Coding is ordering your computer what you want it to do, which involves typing in step-by-step commands for the computer to follow.
There are a variety of coding languages, each designed with precise things in mind. From computer to website, from a smartphone app to tablet, video game, and even washing machine, the entire digital world relies on code to work. Also, coders are the architects, engineers, and builders of the digital age; they soon uphold a weightage. Coding isn’t just a skill but a complete way of thinking that seasons our reasoning, which needs to be learnt first by teachers and then transmitted to students.
In this article, we have enlisted top resources for teachers to learn and teach coding.
Let’s check’em out:
Founded by Hadi Partovi, Code.org is a national non-profit platform that promotes coding education for everyone. It offers free in-person workshops for K–12 educators, as well as online training and tutorials. The courses available for K–5 teachers take six to eight hours to complete and provide a curriculum guide and lesson plans. This platform is heavily advertised for its “Hour of Code”, an initiative that provides one-hour, self-guided tutorials that educators can use to give students exposure to coding. The tutorials are available at zero cost for any grade level. This program is held during Computer Science Education Week in early December, but teachers can access the materials and lead the activity anytime throughout the year. Code.org also has a great feature called Code Studio, allowing teachers to add their students to a class and track their progress as they complete coding levels. It is an amazing assessment tool. There is no cost for attendance. Besides these, Code.org is an organization dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities.
MIT founded Scratch.MIT.edu site, provides essential coding skills to all children for 21st-century learning. This is a free programming language and online community where users are free to create their own interactive stories, games, animations, music, and art using drag and drop. Scratch has a how-to guide with lots to try, and with every activity, there is a tutorial with downloadable activity cards and a guide for teachers. Not only this, there’s an online community called ScratchEd developed and supported by the Harvard Graduate School of Education where you can share stories, swap resources and ask questions. This website provides more than 40 languages and is used in homes, schools, community centres, and libraries.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation intend to advance computing education through the Raspberry Pi - a credit card-sized, low-cost computer that allows novice to learn how to program. This platform is an abundance of educational resources. Raspberrypi.org also run outreach programmes, such as the Raspberry Jam, a regular meet up for pupils to learn more about using the platform. Another part of the Raspberry family is the brilliant CoderDojo, a global network of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs.
CS for all teachers is a virtual community of practice for pre-kindergarten teachers through high school interested in teaching computer science. It provides an online home for teachers to connect and use the resources and expertise they need to teach computer science to their students. The platform has a team of expert facilitators and computing professionals. Teachers can get answers to their questions, share their experiences in groups, participate in online events, search for resources, and learn new instructional strategies from their colleagues to teach computer science.
Code Academy is an online catalogue of coding course ranging from web development to programming. The platform is committed to building the best learning experience inside and out, making Code Academy the best place for the team to learn, teach, and create the online learning experience of the future.
Code created is an online learning platform full of online lesson plans, video tutorials, and resources for teachers. The platform also offers coding workshops for schools led by real app and game developers, including teaching coding for apps and games and including workshops for the new BBC micro: bit featured on BBC Click.
It is a non-profit organisation that enables learners to learn anything that says web. Be a part of their social learning platform and join the community of like-minded learners to ace your goals.
This is the only platform you need to check to be the next self-taught developer. There are over 100 web development courses that you can opt from, and all of them are free of cost.
With the “learn coding on the go” approach, the modules and lessons have been kept bite-sized. You can learn on mobile with their free application. The app offers many coding courses, including python, c++, java, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, PSP, and CSS. Check them out for their interesting diversification of modules and lessons under each module. Bite-sized, crisp and full-on learning.
Whitehat Jr is one of the most talked company recently for the ample funding they’ve received. Launched in 2019, the company offers artificial intelligence (AI) courses to children aged between six and 14 years. With their engaging programs, children can ace programming skills through developing games, animations, websites and applications.
This Bengaluru based company was launched in 2014 to equip earners between age 3 and 12 with coding skills. The platform features project-based coding programs. Their programs focus on learning and developmental outcomes, including cognitive, sensory, and linguistics. All their programs are designed by MIT and IIT experts delivering students centric, customised solutions helping children develop a strong foundation.
Codechef is an online platform for algorithm and coding. It started in 2009 and was developed to help build a community and enhance their programming skill. At present, the platform offers practice sessions as well as programming contests. Users can learn, practice and participate in contests to win amazing prizes. The platform will also help you build a learning community where you can meet and learn from people with similar interests.
Besides these, several popular YouTube channels could be of help for teachers.
Let’s check them out:
The Code Player has a compilation of video tutorials to help you walk through a process from start to finish. This platform is ideal for learning “smaller" projects or tasks one at a time. It teaches topics like: HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, Regex, JQuery.
This platform features numerous videos on coding topics: a series of 19 video series on JavaScript, another 19 on HTML/CSS, and more. Topics taught by the platform are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, WordPress, iOS and Android, and more.
Learn Code academy has tutorial videos focused on Web development made by Will Stern. It covers Sublime Text, Responsive Design, Node.js, Angular.js, Backbone.js, deployment strategies, and more.
With more than 4,000, thenewboston has videos on various programming languages, game development, and design.
Did we miss out on any? If yes, do let us know.
