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Getting a child into programming

  • 23-02-2014 11:52am
    #1
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,781 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I've heard http://www.codecademy.com is very good, but if you are trying to introduce a 12 year old boy who's obsessed with with games like Minecraft to coding, can anyone else recommend the best way to do it?


Comments

  • #2
    thegills
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,802 ✭✭✭thegills


    Try local Coder Dojo club.


  • #3
    thegills
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,802 ✭✭✭thegills


    Try local Coder Dojo club.


  • #4
    B_Rabbit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,364 ✭✭✭B_Rabbit


    Try local Coder Dojo club.


  • #5
    thegills
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,802 ✭✭✭thegills


    Try local Coder Dojo club.


  • #6
    Zascar
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 12,781 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zascar


    Unfortunately they live in Dubai and there is no Dojo there. They are going to search for classes etc but in the meantime what is a good way to introduce him?


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  • #7
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Zascar wrote: »
    Unfortunately they live in Dubai and there is no Dojo there. They are going to search for classes etc but in the meantime what is a good way to introduce him?

    A raspberry Pi? (http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs)

    Has to assemble it himself (may need some help, tbh) and it's fairly cheap. Lots of exciting projects that can be done with it, lots of books out there with ideas.


  • #8
    amen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,781 ✭✭✭amen


    http://scratch.mit.edu/http://scratch.mit.edu/

    or
    http://www.scratch.ie/


  • #9
    Phibsboro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,352 ✭✭✭Phibsboro


    Based on scratch (has the same building blocks metaphor), but less "kiddie" and targeted at producing Android mobile apps, App Inventor is great craic. I've shown it to everyone from my 10 yr old nephew to Masters level students and they've all got a buzz off it.

    http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/


  • #10
    Phibsboro
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,352 ✭✭✭Phibsboro


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    A raspberry Pi? (http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs)

    Has to assemble it himself (may need some help, tbh) and it's fairly cheap. Lots of exciting projects that can be done with it, lots of books out there with ideas.

    I have a Pi and I have to say I'm not sure about it being a good intro to coding. I think it more a good intro to electronic/robotics in that the key thing it has over a laptop/PC is the IO pins. For coding, there is actually a fair amount of "yak shaving" before you end up doing some coding...


  • #11
    Panda_Turtle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 304 ✭✭Panda_Turtle


    The "Easy Steps" series of books are a very basic intro, making command line programs and at the end a demonstrative UI.

    I have read the reviews on amazon by parents saying their young kids read it.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Java-Easy-Steps-4th-Edition/dp/1840784431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393174875&sr=8-1&keywords=java+in+easy+steps


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  • #12
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,336 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    I'd recommend scratch

    Plus it runs on the raspberryPi TomDunne suggests.

    Just noticed amen already suggests this so will second.


  • #13
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Yeah Scratch, or Lego Mindstorm.


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