Teaching Renpy in an Elementary School Coding Class

[ComputerArt.Club]

I have been asked to take over a coding class at the elementary school where I teach after another teacher suddenly left. I will have to find out what they have learned tomorrow (I start tomorrow!) but probably code.org and scratch. I think I will continue with code.org and scratch and also eventually do a Renpy project with them, perhaps something similar to the game that I made with my elementary school Computer Art Club students: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .one&hl=en

Any suggestions or ideas?
English is their second language, so if they are contributing to the writing it will need to be simple, otherwise I will have to write it by myself.

Looking forward to it! Will be a good chance for me to improve my coding skills .

[PyTom]

Hm... First off, call it 'programming', not 'coding'. I dislike the word 'coding' in a didactic context, since it implies what you're doing is enciphering something. That's the exact opposite of what a skilled programmer does, which is to try to write a program in the clearest way possible.

The only other thing to realize is that most programming languages kind of start with algebra as a basis. When you do "a = 42", that's kind of an algebraic concept, one that might not be suitable for an elementary school student, just do to their age. If you choose to do Ren'Py, then focus on the non-algebraic portions - basically, the control flow bits - Apart from dialogue and scene/show/hide, maybe focus on labels, menus, and jump, but avoid things like screens and complex logic.

I'll also take this chance to plug the LOGO programming language: http://el.media.mit.edu/logo-foundation/ LOGO is a language based on turtle graphics:

REPEAT 4 [ FD 100 RT 90 ]

Draws a square on the screen. It was designed to be suitable for young children because the directness of turtle graphics tends to avoid the abstraction that I think you really need to get algebra to understand.(I don't know scratch well, but I think it might be the same way.)

Fundamentally, though, the thing young programmers need to learn is to see the computer as something understandable. That it's not some sort of magic box created by the high priests on mount olympus, but that it's just something people like you, I, and them program. Chances are most of them won't go into programming as a profession, and that's fine. But if they see computers as a tool - that's valuable.

[ComputerArt.Club]

Hm... First off, call it 'programming', not 'coding'. I dislike the word 'coding' in a didactic context, since it implies what you're doing is enciphering something. That's the exact opposite of what a skilled programmer does, which is to try to write a program in the clearest way possible.

The only other thing to realize is that most programming languages kind of start with algebra as a basis. When you do "a = 42", that's kind of an algebraic concept, one that might not be suitable for an elementary school student, just do to their age. If you choose to do Ren'Py, then focus on the non-algebraic portions - basically, the control flow bits - Apart from dialogue and scene/show/hide, maybe focus on labels, menus, and jump, but avoid things like screens and complex logic.

I'll also take this chance to plug the LOGO programming language: http://el.media.mit.edu/logo-foundation/ LOGO is a language based on turtle graphics:

REPEAT 4 [ FD 100 RT 90 ]

Draws a square on the screen. It was designed to be suitable for young children because the directness of turtle graphics tends to avoid the abstraction that I think you really need to get algebra to understand.(I don't know scratch well, but I think it might be the same way.)

Fundamentally, though, the thing young programmers need to learn is to see the computer as something understandable. That it's not some sort of magic box created by the high priests on mount olympus, but that it's just something people like you, I, and them program. Chances are most of them won't go into programming as a profession, and that's fine. But if they see computers as a tool - that's valuable.

Thanks for your long and well thought out comment, I had the class last week and I got to know the students a little better. It is mixed ability class, and they want to continue doing scratch but up the difficulty slightly, some didn't like the academic approach of code.org, but the quieter students and their parents did.

I think I will continue by using more complicated Scratch lessons, perhaps taking inspiration from Why?! Programming (Why!? プログラミング) viewtopic.php?f=7&t=48264 and also perhaps optional code.org homework. At the end of the year I still want to do something similar to what the Computer Art Club students did, or some other project that involves typing a rather than dragging block and produces a project that can be shared and will give them a sense of achievement. Will also look further into logo!

[isobellesophia]

Hoho, good luck of teaching them!
Your students needed basics, some normal ones, and advance! It will be cool if you gave them examinations or blah blah.

Btw, love your good work at those

[ComputerArt.Club]

I had my second class with them today and it was fun. Mostly just doing the same project but encouraging the more experienced ones to try to figure it out by themselves and to transform it into something slightly different or otherwise add to it. They still needed plenty of help but they did manage to add to the project. Everyone was challenged and almost no one finished too slowly or too fast (one person changed too much and didn't fix unanticipated bugs).

Actually, preparing for this course helps me refresh my memories and learn new things too.