it helps people understand. It will bore some of the audience in a call, but it will get the job done.

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#33

Post by tmpz22 »

querez wrote: post #17
pkdpic wrote: post #2

I love these suggestions, especially the card game and making their own website. I had my first real dev job when my son was born and I gave how to teach him code / reading / math a lot of thought. I tried speak and spells, workbooks, little toy pretend computers that had math games etc. In the end just giving him a raspberry pi with ubuntu, a big kids keyboard and no mouse seems to have been all he ever needs / want…

> Now if only I could get him to care about anything more than his hotwheels collection... he's a kid, es supposed to care more about that than anything else.

Hey now if the kid hasn't elevated themselves through 3 FANNG roles by the age of 8 how could they ever make a meaningful impact on the world of ad-tech?

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#34

Post by wizofaus »

throwaway75849 wrote: post #31
wizofaus wrote: post #8

As someone who does this regularly as a code club volunteer I'm not sure I see much useful advice there. Honestly the biggest challenge is accepting that within a group of kids the same age there'll be enormous variation in ability and motivation to pick up learning how to code. And what I have no real insight into is whether it even makes any difference in the long run (i.e. how many of the kids that do the whole co…

Are you able to convey some more general or high-level understanding, such as: "A procedure has a starting point, steps in sequence, possible repeated steps, and an end point." For example, one could start with trying to describe/document how to move physically in a room to get from one place to another. Then suggest, e.g. as a bridge, most computers can only work with a written descriptions of a procedure.

The code club lessons come with fairly explicit instructions that tell the kids what they need to do - mostly they only need help from the tutors when they can't find something (e.g. a particular command in whatever IDE they're using) or work out why they're not getting the expected result (usually because they've mistyped something). The super high level concept of "you have to provide explicit steps for the computer to follow" isn't really the blocker.

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#36

Post by MichaelMoser123 »

also there is turtle graphics library as part of the python standard library - pyturtle. https://docs.python.org/3.8/library/turtle.html

Al Sweigart wrote a nice tutorial here: https://github.com/asweigart/simple-turtle-tutorial-for-pyth...

Turns out that pyturtle has a nice beginner friendly interface with global functions (I overlooked it at first). The library makes this on the fly with a nice trick: https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/f978a79130133de1cf264...

they make a global function for each of methods of the turtle class by means of eval.

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#38

Post by xeonmc »

tmpz22 wrote: post #33
querez wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now if only I could get him to care about anything more than his hotwheels collection... he's a kid, es supposed to care more about that than anything else.

Hey now if the kid hasn't elevated themselves through 3 FANNG roles by the age of 8 how could they ever make a meaningful impact on the world of ad-tech?

“You doctor yet?”

“No dad I’m twelve.”

“Talk to me when you doctor.”

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#39

Post by djbusby »

Just anecdotal but, some of the 8-10 year olds I know are way into Roblox. When I mentioned I make computers do things some of them jump right to: can you make a game in Roblox. So there's the spark right?

Wish I knew how to build the fire. Is Roblox today like the BBS I was playing with in the 80s?

Re: Ways to teach kids to code (2016)

#40

Post by dudul »

tmpz22 wrote: post #33
querez wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Now if only I could get him to care about anything more than his hotwheels collection... he's a kid, es supposed to care more about that than anything else.

Hey now if the kid hasn't elevated themselves through 3 FANNG roles by the age of 8 how could they ever make a meaningful impact on the world of ad-tech?

We all know the only way to get a job is to be able to put on your resume "started programming at 3".
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