Who should get this book?
Elementary school students looking for a summer full of educational activities are ideal. No coding experience needed. No math required. For older kids, or even adults, who have heard about coding, but never have a chance to learn, it is also a great book to get you started.
Everyone knows coding is the future, but how do kids get started with this intimidating subject?
As a non-computer scientist, I learned to code without formal academic training. That makes me always think like a beginner. I always feel that there are many obstacles on the way to becoming a coder. The educator's job is to remove as many stumbling blocks as possible, especially at the beginning. So I designed the lessons to be heavy on examples, with easy and just enough explanations, but less on formal introductions and definitions of rules and regulations.
I chose the language Python because it is widely used in the real world, applicable in business and science, yet probably the friendliest way of getting people started.
I chose Repl.it as the coding environment because it is an online-only, zero-installation platform that allows you to code the moment you land on the website. It is also sharable and allowing real-time collaboration over the internet.
You will learn from this book:
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Important basic Python commands
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Coding on Repl.it, a platform that needs no installation
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Drawing with Python (Turtle)
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Creating interactive games
