Here is a short video to introduce computer programming:
Aside from the flashy companies and celebrity stories, learning to code is one of the most important things you can do in today’s digital world. Nowadays you don’t need to memorize the dates of the first World War, or know the Periodic Table at the drop of a hat because all of the information is online, but this is only possible because of coding.
And the big secret is coding isn’t even that hard! Anyone can learn to code! In fact, getting experiences reading and writing code in middle school can be a huge advantage later on. Some people even start as early as elementary school. (Why do you think so many of the best computer programmers in the video said they started programming around your age?) Even if you aren’t launching startups or building websites yet, remember that programming is all about practice, and the more you practice and the more you learn the better you will be.
Why Python?
Just like people speak different languages like English, Spanish or German, computers understand different languages as well like Python, Java, or HTML. The differences between these languages aren’t all that important, but for now you can think of them as different ways to tell the computer to do the same thing. (If I were lost in Berlin and asked for directions in German I would use different words and grammar structures than if I were lost in Paris and asked for directions in French, but in both cases someone would stop and tell me I had my map upside down.)
This course will focus on one language: Python. Python is one of the most powerful languages used in programming. It is designed to be simple and easily readable and understandable, but also elegant enough to solve complicated problems. It can also be used for many, many different kinds of computer applications. Essentially, it is the best language for you to begin your programming journey.
In fact, you’ve already seen a whole lot of Python, or really the result of coding in Python. Many common websites––Google, Dropbox, and YouTube––all use Python. Don’t expect to be able to make any of these in just a couple months, it takes a team of developers years to make something that good. But if you keep working hard you will be well on your way to becoming a computer programmer by the end of this course.
Average Week Plan
Every week we will cover a new topic in Python, from how to add and subtract to how to get a computer to write your name. For each of these new topics we will begin with a presentation walking you through exactly what this code can do.
Then we will see what you learned from the course! There will be several practice problems to see how you can apply what you have learned to your own code, and then a quiz at the end of each week to test your knowledge of what you are learning!
And the big secret is coding isn’t even that hard! Anyone can learn to code! In fact, getting experiences reading and writing code in middle school can be a huge advantage later on. Some people even start as early as elementary school. (Why do you think so many of the best computer programmers in the video said they started programming around your age?) Even if you aren’t launching startups or building websites yet, remember that programming is all about practice, and the more you practice and the more you learn the better you will be.
Why Python?
Just like people speak different languages like English, Spanish or German, computers understand different languages as well like Python, Java, or HTML. The differences between these languages aren’t all that important, but for now you can think of them as different ways to tell the computer to do the same thing. (If I were lost in Berlin and asked for directions in German I would use different words and grammar structures than if I were lost in Paris and asked for directions in French, but in both cases someone would stop and tell me I had my map upside down.)
This course will focus on one language: Python. Python is one of the most powerful languages used in programming. It is designed to be simple and easily readable and understandable, but also elegant enough to solve complicated problems. It can also be used for many, many different kinds of computer applications. Essentially, it is the best language for you to begin your programming journey.
In fact, you’ve already seen a whole lot of Python, or really the result of coding in Python. Many common websites––Google, Dropbox, and YouTube––all use Python. Don’t expect to be able to make any of these in just a couple months, it takes a team of developers years to make something that good. But if you keep working hard you will be well on your way to becoming a computer programmer by the end of this course.
Average Week Plan
Every week we will cover a new topic in Python, from how to add and subtract to how to get a computer to write your name. For each of these new topics we will begin with a presentation walking you through exactly what this code can do.
Then we will see what you learned from the course! There will be several practice problems to see how you can apply what you have learned to your own code, and then a quiz at the end of each week to test your knowledge of what you are learning!