SCRATCH
SCRATCH is a free programming language that allows students, even very young students, to easily create games, art, stories and share them online. The language is module based and uses the same principles as most app builders. While it is simple, the potential is there to create some complex games so even older students enjoy it. Play the game I created here.
There are many resources online Tutorial Cards , an excellent e-book, and Educators page, and SCRATCHED, an online community of SCRATCH Educators.
In the next 10 years there is predicted to be a million fewer programmers/software engineers than we need. Teaching students to think computationally at an early age and giving them a chance to try programming may help encourage more students to pursue this field.
Another, similar programming applications are Alice , a 3D programming environment. There are several versions of Alice, one aimed at middle school and one at high school. Alice is considered to be more complex than SCRATCH.
Also worth investigating is GameMaker , there is a free version to try.
There are many resources online Tutorial Cards , an excellent e-book, and Educators page, and SCRATCHED, an online community of SCRATCH Educators.
In the next 10 years there is predicted to be a million fewer programmers/software engineers than we need. Teaching students to think computationally at an early age and giving them a chance to try programming may help encourage more students to pursue this field.
Another, similar programming applications are Alice , a 3D programming environment. There are several versions of Alice, one aimed at middle school and one at high school. Alice is considered to be more complex than SCRATCH.
Also worth investigating is GameMaker , there is a free version to try.