School's back in session, and you're curious how you can start coding in your free time? Never fear, because Aaron Hobson, Code Next Oakland coach and lead curriculum developer, has rallied to assemble a list of opportunities and tools that you can pull from. While geared towards middle and high school students – we've found these resources to be effective for new learners of all ages who are interested in coding, the arts, or just making something with their hands.
SO YOU WANT ONLINE CODING TOOLS...
Here is a list of free (or in some cases, “free trial”) tools that you can use if you wish to learn programming on your own. They are organized into arbitrary “levels” in order to help you determine where you might want to start, based on experience.
Level 1 (Beginner, never really tried to code)
- Try block-based coding, with either Code Studio or Scratch (both free).
- Google-specific programs that support learning block-based coding on one's own:
- CS First has an entire collection of computer science enrichment materials.
- Made With Code includes coding challenges and DIY projects. Be sure not to miss the Wonder Woman one!
Level 2 (Done some basic block-based coding)
- Move away from block-based to actual code with Alice 2 (free), CodeCombat (free trial) and CodeHS (purchase required).
Level 3 (Ready to start creating apps)
- Alice 3 (free) is an upgrade from Alice 2. You can also try your hand at MIT App Inventor (free) to start creating your own apps!
Level 4 (Looking to code with actual languages like Python)
- Processing (free) is a software sketchbook, and great for creating cool art and graphics. Greenfoot (free) and BlueJ (free) are also great free coding platforms.
- What about going straight for a language that our own Google engineers use? Try a hand at Python. Check out these two online textbooks—Invent with Python and A Byte of Python.
- There are also other websites with huge collections of computer science courses worth checking out, including CodeHS, Coursera, Udacity, and Code Academy. These cover artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more.
SO YOU WANT CREATIVE TOOLS...
If you’re the type who is looking to get a bit more creative and experimental with your code this summer – here is a list of tools you can use to develop video games, graphics, 3D designs, music, and more. Most of these are free to use, while others have free trials.
For those who love creating games:
For those into computer graphics, design, and art:
For those looking to create their own blog or website:
For those who want to create their own music or audio files:
SO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY WITH PHYSICAL COMPUTING...
Check out the following list of tools for students interested in building computers, robots, gadgets, and so forth (not all are free, but all are helpful).
- If you want to start off with the basics, littleBits are kits filled with electronic building blocks to create cool projects and small networks of circuits.
- Use Arduinos or Raspberry Pis to build DIY computer programs. Or, go for a full Kano kit to build a full computer, which includes a Raspberry Pi, a wireless keyboard, and a speaker.
- Want to make a banana play a song when you peel it open? Check out MakeyMakeys – kits that allow you to connect typical, everyday objects to computer programs.
LOOKING FOR MORE?
We’ve got plenty more tidbits and recommendations for computer science education. Interested in learning more from the Code Next lab? Sign up for our free newsletter—and happy coding!
