Hour of Code and a Lifetime of Possibilities

Today, I participated in the Hour of Code--a nationwide effort to introduce students to computer coding as a way of demystifying the practice. On the surface, I taught a few middle school students how to control a computer character and help it to navigate its way through a predefined maze. While we did that in the context of a fun online challenge, there was more to the 60 minutes of coding for me.

As a student myself, I didn't have a plan or much guidance as I meandered through my public and post-secondary education. Fortunately, I found an area - education - which excited and engaged me. But as I look back, I never really weighed my options and the potential positive and negative consequences of my chosen field of study.

Now, looking back, I might have preferred to study Computer Science, if someone had told me what it was or that it existed. That's not to say that I regret going into education or becoming a teacher. Rather, it would have served as something of a Shrodinger's Cat for my career and resulting lifestyle, an alternate reality that could have materialized only by me consciously selecting it.

Back to today and the Hour of Code, I wanted to provide the information and experience of interacting with a computer to my students while they are still in their teens. All who were there enjoyed the time we spent on the activity. Some will continue to pursue coding while others won't. Nonetheless, they all know that it exists and is something that even a kid can do. If only there had been the Hour of Code when I was their age . . .?

Look, Mom, I Made a Video Game with Scratch

Have you ever wanted to design your own video game? With Scratch, an open web-based software created by MIT, you can. The best part about it is that there is no experience needed. I had none when I decided to take a look at the Scratch website. But after a exploring other users' projects, watching a few YouTube tutorials, and playing around on the website myself, I was able to program and play my very first video game, Confection Kick Back, which you can play below.

So, what exactly is Scratch? It is a drag-and-drop coding language created by MIT which makes learning to code, and actually doing it, a lot more accessible to people who never got a degree in Computer Science. It's also a popular place to share what you are working on with other Scratch users in the Scratch community. See a project that you like from another Scratcher? Scratch allows you to look at that user's code to better understand how the project works. You could even remix that project for yourself as a way of taking an established project and experimenting with the variables.

Whether somewhat experienced with programming or absolutely ignorant, Scratch is a great place to enter the world of programming. In just a few hours of starting to use Scratch, you could have a game like Confection Kick Back of your own.