Introduction to Programming for Kids

“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer…because it teaches you to think” (Steve Jobs).

Steve Jobs is not alone in this thinking. Many of the people who are shaping our modern world are saying the same thing – programming is the language of the future. This course will introduce you to programming in the most fun, easiest, and most unique way possible.

The course uses MIT University's Scratch environment which was specfically designed to help people learn to program. Learning to program is not easy, as there are so many complex things to grasp. However what is most important is to grasp the fundementals of code and how it works. That is what Scratch was designed to do - to teach you the basics, and teach you them well. And that is what this course will do. We will show you how to program a game in Scratch, and by doing that you will learn all about the fundamentals of programming, plus you will have lots of fun too!

BUT wait, there’s more! We will be teaching you in a unique way.

You will be learning from two people – myself (Craig) and my son, Joshua. I have a PhD in educational technology and have been involved in technolology and teaching it for over 30 years. I will give you the benefit of my knowledge of teaching – how to do it properly, and technology in general. Joshua, who is just 12 has picked up programming, by himself and is now successfully writing apps. But he started with Scratch. He will bring a fresh and simple-to-understand insight to the teaching as he guides you through this learning process. Together we are going to share with you how you can learn to program and set yourself up for the most needed career of the future.