Coding for Teens

I recently saw a celebrity interview ( I am ashamed to admit that I don't remember who) where he said something along the lines of: I think every student should learn coding. It was like typing when I was younger. Everyone thought typing classes were a joke, but now everyone types everything.



I agree! I think that in ten years people who code will have a head start on those who don't.

I believe that students and schools are realizing more and more that in addition to learning facts, students need to learn how to use them. In other words, more than learning how something works, they need to figure out how it works by actually making or creating it.


There are lots of websites and apps out there to help people learn how to code. There's a free one going on right now i wanted to share with you from webucator.

1. To find it you go to their Self-paced Courses page. 
2. Browse through the courses to find the course you want to take!
• For coding, webucator suggests Java Training, PHP training or Javascript Training
3. Click on the Order Now button next to the course. 
• Ignore the prices because I am about to give you a coupon!
4. Enter CODE4KIDS for the Coupon Code and click Validate Coupon.
5. Agree to the Fine Print
• By using the CODE4KIDS coupon, you certify that you are registering students who are at least 13 years old. NOTE: enter the student's information on the billing and student registration forms. USE A UNIQUE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR EACH STUDENT.
• When signing up you agree that instructor support is limited to content covered in the course. 
6. Problems? For any registration questions, you can email: code4kids@webucator.com.

I won't lie, I haven't tried these courses, but any time I can pass on savings that help educate your students and save hundreds of dollars I'm sure to do it.

There are other sites, so if you dislike that one don't quit on coding! Check out www.codecademy.com http://code.org http://www.codeavengers.com/ This year I plan to take a course and then post an updated blog about how I would use it in the classroom, but for now I am sure you can find tons of information out there to help you:)

Plus, if you have any students who don't do anything in English outside of school, this may be a way that they will spend more reading, which will undoubtedly help their English in your class!

Let me know if any of your students take the course and what they think!

Video Games as Literature Assignments

My students are big into technology. I don't think that is really rare in students nowadays, but this is one of the first classes that has been so vocal about it! When I let them know that their assignments can be done virtually they literally tell me, "We love technology"

As a result this year when I started the, "Adaptation Project" I wasn't surprised at all that students were excited. They usually do a great job (as seen in last year's blog post), but this year a group of students asked if they could make an adaptation video game instead of a standard video. Always up to let my students be creative I said yes! The only extra was that they would need to make a, "making of the video-game" video since one of the requirements was that I hear voices.
In the end they came up with this:

Keep in mind that they did create a game! What you are watching now is me "playing" the game (I recorded it).

Interested in having your students create their own video games? Well, these don't involve that much English but Sploder is a good place to start. It doesn't require much skill and can be personalized. Later your students can explain why they chose to depict the story a certain why.

If you have had your students coding (via something like the hour of code) you could probably get more complex.

What do you think? Is an assignment like this suited for your students' levels? How would you change it? What sites would you use?