Craig Wentworth
E-DOSSIER
What is Coding?
Coding is a way of commanding a computer or other electronic device. It is the base of how this website works, or the games you play, or the apps you use. It is basically what makes things work.
Why is Coding Important?
Over the centuries, specific skills have been in demand. As our country started, trades like carpentry, blacksmithing, farming, and sewing were in demand. As technology advanced, the demand turned to industry and people that could use their minds to create machines to automate processes previously done by trade laborers. Times have changed yet again. The world is now in demand of computer scientists. Computer scientists are people that can use computers to solve problems. They can tell computers what to do.
Think about it. You cannot go through a typical day without interacting with some type of computerized device. From the vehicles we ride in, our televisions, phones, game consoles, and tablets. Someone has to write the code that tells those things how to work, and unfortunately there aren’t enough people that know how to do that. People that know how to code have great power. Check out this video from Code.org that features people like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerburg who have changed the world with Microsoft and FaceBook. Toward the end of the video listen for what Gabe, the creator of Valve (a video game production company that made Half-Life, Portal, and the gaming platform Steam), calls “the programmers of tomorrow.”
Introduction to Coding
Coding is exciting, but it is not easy. Some compare it to learning a new language, which is essentially what you are doing. Codes exist in different languages. Some of the most popular are Java, JavaScript, c++, Python, and Ruby.
Your coding experience is going to begin with a much simpler, visual programming language called Blockly. Rather than typing code, you will drag blocks that represent code. For example:
Lua
Lua (pronounced loo-uh) is yet another programming language. It is a great place to begin because it is powerful, fast, and simple compared to other languages. Your Lua programming experience will begin in the game Minecraft. That’s right, you get to play Minecraft, but probably not in a way you have played it before. We are going to use a mod called ComputerCraft that allows computers in Minecraft. You will use these computers to write code to program a “turtle” to perform various actions. Watch this video to see what’s possible.
So, let’s begin. To learn some coding basics you are going to start through a series of lessons from Code.org. Follow the steps below to get started.
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Begin by clicking the link for Code.org.
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Enter the code for your class section. (Section 1: AAAAAA, Section 2: BBBBBB)
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Click “Go”
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Fill in the information in the boxes.
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Click “Register”
That’s it! You are ready to begin! You will now see a progress screen like the one below. Purple means you have not completed the lesson. As you complete them, they will turn orange. You can always go back to see your progress by clicking your name in the top right and clicking “My progress.” To begin:
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Click “Stage 1 Introduction to Computer Science”
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Click the play button on the video to watch the video.
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When the video is finished click “Finished! Continue to next stage”
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Watch the video and follow the onscreen directions to begin writing your first code.
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If you run into a problem, keep trying and if you still have trouble remember to ask 3 others for help before asking the teacher.
Show What You Know
It’s time to show what you know. Pick one of the following problems and write code to create a program that solves the problem. If you get stuck, talk to your classmates, especially those attempting to solve the same problem, and/or do some research to get ideas. Remember to start simple and test your code often to work out the bugs. Your assessment will focus on the effort you put forth into solving the problem. You will use the following rubrics to evaluate you and your partner.
Problem #1: You have been hired by the Department of Defense to devise a way to build a safe structure in dangerous areas using a robot. The details of the building design will be worked later, for now they want to to see a simple two level structure built 10 blocks below ground, 10 blocks above ground, with a length and width of ten blocks.
Problem #2: Mining is not a safe occupation. Robots could both increase the safety and efficiency of mining operations. Write a program that automates the mining process and returns the materials to a chest.
Problem #3: Self-driving cars have the potential to greatly reduce traffic and accidents. Work with your teammate to write a program that automatically moves a turtle along a path of a specified material.
Problem #4: In many areas there are problems with too little space being available for farm land. To make more efficient use of the land available it may help to automate the process. Write the code to program a turtle to automatically plant, fertalize, and harvest wheat in a constant loop.
To get you started with coding in the Lua language, you will watch the series of videos below and do your own programming in Minecraft using the Computercraft mod. I recommend turning full screen off on Minecraft and using a split view to watch the video and code at the same time. This will also allow you to easily pause and rewind the video as needed.
Helpful Websites
FunshineX - ComputerCraft 1.6 tutorial videos
Minecraft SethBling - Turtle Programming Tutorials
Computer science is one of the fastest growing areas. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts one in every two science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs in the country will be in computing occupations. On average, these jobs pay much higher than the national average yearly salary, with many paying around $100,000 annually. Computing occupations do not relate strictly to computer industries. Think of all the businesses and professions using computers. From computer software developers to farmers, to network administrators, and sports trainers. Computers are used everywhere to solve problems and make things easier.
What Next?
Want to dive deeper into coding? Check out some of these links to take more courses and increase your power!
KhanAcademy - Learn JavaScript through a series of lessons. This is a great place to start if you want to learn more.
CodeAcademy - Learn some of the most popular programming languages.
Code School - Sign up to take free courses in Ruby, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and iOS.
DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE
This assignment covers new ways of teaching and learning. With so much information available online, typical classroom lectures seem obsolete. Through the creation of this experience I learned how to structure and guide learners through the effective and efficient use of technology. The assignment really shows my passion for giving students opportunities to place them ahead of typical students. It also shows my passion for using games to enhance learning.