Making is not limited to the physical world. Many students enjoy and benefit from making digital creations such as apps, animations and games. The platforms described below are easy to get started with but are sophisticated enough for students to create impressive digital creations.
Hour of Code
Hour of Code offers several one hour, self-led tutorials designed to introduce students or computer logic. All students need to get started is a computer with an internet connection and web browser. These tutorials are designed for all ages and incorporate video prompts from various celebrities.
This website also offers 20 hour courses on computer science fundamentals which can be taught as an ongoing unit.
This website also offers 20 hour courses on computer science fundamentals which can be taught as an ongoing unit.
Scratch
Scratch is a simple modular programming language similar to hour of code. Students can create a variety of games and animations and can share them for others to play and explore.
Click here to open scratch. The tutorials on the RIGHT hand side of the screen are a great place to start.
Scratch cards (download here) are another fun way to introduce scratch by having students try out simple commands.
Code Academy
Code academy is a good resource for students who are ready to begin learning real programming languages such as HTML and Java.