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CodeHS - Jeremy Keeshin & Zach Galant
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
CodeHS is designed to help high school students learn the basics of computer programming. However, the tool would also be good to use in middle school. Start by signing up ...more
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CodeHS is designed to help high school students learn the basics of computer programming. However, the tool would also be good to use in middle school. Start by signing up for an account, create a class, and get started. Students sign up for the class with a class code or through an email invite from the teacher. The course is self-paced and takes students through with step by step tutorials, examples, and help along the way. Students begin each section of the course with an instructional video on Vimeo, YouTube, or the CodeHS website. Questions that check for understanding and an example of coding are follow-ups to the video. Then students put the skills to use through a series of practice activities by moving Karel, the dog, through combinations of four commands. You can check student progress through the dashboard. Also, explore the many resources offered to help you learn how to use and teach coding. Go through your own personal, professional development with the site as well.
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In the Classroom
Coding is an excellent way to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Use this site as homework, a center, or in a lab setting. The course is self-paced, so differentiation is easy. Explain to students that coding is a critical skill in today's world filled with technology and will also be a valuable skill in the job market. Many jobs that will require coding do not yet exist. Put a link to this tool on your class website, blog, or wiki.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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AppInventor - Learn to Build Android Apps - David Wolber, Univ of San Francisco's Democratize Computing Lab
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create your own Android app using Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech video with this easy to follow tutorial. The Course In a Box includes several modules taking ...more
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Create your own Android app using Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech video with this easy to follow tutorial. The Course In a Box includes several modules taking you step by step through the app building process. Videos and practice exercises guide you through the app creation process while building up in complexity. Final lessons teach skills such as apps that communicate with the web and apps with user-generated data. Registration allows you to save your work. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos on this site may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for use with any computer coding course. AppInventor has many tips and guidance for the classroom. Materials target students from middle school and higher. Work together as a class or assign as a self-paced activity. Share with students interested in learning computer coding as an excellent resource. If your school has an after-school computer club, use these training modules to encourage interested students to practice on their own. Once students get the hang of beginning programming tips, encourage them to make apps for other courses such as videos explaining photosynthesis, book readings from authors, or different genres of music and art.Edge Features:
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CheckiO - CheckiO
Grades
3 to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
This resource is an excellent online activity to learn Python through coding challenges. Choose a challenge and solve the problem to move onto another challenge. Complete each of the...more
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This resource is an excellent online activity to learn Python through coding challenges. Choose a challenge and solve the problem to move onto another challenge. Complete each of the tasks to gain points and move to the next area. Designed for beginners and experts students will have to stick with it to be able to move past the beginning as the backstory is lost moving from one action assignment to another. The story can be the one item that makes this site different from other coding challenges. After most of the challenges, the solutions are shown. Create an account or log in through Google or Facebook.
In the Classroom
Allow students use a variety of different types of coding. Use this site to learn Python. Once students have used several different coding sites, discuss what they learned from the process. Brainstorm and discuss the following: What is the use of learning coding? What are the similarities and differences of the various coding platforms? Use an online interactive Two or Three-Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, and here, for the comparisons of the coding programs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BotLogic - Dolphin Micro team
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
BotLogic is an online activity that teaches programming and code. Enter by clicking play. First go through the short tutorial. Choose the player link to begin playing without a code....more
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BotLogic is an online activity that teaches programming and code. Enter by clicking play. First go through the short tutorial. Choose the player link to begin playing without a code. Select your age to begin at the proper level. Each level offers a tutorial with directions for play. BotLogic shows the window of code as you create your line of icon instructions. As an extra challenge, try to use as few instructions as possible to earn rewards.
In the Classroom
Demonstrate how to play BotLogic on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Let students explore and play on their own using classroom computers or other web-enabled devices. Use BotLogic to teach logic, problem-solving, systems thinking, and, in some cases, collaboration. BotLogic is perfect for differentiation, allow students to move through levels at their pace. Share this on your website for students to use at home, too. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kodable - Surfscore, Inc
Grades
K to 4
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Kodable teaches coding to young children through programming logic, sequence, loops, functions, and debugging. Create one free class account for an unlimited number of students with...more
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Kodable teaches coding to young children through programming logic, sequence, loops, functions, and debugging. Create one free class account for an unlimited number of students with twelve weeks of lessons. Find lessons with programming curriculum, explanations of key concepts, and Common Core alignment. You can play without an account; however, results are not saved.
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In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to experiment while viewing their results. Kodable is great for differentiating for students with different abilities and learning styles. Set Kodable up as a learning center and have students work in pairs to complete the challenges.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tynker - Krishna Vedati
Grades
3 to 8
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed ...more
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Learn computer coding using simple and easy activities, lesson plans, and an interface sure to please all ages! Sign up for your free account and once your dashboard is displayed choose from several helpful videos to get started. To find the Hour of Code click Courses from the left menu and find several including Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides. Learn to code by dropping blocks of commands into sequence on the left side of the screen and seeing the results along the right. The lessons provide step by step instructions, missions, and other materials to learn to code. Teachers can create a class and add students to the class. Click on student view of each lesson to see the tools and student tasks. Follow the instructions along the right panel. Note the tools that are along the top including undo and redo! This tool also features a question bar along the top. Note: This free portion of the resource offers four Coding Courses, weekly STEM Projects, Hour of Code Activities, Project Templates, Coding Tools (Block & Text), Unlimited Student Accounts, Student Progress Metrics, and Professional Development. Sign up for a free account by selecting Teacher and using Google, your email, Apple, Microsoft.
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In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to "tinker" and see what they can make. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Be sure to recommend that students "ask three before me" (the teacher). Have students use an online storyboard to write down what they plan to do/draw/say with their creation, and to help you keep tabs on students and their progress. For enhancing learning and technology use create a digital storyboard with Story Map, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. When finished with these Tynker lessons, move to other free tools such as Scratch, reviewed here. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum. Have them create a creature they can explain to the class or share with gifted peers in other classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Alice - Carnegie Mellon University
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Alice will have your students in wonderland as they use this innovative 3D programming environment targeted to middle and high school students. Be the director of a movie or the ...more
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Alice will have your students in wonderland as they use this innovative 3D programming environment targeted to middle and high school students. Be the director of a movie or the creator of a video game. 3D objects appear in an on-screen virtual world imagined by the creator and move around according to the directions you give by dragging and dropping tiles. The drag and drop technique provides a more engaging programming experience for first-time programmers. Alice provides exposure to object-oriented programming. Alice has practical value for students to learn how computers think. The instructions correspond to standard statements in a production oriented programming language, such as Java, C++, and C#. While using Alice, programmers can immediately see how their animation program runs and the behavior of the objects in their animation. Manipulate camera angles and lighting to make further enhancements. Alice is a revolutionary method to teach programming, especially to first-time learners. It allows students to understand programming concepts, a 21st-century skill.
In the Classroom
Be sure to check with your Technology Department, as many districts require authorization to download or install new applications. Plan ahead as you request that this application be installed on your classroom or laptop cart computers. Alice provides an opportunity to enhance learning for students by creating and learning how to problem solve. Subscribe to the teacher list to receive updates and integration ideas for Alice. The purpose of this list is to provide an easy way to ask questions and collaborate with the Alice teaching community. View and use activities to increase programming knowledge and the use of the Alice program.Students quickly catch on to Alice when allowed to play and easily see what they can make from it. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools as well as the drag and drop interface. Have students use a storyboard to organize their creation in order to keep tabs on students and their creations. Replace the paper and pencil storyboard by using a digital storyboard like Story Map, reviewed here, or Storyboarder, reviewed here. Build games to review curricular material for assessments. Have students create videos or digital stories to bring a subject to life. Teachers of gifted can turn their students loose to create animations about individual interests or research projects.
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ScratchED - MIT
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Looking for project ideas to use with Scratch? Take a look at this generous community where teachers are sharing great...more
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Looking for project ideas to use with Scratch? Take a look at this generous community where teachers are sharing great ideas, handouts, videos, and more about using Scratch. Only the introductory video requires Flash.
In the Classroom
View the resources without creating an account. Consider joining the community to learn more about using Scratch in the classroom. You'll want to bookmark, comment, and participate, but you need to join to do that. View and use activities to increase programming knowledge and the use of the Scratch program. Mark this one in your Favorites as a reference. Don't be afraid to allow Scratch-hooked students to explore some of the suggestions, as well.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
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Tinkercad - Tinkercad, Inc.
Grades
3 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Create 3D models with Tinkercad's easy drag and drop interface. Move objects into and out of other objects and zoom in and out with ease. Tinkercad is a free site ...more
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Create 3D models with Tinkercad's easy drag and drop interface. Move objects into and out of other objects and zoom in and out with ease. Tinkercad is a free site using a browser-based CAD program (no download required). Create a free account to follow activities and learn new skills. Share your creations on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Want to save a picture? Use the screen shot function (command//shift/4 in a Mac or print screen in a PC). To print in 3D, you must use other applications or have access to a 3D printer. All designs made in Tinkercad are public. Others can copy and use your designs. (The Creative Commons license is another useful part of Tinkercad.)
In the Classroom
Bring out the budding engineer, scientist, or designer in your students. Create simple models or use one created by others in Tinkercad. Give ample time for students to play with the variety of shapes and letters. As they become proficient, create a 3D model science fair for products that solve problems. As part of a multidisciplinary unit in science, technology, economics, math, social studies, and English classes, use this site to create a culminating design project.Have the final design project be a new museum or historical/tourist attraction to commemorate a local hero/heroine. In English classes, have students create a written grant for the design proposal. In economics, have the students discover how to construct the project for the best possible cost. In math and science classes, have the students "build" the project with accurate measurements. Then as a follow up, have students use Google Earth reviewed here to predict the environmental impact of the new construction. Or, in technology education or industrial arts class, use this as a way to submit project drafts for construction.
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Scratch - Lifelong Kindergarten Group, MIT Media Lab
Grades
1 to 12
12 Favorites
0 Comments
Want to get in touch with your inner child? Get Scratch! Warning: The use of this application is quite fun and engaging! Scratch is a downloadable program that creates interactive ...more
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Want to get in touch with your inner child? Get Scratch! Warning: The use of this application is quite fun and engaging! Scratch is a downloadable program that creates interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art. This application can be used for bringing simple ideas and projects to life. It has great use as a paint program without using the animations. Download/install files are available for Mac or PC. Menu tabs include an Idea tab where you will find a Getting Started Tutorial, Activity Guides, Coding Cards, and Starter Projects. FAQs and support pages are also available for help in using the application.
Material created can only be viewed within the program. Drawings are not saved as a JPG or pic file. However, a "snapshot" of the screen can be created by using these keys in Mac: apple, shift, and 4 and click/drag to surround the portion to save. In PC use: control/print screen. These snapshots can be uploaded or used as a picture in other applications.
Material created can only be viewed within the program. Drawings are not saved as a JPG or pic file. However, a "snapshot" of the screen can be created by using these keys in Mac: apple, shift, and 4 and click/drag to surround the portion to save. In PC use: control/print screen. These snapshots can be uploaded or used as a picture in other applications.
In the Classroom
Be sure to "play" with this program before you present it to students; or, you could have computer savy students in your class pair up with not so savy students to investigate together. There are many tabs, folders; and icons to investigate. You (or students) could click Create and in the center pane, click on the tutorial. To begin your creation follow the steps in the tutorial. Once you have the idea, choose your own features from the menu on the left, and on the bottom right are two more menus; Look for the cat icon and the backdrops. Different colors, pens, and materials can be used to create the background or an image can be brought in from your computer. Objects in Scratch are called a Sprite and can be added in by choosing the folders below the screen. By clicking the script tab, blocks can be moved in to create motion, add sounds (even record your own message), and change the look of the Sprite. Blocks are linked on to each other to create a series of events. A control block dragged to the top of the blocks control which key starts the event. Advanced options include adding variables and other controls.Be sure to check with your Technology Department, as many districts require authorization to download or install new applications. Projects can be shared online; however an account is required.
Work is saved to the computer itself and only shared online via an account. To avoid problems concerning content made by outsiders or issues with sharing, save the work locally and either create your own gallery on a supervised class website/wiki or set up a single account where you share the "best" projects online via your own log-in. Remind students of the school's Acceptable Use Policy and consequences of violations, if you do allow them to join/share. Images used should adhere to all copyright rules. Use pictures taken in class or those with Creative Commons licensing (and provide attribution!).
Practical tips: Students quickly catch on to this program when allowed to play and easily see what they can make from it. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Have students use a storyboard to write down what they will do/draw/say in their creation in order to keep tabs on what students and their creations.
Possible uses: For the lower grades, Scratch provides unlimited possibilities. Use as a new way to show vocabulary usage. Use the paint program to add information to a picture from your class field trip or science experiment. Use Scratch to help in storytelling a concept in a new and unique way, such as how rocks are formed. In the upper grades, use Scratch to show complex material in a new way. For example, students can draw DNA and show replication, etc. through their drawings and storytelling. Draw the different movements of landforms in plate tectonics. Draw or illustrate solutions to Math problems.
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Snap! (Build Your Own Blocks) - Jens Monig and Brian Harvey
Grades
5 to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Learn to code through drag and drop features with Snap! In addition to the drag and drop technology, Snap! allows users to write scripts to control features of the program. ...more
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Learn to code through drag and drop features with Snap! In addition to the drag and drop technology, Snap! allows users to write scripts to control features of the program. For those familiar with Scratch, reviewed here, Snap! includes features that take it beyond simple drag and drop to make it an excellent application for introducing coding to older students. Visit the example page to view projects designed using Snap! For an even more comprehensive list of examples, visit this collection, put together by the designer of Snap!.
In the Classroom
Share Snap! on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector to provide an overview of the features included then allow students to explore on their own. Save projects to your own computer or create an account to save on the site. Search YouTube for video tutorials on using this program and share with students as they build an understanding of how to use the site. Begin by creating a small project together, then allow students to work individually or in groups to create their design. Streghthen learning by sharing links to student projects on an online bulletin board like Lino, reviewed here. Transform learning by challenging students who are proficient with Snap! to create video tutorials using a tool like Clipchamp, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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