Tag Archives: Games Design

Free web based resources that teach you how to write code – Summary Post and Online Handout⤴

from @ OllieBray.com

  Free Coding resources

up-dated August 2015

 

In a country facing a massive shortage of computing teachers we need to eventually face the reality that computing and computer programming are two of those rare things in schools that could actually probably be delivered quite successfully via distance / online learning. 

This Digital Hand Out (mainly linking to articles from August 2015) provides a portal to connect to various thoughts, articles and videos showcasing just some of the great tools and web based services that are available to help teach young people to code. Some of the sites mentioned are tools to get you into coding (such as Scratch) others are resources that introduce you and coach you though some popular coding languages (eg: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, iQuery, PHP, Python, and Ruby).

Throughout the series I try to stick to tools that are platform agnostic so Microsoft Kodu and the Apple Development Library don't to get a mention. I also try to highlight FREE tools (although with some of the tools highlighted you have to pay for advanced tutorials or for certification).

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Starter for ten!

 

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Summary of August 2015 Key posts:

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From the Archive:

ICT Programming with Scratch and Kodu (Teach primary Magasine) - July 2012

Lets Make Things! - Using Technology to Innovate in STEM (5 of 5): Games Design (#Kodu #Scratch #ProjectSpark) - June 2013

 

Free web based resources that teach you how to write code (3 of 13) – Scratch⤴

from @ OllieBray.com

Free Coding resources

This is part of a short series highlighting some free web based tools that can help teach kids to code.

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I’ll be pretty surprised if you haven’t heard of Scratch from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)?

You can use Scratch to program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.

Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century. Scratch is provided free of charge and is a visual programming language.

SCRATCH1

If you have been a bit out of the loop you might not realize that the latest version of Scratch is completely web based (but you can still download version 1.0 – which is useful if you work in a school with a really poor internet connection.

Also, if you work with younger children you might also be interested in Scratch Junior which is specifically aimed at children between the ages of 5 – 7 and is available free of charge for iOS and Android.

Scratch Overview from ScratchEd on Vimeo.

 

Free web based resources that teach you how to write code – Introduction⤴

from @ OllieBray.com

  Free Coding resources

I probably sound like a bit of a broken record but  I still believe we are facing a bit of a computing education / coding crisis in Scotland (and if you believe the research the rest of the UK as well?).

What continues to confuse me is the conflict at a policy level between a Government who are keen to capitalise on a digitally connected Scotland and embrace a digital economy combined with a National Education Agency who (despite their lack of ambition) are making the right sort of noises about the importance of digital and then the restrictions due to the funding concordat (and possible lack of understanding?) from Local Authorities who seem to be unable to get schools immobilize on the ground to really tackle the problem.

I don’t have a computing teacher at my school in Kingussie and it’s not without trying. We were unsuccessful in recruiting a computing member of staff over a year ago and cutbacks have meant that we don’t have the capacity to hire at the moment. The fab Maths Department at KHS have stepped into the breach with an S1 ICT Course and computing electives for S2 and S3 where we really want to concentrate on building things (eg: robotics and coding).

Mindstorm Robot

The truth is, computing and coding are two of those rare things in schools that could actually probably be delivered quite successfully via distance / online learning. Our plan for our new S2 (year 8) and S3 (year 9) courses are to capitalize on some of the great free content out there to build a highly personalized course for a group of learners.

I’ve been spending some time research what is available and I’ll feature some of the tools / resources that I have discovered over a series of posts. I’m going to stick to tools that are platform agnostic so Microsoft Kodu and the Apple Development Library aren’t going to get a mention here.

Some of the sites that I will mention will be tools to get you into coding (such as Scratch) others will be resources that introduce you and coach you though some popular coding languages (eg: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, iQuery, PHP, Python, and Ruby).

Here is a nice little video to get us started!

 

Minecraft: A celebration of learning at #Minecon2015⤴

from @ Charlie Love.org

I’ve spent today at MineCon2015 – the world’s biggest computer gaming convention.  10,000 attendees plus hundreds of staff from Mojang and Microsoft, exhibitors and famous YouTubers (Yes, Stampy is here) – all gathered together to celebrate the worldwide phenomenon that is Minecraft. What is Minecraft? Minecraft is an open sandbox …

Minecraft: A celebration of learning at #Minecon2015⤴

from @ Charlie Love.org

I’ve spent today at MineCon2015 – the world’s biggest computer gaming convention.  10,000 attendees plus hundreds of staff from Mojang and Microsoft, exhibitors and famous YouTubers (Yes, Stampy is here) – all gathered together to celebrate the worldwide phenomenon that is Minecraft. What is Minecraft? Minecraft is an open sandbox …

Games in Schools MOOC [for @eu_schoolnet Academy]⤴

from @ OllieBray.com

Games in Schools Logo

I've had a long established relationship with European Schoolnet and ISFE (The Interactive Software Federation of Europe). A couple of years ago we ran a Games in Schools Course for about 100 teachers across Europe. On the 27th October 2014 we are starting a new course that has been adapted into a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) for The European Schoolnet Academy.

It is is entirely free and is open to anyone who is interested in the topic but is primarily aimed at practising teachers. We have over 1000 teachers already signed up to the course so it is shaping up to be quite a journey!

Details below (and here) - hope to see some people in the discussion forums. 

 

“Computer games are the most powerful learning tool of our age.”

[Professor Henry James, MIT]

Join us in this exciting MOOC for teachers exploring the potential of games-based learning in schools. The course will examine the opportunities but also challenges offered by integrating games into our teaching and learning and will provide practical examples of gaming tools and activities to use in your daily teaching practice. We will be learning through a mix of video, interactive activities and discussions as well as sharing of resources.

The first question we will explore is, why use computer games in schools? We will then look at a range of games which do not necessarily have an educational purpose but can be used nicely for thematic learning on topics such as gravity, planets, construction, and many others. However, we will also explore games that have an explicit pedagogical focus and are designed to help students learn anything from Maths to Languages. Game mechanisms can be powerful motivators to succeed at a task, so we also ask the question, what can we learn from games for our teaching. And rather than just have students using games we will introduce a range of tools that you can use to get your students to design games, learning important skills such as coding, design, and creativity along the way. Finally, we address why it is important to teach about games, highlighting issues such as privacy, safety but also the cultural impact of games.

The course is presented by Ollie Bray, a former teacher and current school principle who has received numerous awards for his work in the field of technology enhanced learning. For more information about Ollie, click on his picture on the right.

The course is being run jointly by European Schoolnet and ISFE (The Interactive Software Federation of Europe) and is entirely free. It is open to anyone who is interested in the topic but is primarily aimed at practising teachers.

Join us already in the Games in Schools Facebook Group or share your ideas about the topic using#gamescourse