Coding Resources for Computer Science Education Week & Beyond

Let’s consider that Computer Science is Changing Everything! I think you’ll quickly agree that as computers continue to shape the world around us our kids need to learn to code — to become the producers of their own futures, to learn essential skills they’ll need for future careers, and to dream as big as they want to! That’s why today as Computer Science Education Week kicks off I thought I’d share with you a few coding resources for Computer Science Education Week — to empower you to get coding with your kids for #CSEdWeek and beyond!

At the end of this post I’m also sharing a round up of some of our past posts that you may find useful so make sure to read on!

Coding Resources for Computer Science Education Week & Beyond

You don’t even have to be that tech-savvy parent to get your kids involved! There are so many resources out there to help you and your kid get started. Many of these resources are even FREE! And trust me, our kids are digital natives. As such, once you put these resources in front of them they will take off. I know you’ll agree that they pick these things up quickly! Much faster than you and I, for sure. Plus nothing is more fun than learning together. So go ahead! Get coding with your kids and celebrate Computer Science Education Week together!

Mom Tip: Start simple! The Hour of Code (learn more below) is a great place to start. But don’t stop there! The resources I will share with you today could be used throughout the entire year (and should be). After all, as we step into the future, coding isn’t something our kids will just use one day out of the year. Coding is quickly becoming part of their everyday lives and it’s already an essential 21st century skill for future careers.

Code.org

You may already recognize Code.org from their popular annual Hour of Code campaign that kicks off this week’s Computer Science Education Week. Code.org’s Hour of Code makes computer programming accessible to everyone through fun, quick lessons. But did you know that Code.org also offers a wide variety of FREE online courses year round? The Hour of Code tutorials are available year round. Kids of all ages can also participate in different online Computer Science Fundamentals courses. Teens who are ready to take the next step in coding can even go on to learn how to code their own apps, or develop their own games.

Just remember that Computer Science Education shouldn’t happen this week only. Empower your kids to continue coding year round!

Microsoft & Minecraft

In other exciting Code.org news, to kickoff this year’s Hour of Code campaign, Microsoft released a new Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial, called “A Hero’s Journey,” to be use during Computer Science Education Week. Did you know that over the past two years, nearly 70 million people around the world have used these free one-hour Minecraft tutorials to learn the basics of coding?

Minecraft Hour of Code #CSEdWeek — Photo Credit: Microsoft

This year’s Minecraft tutorial includes Redstone, pistons and the Agent from Minecraft: Education Edition to introduce computer science concepts in a fun and creative way. And even more exciting is the fact that for the first time ever, users can upload this year’s tutorial using Code Builder to Minecraft: Education Edition on a Windows 10 PC.

And since we are on the subject of Microsoft I though I should let you know that additionally, Microsoft Stores will be hosting FREE Hour of Code workshops throughout Computer Science Education Week (December 4-10) at all physical store locations across the globe. You can find a Microsoft store near you by clicking here.

In addition, I wanted to share with you this Microsoft Education Blog where you can find great resources for teachers, parents, and kids, plus learn more about how you can join Computer Science Education Week this year.

Coding is something I often talk about here on the blog (since I’m constantly encouraging my own kid to learn to code). Below you’ll find a list of past posts that can help you and your kids to learn to code.

HAPPY COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK & HAPPY CODING!