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Computer coding resources for your library

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Nebraska Library Commission
Nebraska Library Commission

This document provides a comparison of over 50 coding tools for learning programming. It lists tools categorized by those for learning visual blocks, hands-on hardware, and formal coding languages. For each tool, it provides information on required math prerequisites, preparation time, and price. Many of the tools are free to use, including Scratch, Code Combat, Codecademy, and Khan Academy for learning formal languages as well as tools like Kodable, BotLogic and CargoBot for visual blocks. Hands-on tools like Arduino, Lego Mindstorms and Sphero require additional hardware and have higher prices but provide interactive experiences. The document serves as a useful starting point for finding coding tools suitable for different ages,

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1 EDSURGE EdSurge is an independent information resource and community for everyone involved in education technology. The Edsurge guide has links to the best resources broken down by category of coding. A Comparison of 50+ Coding Tools 50+ Tools to Learn Coding There are endless ways to learn programming available online. We've selected our favorite 40+ tools to get you started. Whether you're a complete tyro, robot-hacking hands-on learner, or a 'leet coder looking for advanced training, you'll find something to help you hone your skills. "Math Prerequisite" indicates the amount of math a student should know to make the most of a tool: Elementary, Middle, and High School and above. "Prep Time" is relative: some products require hardware setup, user authentication, and lesson planning while others are browser-based and ready to go. Prices (as of May 2013) are as indicated, with any extra fees noted in a product's description. Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Alice Free downloadable software that teaches computer programming in a 3-D environment. Kids can create animation, games or videos to share on the web. There's also quite a collection of resources for teachers. Free BotLogic Free game that introduces basic programming concepts by asking players to navigate a series of challenging mazes. Free CargoBot Players learn coding logic in this iPad app by using a string of commands to organize crates with a robotic arm. As levels get more complex, the user must create functions and optimize his limited number of moves to meet the objectives. Free CS Unplugged Here's a nifty trick--learning computer science without a computer! This series of logic exercises uses cups, ping pong balls and post-it notes to teach students the logic behind coding. The site also has videos of each exercise being used in a class. Free Hakitzu This iPad game teaches the fundamentals of JavaScript by allowing players to program robots to compete in arena fights. Requires no prior knowledge of coding to play. Free Karel the Robot Self-paced online programming course that's currently used in schools, programming clubs and at homes. The course includes an optional algorithmic thinking pre- and post-test. $2.50/mo - $30/yr Kodable Kodable is a free educational iPad game offering a kid-friendly introduction to programming concepts and problem solving. For kids ages 5 and up. Free Kodu Created by Microsoft, this program uses a visual language to create games. While the PC version is free, Xbox 360 users can pick up a copy for $5. Free Move the Turtle Based on the Logo programming language, players learn coding logic by guiding a turtle through obstacles to a destination. Players can also use its composer function to create $2.99
2 intricate designs. Robot Turtles Board game that teaches programming logic to young children. $25 RoboLogic Players program a robot's movements on a grid and get it to light up specific squares before they run out of moves. Teaches concepts of functions and nesting. $0.99 Learn to Program Hardware Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Arduino A popular choice for hands-on learners who want their code to interact with the real world. Can be used for creating a range of projects in the Arduino Code programming language--from light up coffee tables to robots. Extensive documentation of projects online at websites like Instructables. Instructors take note that LEDs, motors, and sensors cost extra. Fairly involved hardware and programming environment setup time. $25+ Lego Mindstorms EV3 The ubiquitous blocks from Denmark get a technological upgrade. This set allows users to create and program robots through a visual programming language. Big for hands-on learning (with a big price tag to match). Instructors keep in mind that projects require construction and programming time. Support can be found on the Mindstorms forum. Windows and Mac compatible. $350 Play-i These two delightful robots--Bo and Yana--offer a wide range programming activities for kids ages 5 to 12 and beyond. All you need is a smartphone. While they can operate independently They're best when paired together, says the creators, since they can sense one another and offer kids more advanced programming challenges. $59- $228 Raspberry Pi This credit card-sized single board computer packs a punch! The Pi can be used for hands-on fun like an Arduino and is powerful enough to run a version of Minecraft. eLinux.org has a wealth of tutorials and projects for the tiny titan of the "Maker" world. Instructors take note that LEDs, motors, and sensors cost extra. $35 Sphero Robot Ball Let's get rolling! Sphero is an interactive spherical robot that you can program on your iOS, Android and Windows devices. There are over 30 apps available, as well as a growing educator community. You can also get Sphero's tubular companion, Ollie, coming in Fall 2014. $80+ Learn to Code With Visual Blocks Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price App Inventor for Android This MIT-created platform uses visual blocks to allow students to create apps that can be exported to Android devices. Large library of tutorials that get as advanced as SMS texting and Free
3 GPS. Requires a Google Account to use. Hopscotch This free iPad app uses a visual programming language similar to Scratch to help kids learn the basics of programming logic, such as sequencing, loops, variables, functions and conditionals. Free Pluralsight Detailed video tutorials for Scratch and App Inventor for Android. Advanced students can check out tutorials on C#. Free Scratch 2.0 Created at MIT, Scratch popularized visual blocks as a way of learning programming. But don't let the easy interface and cute graphics fool you--users can make and share anything from simple animations to fully-fledged games. Free SNAP! SNAP!'s visual blocks support higher level computer science concepts like recursion, procedures, and continuations, making it appropriate for even college level intro classes. While it doesn't have the same social functions of Scratch, SNAP! can work with the Nintendo Wiimote and LEGO Mindstorms NXT. Comes with a manual and sample projects and can use much of Scratch's documentation as well. Free Stencyl Game creation software that allows users to make playable apps for iOS, Android, HTML5, Window, and Mac. The game logic is programmed with visual blocks. The official site has forums and a crash course to get you started. Free Tynker Inspired by Scratch, Tynker has a dashboard to allow teachers to create a more structured way of teaching code with visual blocks. Includes assessment, classroom management, lesson plans, and a built in tutor. Free for schools. Free- $50 Learn a Formal Coding Language Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Code Avengers In-browser exercises and courses in JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3. Courses are free for individuals and $5 each for student licenses (which include extra resources and progress tracking) with bulk discounts available. Free Code Combat In-browser, multiplayer live coding game set in a fantasy world. You play as a wizard who navigates obstacles and battles enemies using Javascript. Free Code School Offers full courses in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, and iOS. Students will learn through video and practice coding in their browser--no downloads required! $29/mo
4 Codecademy Full courses in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Exercises are done in browser and checked automatically for accuracy. Free CodeHS Students learn JavaScript by commanding a dog named Karel to move around the screen. Classes advance to understanding data structures and programming for games. The first module is free to use, gaining access to the rest of the site is $25/month, and receiving feedback and debugging in addition to access is $75/month. Free- $25/mo Coursera Beginning courses in JavaScript, Python, SQL and general computer science. Also offers higher level logic courses in topics like Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Computational Neuroscience. Note that classes have start and end dates. Founded by Stanford computer science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Free edX Covers languages like Python, Ruby, C++ as well as higher level classes in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Graphics. Classes are taught through video, PDFs, and tutorials. Students answer problem sets and take tests online. Discussion boards connect students with professors and each other. Note that courses have specific start and end dates. Free Globaloria Blended-learning courses that teach students to design and code educational games. Start by playing and analyzing games, move onto prototyping and coding in Flash Actionscript, Unity3D, Java Script, and more. Used as standalone courses or to supplement core classes. Annual school subscription $75/student includes onsite professional development, virtual mentorship, and daily support system for students, teachers and administrators. $75 /student Hackety Hack An introductory Ruby environment for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Its website includes a few early lessons in Ruby. Free HTML5 Rocks Online resource with tutorials, demos, and sample work in HTML5. Supplementary resource for educators teaching the language. Free JS Dares A collection of JavaScript lessons that go from teaching a student about basic syntax to helping them recreate working games. Browser-based and completely free. Free Khan Academy Users watch videos, do exercises and play with sample code to learn JavaScript programming basics. Completely browser-based with an interactive player/editor. Free KidsRuby This free, downloadable program teaches kids Ruby and can be used completely offline. KidsRuby includes resources from other programs like Hackety Hack and Ruby Warrior. It Free
5 can be installed on Mac, Linux, Windows, and even Raspberry Pi. Learn Code the Hard Way As its name suggests, this set of courses is for self-motivated learners. Html lessons walk complete novice coders through their languages of choice: Ruby, C, SQL, Regex, or CLI. Each course requires the installation of the chosen development environment (which is explained thoroughly). For $29, students can buy PDF versions of the lessons as well as gain access to tutorial videos. Free LearnStreet Courses in JavaScript, Ruby, Python, HTML, and CSS where students can practice coding in their browsers. Courses are free but users can pay for 1 on 1 tutoring. Free Lynda.com A collection of video tutorials covering a wide variety of formal coding languages. Beginners and advanced users alike can find lessons to suit their needs. Access to videos costs $25/month; users can access videos and exercise files for $37.50/month. $25/mo MIT OpenCourseWare This initiative by MIT puts all of the course materials from the university's undergraduate and graduate courses online. This includes syllabi, reading lists, and sometimes practice questions and video lectures. Covers many formal programming languages and offers advanced theory classes as well. Recommended for students who are self-motivated. Free Mozilla Thimble Sample websites with annotations guiding students to change variables to impact aesthetics and usability. Instructors will want to create their own lessons around the content. Free One Month In one intense month, claims this startup, you can pick up learn enough HTML, CSS and Ruby to build websites and web products. Courses come with 8 hours of instructional videos and code samples. $99 Programmr Offers a full course in Java through video and interactive code. Also has extensive sample code from many other formal languages like C++, PHP, Ruby, Python, Android, and iOS. Free Stack Overflow Massive repository of coding information and help available online. Covers every formal coding language on this list. Free The Puzzle School JavaScript and HTML training in the context of puzzles. While not a full course in the languages, the browser-based games teach important fundamentals. Free Thinkful Three-month courses for front-end web development, Python, Ruby, AngularJS and iOS $300- $500
6 development. Includes one-on-one sessions with mentors. Treehouse Over 100 interactive courses that cover languages from HTML to Ruby on Rails, and organized according to real-world skills such as web design, backend development and building apps. $25- $49/mo Turtle Academy A collection of short, free lessons using the Logo programming language. Students will learn the basics of programming logic in this browser-based program. Free Tuts Plus Full courses in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, and other web development tools. Subscriptions are $19/month with discounts for groups. $25- $180 Udacity Developed at Stanford, this MOOC covers many different coding topics including Java, HTML5, Python, as well as logic classes in AI and debugging. Free Udemy This MOOC marketplace offers covers a wide range of programming courses for Java, Ruby, C++, PHP, HTML, CSS, and other languages. Courses are taught through video, slides, and PDFs and require students to install the appropriate programming environments. $50+ /lesson W3 Schools Extensive tutorials in web development languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, PHP, and SQL. Includes interactive sample code. Free https://www.edsurge.com/guide/teaching-kids-to-code Kano http://www.kano.me/ Kano is a computer you build and code yourself. Lego simple, Raspberry Pi powerful, and hugely fun. Raspberry Pi The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games. 16 fun projects for your new raspberry pi http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/16-fun-projects-for-your-new-raspberry-pi-1657769448
7 Code Monkey Island Who it’s for: Ages 8+ Platforms: Board game Pricing: $40+ Find out more: Code Monkey Island website, Kickstarter The expert view: “Code Monkey Island is a crazy-fun board game that introduces kids to programming.” — Educator and technology-access activist Phil Shapiro Above: Code Monkey Island won’t magically make your kids into programmers, but it will ground them in basic concepts. Brooklyn resident Raj Sidhu wanted to introduce programming basics to kids in a fun way. He chose a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem and embedded concepts like Boolean logic and conditional statements in a family-friendly board game. Code Monkey Island is straightforward to play and takes about 45 minutes. Players use cards with statements such as, “For each monkey NOT on a rock, move 3 spaces,” to move their troop of monkeys around the island. Sidhu chose a board game because these bring families together. “I wanted to create an experience that kids, parents, and grandparents could share and in the process allow children to exercise their immense learning capabilities through play,” he said on his Kickstarter page. Code Monkey Island ran a successful Kickstarter, and copies should ship in August. You can secure one by backing the project for $40 or more. Kodable Who it’s for: Ages 5-8 Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free ($7 for the Pro version) Find out more: Kodable website, iTunes The expert view: “Kodable scaffolds programming skills so that young children can learn how to code. They don’t even have to know how to read. ” — Terri Eichholz, teacher of K-5 gifted students, South Central Texas
8 Above: KIds are young as 2 use Kodable, according to cofounder Grechen Huebner. Kodable’s 105 maze-like levels help teach young kids programming concepts like conditions, loops, functions, and debugging. It avoids using text entirely, making it a great entry point for younger children. Its alien protagonists are fuzzy and colorful and seem to have that kid appeal nailed down. “Adults are so terrified of programming; it’s this scary thing,” Kodable co-founder Grechen Huebner told TechRepublic. “It’s funny how much adults underestimate kids, and giving them an opportunity to be challenged at such an early age proves how smart they are.” The free version of Kodable includes the first 45 levels. In-app purchases can unlock more levels and concepts. The $7 Pro version also adds vocabulary lessons and learning guides. Robozzle Who it’s for: Ages 6+ (and adults) Platforms: Web browsers, iOS, Android, Windows phone Pricing: Free (browser), free to $2 (mobile) Find out more: Browser game, iTunes, Google Play, Windows store The expert view: “Robozzle bills itself as a social puzzle game, but to me it’s a fun and interesting way to introduce programming concepts. And perhaps it is a game to get young people interested in programming.” — High school computer-science teacher Alfred Thompson
9 Above: Robozzle looks simple at first but soon reveals its complexities. If you’re looking for challenge for older kids (or yourself), try Robozzle. It’s a puzzle game that Microsoft programmer Igor Ostrovsky created in his free time. Robozzle tasks you with guiding a robot through a series of mazes using limited commands. The levels range from those suitable for younger children right up to puzzles that will make seasoned coders scratch their heads. It’s free to play through browsers (using Silverlight), and community support enables players to create, vote, and comment on new levels. Versions of Robozzle exist for iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Android. Prices vary. Cargo-Bot Who it’s for: 5+ to adults Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free Find out more: iTunes The expert view: “Great iPad app to teach coding. Used it with my two kiddos.” — Educational entrepreneur and Google Teacher Academy co-founder Mike Lawrence
10 Above: Cargo-Bot was created with Codea on an iPad. Image Credit: Dan Crawley Cargo-Bot was the first game programmed entirely on an iPad. It’s accessible for kids as young as five on its easiest levels, but it offers a real challenge as it progresses. Players use a moving crane to shift boxes around a factory. In doing so, they use coding concepts like loops and procedures and do a ton of debugging. “I wanted it to be a game about moving blocks around with a claw and make you forget that you are in fact programming,” developer Rui Viana told Fast Company. SpaceChem Who it’s for: Ages 10+ (and adults) Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android Pricing: Free demo, $10 (Steam), $3 (iOS/Android) Find out more: SpaceChem website, Steam, iTunes, Google Play The expert view: “I believe SpaceChem [is] the best programming game yet made.” — Neil Brown, Computing education researcher, University of Kent, U.K.
11 Above: Schools worldwide have used SpaceChem to support learning. It’s still very much a game, though. SpaceChem’s fusion of programming and pseudo-chemistry in a science-fiction setting earned great reviews on its 2011 release. Tough enough to challenge high-school students and beyond, SpaceChem tasks players with building machines to fight monsters, using programming concepts like in-order execution, loops, branching, and subroutines. Developer Zachtronic Industries details exactly what the game can help teach in its educators guide. “SpaceChem is the game I wish I could give to my 12-year-old self and let him go crazy,” according to educational blog Gaming to Learn. “When you hear people talking about how important it is to learn to write code, this is what they are talking about. Games like this teach the gamer how to think.” Robot Turtles Who it’s for: Ages 3-8 Platforms: Board game Pricing: $25 Find out more: Robot Turtles website – Kickstarter The expert view: “Man, start ‘em young! This is awesome! The future is looking bright!” — John Legere, Chief executive officer, T-Mobile
12 Above: Playing a game of Robot Turtles. This programming board game for very young kids raised over $600,000 on Kickstarter last year. It only needed $25,000 to get funded. Such was the demand for the game, which teaches programming fundamentals by using instruction cards to command turtles around a maze, that it sold out of its initial 25,000 production run straight away. Kids use limited syntax, sequence instructions, and debug when they’ve made an error, and the game only takes seconds to learn according to creator Dan Shapiro. “I’m a big believer that programming is like a superpower you can give kids, a way to ensure that the innovations of the future won’t leave them behind,” Sharipo told TechCrunch. Recently acquired by games company ThinkFun, Robot Turtles is hitting the mass market later this month. Code Combat Who it’s for: Ages 13+ (or younger with guidance/consent) Platforms: Web browsers Pricing: Free Find out more: Code Combat website The expert view: “Very creative and engaging approach to teaching coding through play.” — Jason Battles, Associate Dean for Library Technology Planning and Policy, University of Alabama
13 Above: Code Combat fuses wizards, warriors, ogres, and coding in a fun way. Code Combat is the only title on the list that has players inputting actual code to play (Javascript currently, with experimental support for CoffeeScript, Python, Clojure, and Lua). Don’t let that put you off, though, as Code Combat does a great job of entertaining while teaching. You can work through single-player levels in this fantasy-themed game, then unleash your new-found coding skills on other players. There’s a multiplayer tournament called Greed in progress right now with $40,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. Code Combat hopes to stay free by helping companies recruit high-level players. Yep, that’s right. Playing a game can get you a job. Ludos Who it’s for: Ages 4-12 Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS Pricing: $119 Find out more: Digital Dream Labs The expert view: “What sets Cloudboard [Ludos' board interface] apart from many other products currently available is not only its combination of the physical and digital worlds but also the way that it fosters collaboration.” — Terri Eichholz, teacher of K-5 gifted students, South Central Texas
14 Above: Ludos uses tiles to make programming a tactile experience for kids. Due out this August, Ludos aims to make programming a real hands-on experience for younger kids. Ludos allows players to physically place instruction tiles directly onto a grid, programming the actions of on-screen characters. Cork the Volcano will be the first Ludos game, and it has a strong focus on coding basics like planning, sequencing, and debugging. Other games will also be made available for the system, which is an open platform that anyone can develop for. Codemancer Who it’s for: Ages 9-14 Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS, Android Pricing: $20 Find out more: Important Little Games website – Kickstarter The expert view: “A fantasy game [with] a female protagonist that teaches kids (& adults!) how to code? I adore every single part of this! ” — Lauren Scott, web developer and junior instructor, Dev Bootcamp
15 Above: Codemancer raised over 4 times its targeted goal on Kickstarter. Codemancer is hoping its fantasy story and female protagonist will help it stand out when it releases next summer. Players will use magical runes to direct the action when this successfully Kickstarted project goes live, helping the hero Aurora to save her father’s life. Creator Robert Lockhart hopes the game’s accessibility will help break down barriers that prevent some kids from coding. “Codemancer’s language is designed to be accessible,” Lockhart says on his Kickstarter page, “but also translates easily to a variety of popular real-world programming languages. More complex programs are made when we introduce programming concepts like variables, conditionals, and functions.” Machineers Who it’s for: Ages 8-14 Platforms: PC, Mac (iPad to follow) Pricing: Free demo Find out more: Machineers website The expert view: “Machineers looks to be the best example of an education game I’ve ever seen.” – Programmer and game developer Paul Hayes
16 Above: Machineers won “Best Student Game” at the 2012 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in Florida. Machineers is an adventure title that lets players interact with broken machines, using coding principles and a drag-and- drop interface to fix them up. Henrike Lode, a member of the Danish Lohika Games team behind Machineers, decided to market it as a puzzle- adventure after one child tester complained that educational games are like “chocolate covered broccoli.” “This is preparation for future learning,” Lode told Indie Statik. “We don’t have math or code in there, so [kids] won’t be able to start programming, but [it trains] logical thinking and something called procedural literacy, which is the ability to read and write processes.” Currently still in development, the PC and Mac demo of Machineers is free to download and play. Lohika Games is targeting an iPad release for the full game. Bee-Bot Who it’s for: Ages 4-7 Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free Find out more: iTunes The expert view: “Just pass the device over and watch the trial, error, hypothesis, testing, revising, and ultimate success that will happen.” – Doug Peterson, Faculty of Education sessional instructor, University of Windsor, Canada
17 Above: Many schools use Bee-Bot to help introduce programming basics. Image Credit: Dan Crawley Educational developer TTS designed BeeBot to help younger children program with positional language and programming sequences of instructions. The simple, accessible app has 12 top-down timed levels set in progressively difficult mazes.

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Computer coding resources for your library

  • 1. 1 EDSURGE EdSurge is an independent information resource and community for everyone involved in education technology. The Edsurge guide has links to the best resources broken down by category of coding. A Comparison of 50+ Coding Tools 50+ Tools to Learn Coding There are endless ways to learn programming available online. We've selected our favorite 40+ tools to get you started. Whether you're a complete tyro, robot-hacking hands-on learner, or a 'leet coder looking for advanced training, you'll find something to help you hone your skills. "Math Prerequisite" indicates the amount of math a student should know to make the most of a tool: Elementary, Middle, and High School and above. "Prep Time" is relative: some products require hardware setup, user authentication, and lesson planning while others are browser-based and ready to go. Prices (as of May 2013) are as indicated, with any extra fees noted in a product's description. Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Alice Free downloadable software that teaches computer programming in a 3-D environment. Kids can create animation, games or videos to share on the web. There's also quite a collection of resources for teachers. Free BotLogic Free game that introduces basic programming concepts by asking players to navigate a series of challenging mazes. Free CargoBot Players learn coding logic in this iPad app by using a string of commands to organize crates with a robotic arm. As levels get more complex, the user must create functions and optimize his limited number of moves to meet the objectives. Free CS Unplugged Here's a nifty trick--learning computer science without a computer! This series of logic exercises uses cups, ping pong balls and post-it notes to teach students the logic behind coding. The site also has videos of each exercise being used in a class. Free Hakitzu This iPad game teaches the fundamentals of JavaScript by allowing players to program robots to compete in arena fights. Requires no prior knowledge of coding to play. Free Karel the Robot Self-paced online programming course that's currently used in schools, programming clubs and at homes. The course includes an optional algorithmic thinking pre- and post-test. $2.50/mo - $30/yr Kodable Kodable is a free educational iPad game offering a kid-friendly introduction to programming concepts and problem solving. For kids ages 5 and up. Free Kodu Created by Microsoft, this program uses a visual language to create games. While the PC version is free, Xbox 360 users can pick up a copy for $5. Free Move the Turtle Based on the Logo programming language, players learn coding logic by guiding a turtle through obstacles to a destination. Players can also use its composer function to create $2.99
  • 2. 2 intricate designs. Robot Turtles Board game that teaches programming logic to young children. $25 RoboLogic Players program a robot's movements on a grid and get it to light up specific squares before they run out of moves. Teaches concepts of functions and nesting. $0.99 Learn to Program Hardware Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Arduino A popular choice for hands-on learners who want their code to interact with the real world. Can be used for creating a range of projects in the Arduino Code programming language--from light up coffee tables to robots. Extensive documentation of projects online at websites like Instructables. Instructors take note that LEDs, motors, and sensors cost extra. Fairly involved hardware and programming environment setup time. $25+ Lego Mindstorms EV3 The ubiquitous blocks from Denmark get a technological upgrade. This set allows users to create and program robots through a visual programming language. Big for hands-on learning (with a big price tag to match). Instructors keep in mind that projects require construction and programming time. Support can be found on the Mindstorms forum. Windows and Mac compatible. $350 Play-i These two delightful robots--Bo and Yana--offer a wide range programming activities for kids ages 5 to 12 and beyond. All you need is a smartphone. While they can operate independently They're best when paired together, says the creators, since they can sense one another and offer kids more advanced programming challenges. $59- $228 Raspberry Pi This credit card-sized single board computer packs a punch! The Pi can be used for hands-on fun like an Arduino and is powerful enough to run a version of Minecraft. eLinux.org has a wealth of tutorials and projects for the tiny titan of the "Maker" world. Instructors take note that LEDs, motors, and sensors cost extra. $35 Sphero Robot Ball Let's get rolling! Sphero is an interactive spherical robot that you can program on your iOS, Android and Windows devices. There are over 30 apps available, as well as a growing educator community. You can also get Sphero's tubular companion, Ollie, coming in Fall 2014. $80+ Learn to Code With Visual Blocks Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price App Inventor for Android This MIT-created platform uses visual blocks to allow students to create apps that can be exported to Android devices. Large library of tutorials that get as advanced as SMS texting and Free
  • 3. 3 GPS. Requires a Google Account to use. Hopscotch This free iPad app uses a visual programming language similar to Scratch to help kids learn the basics of programming logic, such as sequencing, loops, variables, functions and conditionals. Free Pluralsight Detailed video tutorials for Scratch and App Inventor for Android. Advanced students can check out tutorials on C#. Free Scratch 2.0 Created at MIT, Scratch popularized visual blocks as a way of learning programming. But don't let the easy interface and cute graphics fool you--users can make and share anything from simple animations to fully-fledged games. Free SNAP! SNAP!'s visual blocks support higher level computer science concepts like recursion, procedures, and continuations, making it appropriate for even college level intro classes. While it doesn't have the same social functions of Scratch, SNAP! can work with the Nintendo Wiimote and LEGO Mindstorms NXT. Comes with a manual and sample projects and can use much of Scratch's documentation as well. Free Stencyl Game creation software that allows users to make playable apps for iOS, Android, HTML5, Window, and Mac. The game logic is programmed with visual blocks. The official site has forums and a crash course to get you started. Free Tynker Inspired by Scratch, Tynker has a dashboard to allow teachers to create a more structured way of teaching code with visual blocks. Includes assessment, classroom management, lesson plans, and a built in tutor. Free for schools. Free- $50 Learn a Formal Coding Language Product Math Prereq Prep Time Price Code Avengers In-browser exercises and courses in JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3. Courses are free for individuals and $5 each for student licenses (which include extra resources and progress tracking) with bulk discounts available. Free Code Combat In-browser, multiplayer live coding game set in a fantasy world. You play as a wizard who navigates obstacles and battles enemies using Javascript. Free Code School Offers full courses in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, and iOS. Students will learn through video and practice coding in their browser--no downloads required! $29/mo
  • 4. 4 Codecademy Full courses in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Exercises are done in browser and checked automatically for accuracy. Free CodeHS Students learn JavaScript by commanding a dog named Karel to move around the screen. Classes advance to understanding data structures and programming for games. The first module is free to use, gaining access to the rest of the site is $25/month, and receiving feedback and debugging in addition to access is $75/month. Free- $25/mo Coursera Beginning courses in JavaScript, Python, SQL and general computer science. Also offers higher level logic courses in topics like Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Computational Neuroscience. Note that classes have start and end dates. Founded by Stanford computer science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Free edX Covers languages like Python, Ruby, C++ as well as higher level classes in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Graphics. Classes are taught through video, PDFs, and tutorials. Students answer problem sets and take tests online. Discussion boards connect students with professors and each other. Note that courses have specific start and end dates. Free Globaloria Blended-learning courses that teach students to design and code educational games. Start by playing and analyzing games, move onto prototyping and coding in Flash Actionscript, Unity3D, Java Script, and more. Used as standalone courses or to supplement core classes. Annual school subscription $75/student includes onsite professional development, virtual mentorship, and daily support system for students, teachers and administrators. $75 /student Hackety Hack An introductory Ruby environment for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Its website includes a few early lessons in Ruby. Free HTML5 Rocks Online resource with tutorials, demos, and sample work in HTML5. Supplementary resource for educators teaching the language. Free JS Dares A collection of JavaScript lessons that go from teaching a student about basic syntax to helping them recreate working games. Browser-based and completely free. Free Khan Academy Users watch videos, do exercises and play with sample code to learn JavaScript programming basics. Completely browser-based with an interactive player/editor. Free KidsRuby This free, downloadable program teaches kids Ruby and can be used completely offline. KidsRuby includes resources from other programs like Hackety Hack and Ruby Warrior. It Free
  • 5. 5 can be installed on Mac, Linux, Windows, and even Raspberry Pi. Learn Code the Hard Way As its name suggests, this set of courses is for self-motivated learners. Html lessons walk complete novice coders through their languages of choice: Ruby, C, SQL, Regex, or CLI. Each course requires the installation of the chosen development environment (which is explained thoroughly). For $29, students can buy PDF versions of the lessons as well as gain access to tutorial videos. Free LearnStreet Courses in JavaScript, Ruby, Python, HTML, and CSS where students can practice coding in their browsers. Courses are free but users can pay for 1 on 1 tutoring. Free Lynda.com A collection of video tutorials covering a wide variety of formal coding languages. Beginners and advanced users alike can find lessons to suit their needs. Access to videos costs $25/month; users can access videos and exercise files for $37.50/month. $25/mo MIT OpenCourseWare This initiative by MIT puts all of the course materials from the university's undergraduate and graduate courses online. This includes syllabi, reading lists, and sometimes practice questions and video lectures. Covers many formal programming languages and offers advanced theory classes as well. Recommended for students who are self-motivated. Free Mozilla Thimble Sample websites with annotations guiding students to change variables to impact aesthetics and usability. Instructors will want to create their own lessons around the content. Free One Month In one intense month, claims this startup, you can pick up learn enough HTML, CSS and Ruby to build websites and web products. Courses come with 8 hours of instructional videos and code samples. $99 Programmr Offers a full course in Java through video and interactive code. Also has extensive sample code from many other formal languages like C++, PHP, Ruby, Python, Android, and iOS. Free Stack Overflow Massive repository of coding information and help available online. Covers every formal coding language on this list. Free The Puzzle School JavaScript and HTML training in the context of puzzles. While not a full course in the languages, the browser-based games teach important fundamentals. Free Thinkful Three-month courses for front-end web development, Python, Ruby, AngularJS and iOS $300- $500
  • 6. 6 development. Includes one-on-one sessions with mentors. Treehouse Over 100 interactive courses that cover languages from HTML to Ruby on Rails, and organized according to real-world skills such as web design, backend development and building apps. $25- $49/mo Turtle Academy A collection of short, free lessons using the Logo programming language. Students will learn the basics of programming logic in this browser-based program. Free Tuts Plus Full courses in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, and other web development tools. Subscriptions are $19/month with discounts for groups. $25- $180 Udacity Developed at Stanford, this MOOC covers many different coding topics including Java, HTML5, Python, as well as logic classes in AI and debugging. Free Udemy This MOOC marketplace offers covers a wide range of programming courses for Java, Ruby, C++, PHP, HTML, CSS, and other languages. Courses are taught through video, slides, and PDFs and require students to install the appropriate programming environments. $50+ /lesson W3 Schools Extensive tutorials in web development languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, PHP, and SQL. Includes interactive sample code. Free https://www.edsurge.com/guide/teaching-kids-to-code Kano http://www.kano.me/ Kano is a computer you build and code yourself. Lego simple, Raspberry Pi powerful, and hugely fun. Raspberry Pi The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games. 16 fun projects for your new raspberry pi http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/16-fun-projects-for-your-new-raspberry-pi-1657769448
  • 7. 7 Code Monkey Island Who it’s for: Ages 8+ Platforms: Board game Pricing: $40+ Find out more: Code Monkey Island website, Kickstarter The expert view: “Code Monkey Island is a crazy-fun board game that introduces kids to programming.” — Educator and technology-access activist Phil Shapiro Above: Code Monkey Island won’t magically make your kids into programmers, but it will ground them in basic concepts. Brooklyn resident Raj Sidhu wanted to introduce programming basics to kids in a fun way. He chose a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem and embedded concepts like Boolean logic and conditional statements in a family-friendly board game. Code Monkey Island is straightforward to play and takes about 45 minutes. Players use cards with statements such as, “For each monkey NOT on a rock, move 3 spaces,” to move their troop of monkeys around the island. Sidhu chose a board game because these bring families together. “I wanted to create an experience that kids, parents, and grandparents could share and in the process allow children to exercise their immense learning capabilities through play,” he said on his Kickstarter page. Code Monkey Island ran a successful Kickstarter, and copies should ship in August. You can secure one by backing the project for $40 or more. Kodable Who it’s for: Ages 5-8 Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free ($7 for the Pro version) Find out more: Kodable website, iTunes The expert view: “Kodable scaffolds programming skills so that young children can learn how to code. They don’t even have to know how to read. ” — Terri Eichholz, teacher of K-5 gifted students, South Central Texas
  • 8. 8 Above: KIds are young as 2 use Kodable, according to cofounder Grechen Huebner. Kodable’s 105 maze-like levels help teach young kids programming concepts like conditions, loops, functions, and debugging. It avoids using text entirely, making it a great entry point for younger children. Its alien protagonists are fuzzy and colorful and seem to have that kid appeal nailed down. “Adults are so terrified of programming; it’s this scary thing,” Kodable co-founder Grechen Huebner told TechRepublic. “It’s funny how much adults underestimate kids, and giving them an opportunity to be challenged at such an early age proves how smart they are.” The free version of Kodable includes the first 45 levels. In-app purchases can unlock more levels and concepts. The $7 Pro version also adds vocabulary lessons and learning guides. Robozzle Who it’s for: Ages 6+ (and adults) Platforms: Web browsers, iOS, Android, Windows phone Pricing: Free (browser), free to $2 (mobile) Find out more: Browser game, iTunes, Google Play, Windows store The expert view: “Robozzle bills itself as a social puzzle game, but to me it’s a fun and interesting way to introduce programming concepts. And perhaps it is a game to get young people interested in programming.” — High school computer-science teacher Alfred Thompson
  • 9. 9 Above: Robozzle looks simple at first but soon reveals its complexities. If you’re looking for challenge for older kids (or yourself), try Robozzle. It’s a puzzle game that Microsoft programmer Igor Ostrovsky created in his free time. Robozzle tasks you with guiding a robot through a series of mazes using limited commands. The levels range from those suitable for younger children right up to puzzles that will make seasoned coders scratch their heads. It’s free to play through browsers (using Silverlight), and community support enables players to create, vote, and comment on new levels. Versions of Robozzle exist for iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Android. Prices vary. Cargo-Bot Who it’s for: 5+ to adults Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free Find out more: iTunes The expert view: “Great iPad app to teach coding. Used it with my two kiddos.” — Educational entrepreneur and Google Teacher Academy co-founder Mike Lawrence
  • 10. 10 Above: Cargo-Bot was created with Codea on an iPad. Image Credit: Dan Crawley Cargo-Bot was the first game programmed entirely on an iPad. It’s accessible for kids as young as five on its easiest levels, but it offers a real challenge as it progresses. Players use a moving crane to shift boxes around a factory. In doing so, they use coding concepts like loops and procedures and do a ton of debugging. “I wanted it to be a game about moving blocks around with a claw and make you forget that you are in fact programming,” developer Rui Viana told Fast Company. SpaceChem Who it’s for: Ages 10+ (and adults) Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android Pricing: Free demo, $10 (Steam), $3 (iOS/Android) Find out more: SpaceChem website, Steam, iTunes, Google Play The expert view: “I believe SpaceChem [is] the best programming game yet made.” — Neil Brown, Computing education researcher, University of Kent, U.K.
  • 11. 11 Above: Schools worldwide have used SpaceChem to support learning. It’s still very much a game, though. SpaceChem’s fusion of programming and pseudo-chemistry in a science-fiction setting earned great reviews on its 2011 release. Tough enough to challenge high-school students and beyond, SpaceChem tasks players with building machines to fight monsters, using programming concepts like in-order execution, loops, branching, and subroutines. Developer Zachtronic Industries details exactly what the game can help teach in its educators guide. “SpaceChem is the game I wish I could give to my 12-year-old self and let him go crazy,” according to educational blog Gaming to Learn. “When you hear people talking about how important it is to learn to write code, this is what they are talking about. Games like this teach the gamer how to think.” Robot Turtles Who it’s for: Ages 3-8 Platforms: Board game Pricing: $25 Find out more: Robot Turtles website – Kickstarter The expert view: “Man, start ‘em young! This is awesome! The future is looking bright!” — John Legere, Chief executive officer, T-Mobile
  • 12. 12 Above: Playing a game of Robot Turtles. This programming board game for very young kids raised over $600,000 on Kickstarter last year. It only needed $25,000 to get funded. Such was the demand for the game, which teaches programming fundamentals by using instruction cards to command turtles around a maze, that it sold out of its initial 25,000 production run straight away. Kids use limited syntax, sequence instructions, and debug when they’ve made an error, and the game only takes seconds to learn according to creator Dan Shapiro. “I’m a big believer that programming is like a superpower you can give kids, a way to ensure that the innovations of the future won’t leave them behind,” Sharipo told TechCrunch. Recently acquired by games company ThinkFun, Robot Turtles is hitting the mass market later this month. Code Combat Who it’s for: Ages 13+ (or younger with guidance/consent) Platforms: Web browsers Pricing: Free Find out more: Code Combat website The expert view: “Very creative and engaging approach to teaching coding through play.” — Jason Battles, Associate Dean for Library Technology Planning and Policy, University of Alabama
  • 13. 13 Above: Code Combat fuses wizards, warriors, ogres, and coding in a fun way. Code Combat is the only title on the list that has players inputting actual code to play (Javascript currently, with experimental support for CoffeeScript, Python, Clojure, and Lua). Don’t let that put you off, though, as Code Combat does a great job of entertaining while teaching. You can work through single-player levels in this fantasy-themed game, then unleash your new-found coding skills on other players. There’s a multiplayer tournament called Greed in progress right now with $40,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. Code Combat hopes to stay free by helping companies recruit high-level players. Yep, that’s right. Playing a game can get you a job. Ludos Who it’s for: Ages 4-12 Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS Pricing: $119 Find out more: Digital Dream Labs The expert view: “What sets Cloudboard [Ludos' board interface] apart from many other products currently available is not only its combination of the physical and digital worlds but also the way that it fosters collaboration.” — Terri Eichholz, teacher of K-5 gifted students, South Central Texas
  • 14. 14 Above: Ludos uses tiles to make programming a tactile experience for kids. Due out this August, Ludos aims to make programming a real hands-on experience for younger kids. Ludos allows players to physically place instruction tiles directly onto a grid, programming the actions of on-screen characters. Cork the Volcano will be the first Ludos game, and it has a strong focus on coding basics like planning, sequencing, and debugging. Other games will also be made available for the system, which is an open platform that anyone can develop for. Codemancer Who it’s for: Ages 9-14 Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS, Android Pricing: $20 Find out more: Important Little Games website – Kickstarter The expert view: “A fantasy game [with] a female protagonist that teaches kids (& adults!) how to code? I adore every single part of this! ” — Lauren Scott, web developer and junior instructor, Dev Bootcamp
  • 15. 15 Above: Codemancer raised over 4 times its targeted goal on Kickstarter. Codemancer is hoping its fantasy story and female protagonist will help it stand out when it releases next summer. Players will use magical runes to direct the action when this successfully Kickstarted project goes live, helping the hero Aurora to save her father’s life. Creator Robert Lockhart hopes the game’s accessibility will help break down barriers that prevent some kids from coding. “Codemancer’s language is designed to be accessible,” Lockhart says on his Kickstarter page, “but also translates easily to a variety of popular real-world programming languages. More complex programs are made when we introduce programming concepts like variables, conditionals, and functions.” Machineers Who it’s for: Ages 8-14 Platforms: PC, Mac (iPad to follow) Pricing: Free demo Find out more: Machineers website The expert view: “Machineers looks to be the best example of an education game I’ve ever seen.” – Programmer and game developer Paul Hayes
  • 16. 16 Above: Machineers won “Best Student Game” at the 2012 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge in Florida. Machineers is an adventure title that lets players interact with broken machines, using coding principles and a drag-and- drop interface to fix them up. Henrike Lode, a member of the Danish Lohika Games team behind Machineers, decided to market it as a puzzle- adventure after one child tester complained that educational games are like “chocolate covered broccoli.” “This is preparation for future learning,” Lode told Indie Statik. “We don’t have math or code in there, so [kids] won’t be able to start programming, but [it trains] logical thinking and something called procedural literacy, which is the ability to read and write processes.” Currently still in development, the PC and Mac demo of Machineers is free to download and play. Lohika Games is targeting an iPad release for the full game. Bee-Bot Who it’s for: Ages 4-7 Platforms: iOS Pricing: Free Find out more: iTunes The expert view: “Just pass the device over and watch the trial, error, hypothesis, testing, revising, and ultimate success that will happen.” – Doug Peterson, Faculty of Education sessional instructor, University of Windsor, Canada
  • 17. 17 Above: Many schools use Bee-Bot to help introduce programming basics. Image Credit: Dan Crawley Educational developer TTS designed BeeBot to help younger children program with positional language and programming sequences of instructions. The simple, accessible app has 12 top-down timed levels set in progressively difficult mazes.