5 Sites Students Can Use to Learn to Code

Why is coding so important? Coding involves applied math and sciences and really forces students to use problem-solving skills. More and more careers today involve the constant changing of technology and it’s important for students to be ready with STEM skills when they enter college and the workforce. According to Phil Johnson’s article titled Computer Science Students are in Demand and They Know It, “Of all majors, students studying in CS (Computer Science) had the highest average starting salary, $66,161, followed by engineering ($65,000), math and statistics ($60,300), economics ($58,600), and finance ($58,000). In addition, 32% of CS grads had a starting salary of over $75K and 13% started at over $100K.”

Why not help get your kids get involved in coding?! Below are 5 different coding sites that teach kids of all ages how to do coding, programming, and gaming.

Code.org – Code.org was started in 2013 and is a non-profit aimed to increase the number of students who want to learn to code and get involved with computer science. They offer tutorials for beginners, tutorials for JavaScript, and free courses for coding and computer science for all grade levels using interactive games. This site is great because it reinforces the idea that everyone can code and has helped increase the number of girls that have learned coding. There are also links for teachers on this site that provide detailed lesson plans and additional resources.

Code Avengers – Code Avengers is a website that offers individual online learning, classroom instruction, and code camps for students ages 12-100. There are courses on Python, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Web development, Design, Coding and Game Development. Teachers can also access resources on here to implement individual lesson plans or real-life projects for the classroom. They have a free 7-day trial in which students can learn up to 5 lessons in each course and then it goes into a monthly payment.

Lightbot – Lightbot is an app-based program best suited for younger kids starting at around age 4. Lightbot was designed to be a programming puzzle game to teach kids basic programming concepts. Kids will use a series of instructions to take a robot and make him light up all of the tiles by programming the robot. They will learn concepts such as loops, debugging and if-then statements.

Code Combat – Code Combat teaches kids of all ages how to learn computer science through games. More than 450 contributors have helped develop Code Combat and over 5,000,000 players have used their website in over 200 countries! They offer varying ability levels for all grades where students can learn coding through games that are engaging.

Tech Rocket – Tech Rocket is an online platform to teach coding, different programming languages, game design, graphic design and STEM skills for students ages 10-18. Through Tech Rocket students have access to 6 free courses and after that they would then have to do either a monthly or annual membership. This site is great for students to use year round or independently at their own pace.

Johnson, Phil. Computer Science Students are in Demand and They Know It. July 9, 2015.
http://www.itworld.com/article/2945674/careers/computer-science-students-are-in-demand-and-they-know-it.html

Written by Sarah Kochan

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