Learning to code
How does a student actually go about learning a language like Java, Python, or JavaScript? What knowledge and skills are necessary? Two things are needed: knowledge and skill At the beginning, a student needs knowledge: that is, knowing the syntax and commands that a language uses. That’s the easy part! Much harder is acquiring the […]
Coding in Java
So you’re thinking that your child might like to learn Java. Perhaps your child is in a class that uses Java, or you would like to prepare for a future class. For beginners in 7th grade or older, Java works quite well as a second language following Python. It’s relatively simple and easy to code […]
Coding in Python
So your child might like to learn Python! It’s a great choice for a first language. The syntax is simple, so there’s not a lot of extra stuff to think about. Many simple and fun things can be coded even in a short Python program. There are many books and resources on the web for […]
Learning about learning
I’ve come across three books that have really inspired me. They are about “learning how to learn.” The following links will take you to the Amazon page for each book. Please check them out. They will help your child not only with learning to code, but also learning any subject and getting better school grades. […]
Where you can find practice problems
Some of the work I’ll do with your student will be solving “challenge problems.” This kind of coding is different than creating an application or game; instead the goal is to write code to solve a puzzle or mathematical problem. Many students enjoy this kind of programming. I encourage all my students to dive right […]