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President Obama’s “CS for All” initiative has brought computer-science education to the forefront of many teachers’ minds. In honor of Computer Science Education Week -- December 5-9 -- here are five platforms that offer introductory activities for students:
- Code.org offers several block-based games. Students can choose from Frozen, Minecraft, Angry Birds, and Star Wars. The games are appropriate for students in grades 2 and up.
- Bootstrap Math is a math curriculum for grades 7-8 that integrates computer science and algebra concepts. Their Hour of Code activity is an excellent introduction to the platform.
- Kano is a block-based coding platform. In this game, students in grade 3 and up learn the code needed to customize a classic game of pong.
- Khan Academy has several Hour of Code modules that combine interactive “Talk Throughs”, step by step challenges, and projects to help students in grades 3 and up learn the basics of computer science.
- CodeCademy gives students in grades 6 and up three different activities to learn the basics of JavaScript while engaging in fun activities like animating their names. They have a great poster that links their lessons to real careers.
Kristi Frankina is the Tech TOSA for the Evergreen School District in San Jose, CA. She is passionate about helping teachers learn best practices for integrating technology into their classrooms. Find her on Twitter @mrsfrankina.