Get started at http://www.coderdojokc.com/today
Welcome to CoderDojoKC! Let’s get you started! If you haven’t when you arrived, please fill out our demographics survey!
Step One: Wifi
1. Open up your internet connection and connect to “Fiber Public WiFi“
2. Can’t connect? Raise your hand and a mentor will get you a hotspot to connect to.
3. We recommend using the Google Chrome browser.
Step Two: 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.
Once you have a Scratch login, go through the tutorial to learn some of the ways to build something awesome in Scratch. If you are looking for further help in Scratch, take a look at its help page.
Step Three: Learn to Code
1. 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!
2. 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
- Super Markup Man – learn html
- Untrusted – a user javascript adventure game
3. Were you working on a project from our last session? Feel free to continue on that, and ask mentors if you need any help!
4. Get started on the new project. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Step Four: Check Out the Projects
Mastery – Feeling masterful? Check out the requirements for our mastery badges. You can earn cool pins!
Today’s theme: Events and Magic
Today we are going to flex our code-magic muscles and look at events (also known as broadcasts and listeners). 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, and the taco flying to me would be the Scratch “when I receive” or the JavaScript function.
Example Project: Magic School
Step Five: Show Off!
Did you create something awesome based off of one of these projects? Come present it on stage! Presentations will start at 11:00 am. Let a mentor know you want to show off your work. Scratch projects that will be presented will be added the CoderDojoKC Studio by Mentor Eric.
**Presentations may not contain any violence, gore, or bad words. (And we’re counting “sucks” as a bad word!)
