Get started at http://www.coderdojokc.com/today
Welcome to CoderDojoKC! Let’s get you started!
Looking for something to do? Practice your typing skills! Typing.io is a great way to keep your fingers nimble and learn where some of those tricky keys are located.
Are you working on the debugging challenge? Remix it here!
Last month’s Scratch presentations
Step One: Start Learning!
If you don’t know which programming language to start learning, we recommend Scratch (if Scratch is not to your speed, check out the typing.io link in the sidebar on the right).
You will need a parent or guardian’s help to create a Scratch login:
- Click “Join Scratch” in the upper right-hand corner of the Scratch site.
- Create a username that does not include your real name.
- Think of a password that you can remember easily. You should have your parent or guardian write this down and save it.
- Click “Next” and continue following the directions. You will need a valid email address (yours or your guardian’s) to continue.
- If you don’t have your own email address you can use
dojostudent@kcwomenintech.org
Once you have a Scratch login, use the links below to build something awesome.
Step Two: Learn to Code
1. Need an email address to sign up for Scratch? Use dojostudent@kcwomenintech.org (We can confirm the account for you, just ask a mentor!)
2. Are you brand new to coding? Start with Codecademy (recommended for 13 years & up) or Scratch (recommended for 12 years & under). Want to try building your own phone application? Check out App Inventor! Be sure to create an account and write down your username and password so you won’t forget!
3. Do you have a little coding under your belt? Are you ready to learn more? Check out these fun games:
- CodeAvengers – learn to build JavaScript apps
- CodeCombat -Learn how to code by playing a game
- CSS Diner -A game for learning CSS selectors
- Flexbox Froggy – A game for learning CSS flexbox
- Flexbox Defense – Another game for learning CSS flexbox
- Super Markup Man – learn html
- Untrusted – a user JavaScript adventure game
4. Were you working on a project from our last session? Feel free to continue on that, and ask mentors if you need any help!
5. Get started on the new project. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Step Three: Check Out the Projects
Mastery – Feeling masterful? Check out the requirements for our mastery badges. You can earn cool pins!
Today’s theme: Summer Fun
This is our first CoderDojo of Summer! What are fun things that you enjoy doing this time of year? Do you spend time with family and friends? Do you play games?
Previous Concepts:
- January: Variables
- February: Making Decisions: If-Then-Else
- March: Arrays and Lists
- April: Loops and Repeating Things
- May: Random
- June: Functions
Today’s concept: Events, Broadcast/Receive
Today we are going to flex our code-magic muscles and look at events, broadcast/receive (aka publish/subscribe). On a web page or in a game, clicking on a button requires an action or an event (let’s call it “on-click”); that action will broadcast a message (ex. “HEY! The red button was clicked!”) that another part of the program is listening for. Once that message is received, an action will take place (ex. “OK, I now know that the red button was clicked, so I will ignite the rocket”). In Scratch, you would use the “Events” blocks for “broadcast” and “receive.” In JavaScript, you might use the event for “onclick” and run a function.
In a way, this is like casting a spell. You say the words or make the right motion and the appropriate action takes place. I could say “Accio taco!” and wave my arms just so and a taco from my favorite taco stand would fly into my hands. ”
Accio taco” is the Scratch Broadcast or the JavaScript event.
The taco flying to me would be the Scratch “when I receive” or the JavaScript function.
Example in JavaScript
Examples in Scratch
- Example “Summon Taco“
- Molly M. “My Virtual Garden“
- Olivia N. “Grow an Apple Tree!“
Step Four: Show Off!
Did you create something awesome based off of today’s theme/concept? Come present it on stage! Presentations will start at 11:30 am. At 11:00, come see Mentor Eric to get a place in line to present. Scratch projects that will be presented will be added the CoderDojoKC Studio by a mentor.
Presentations must include at least one if-else statement.
**Presentations may not contain any politics, violence, gore, or bad words. (And we’re counting “sucks” as a bad word!)
