Tech Camps at the Library
23
Tech Camps at the Library Nicole C. Engard
-
Upload
nicole-engard -
Category
Technology
-
view
529 -
download
0
Transcript of Tech Camps at the Library
Tech Camps at the Library
Nicole C. Engard
Why Kids Should Code• Give kids a head start in coding because:
• Proficiency and fluency learned early on can help with problem solving and independent thinking
• It’s the foundation and building block for all STEM
• Early success is needed for strong algebra skills and higher level math & science classes
STEM Job Pay
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/02/02/the-5-highest-paying-degrees-of-2015/
Careers in Software Dev
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
We Need More Experts• Demand is there, but supply is not
• There were only 48,700 undergraduate computer science graduates from accredited US universities in 2014.
• In 2015, the coding bootcamp market was estimated to grow by 2.4x, to an estimated 16,056 graduates in 2015, up from 6,740 in 2014.
What Can We Do?• Libraries are known for their programming to help
educate their communities
• Coding camps for kids (like Bootcamps for adults) can get more people interested in software development
• For little or no cost you can host these camps to teach software development and/or robotics
Not A Programmer?
Stencyl and Scratch make it easy
Coding Tools
• Scratch (scratch.mit.edu)
• Tynker (www.tynker.com)
• Stencyl (www.stencyl.com)
• Greenfoot (www.greenfoot.org)
• Blocky Games (blockly-games.appspot.com/)
Let’s Play!!!
Circuit Tools
• LittleBits (littlebits.cc)
• LilyPad Arduino (lilypadarduino.org)
• Snap Circuits (www.snapcircuits.net)
• Circuits Scribe (www.electroninks.com)
Robotics Tools• Finch (www.finchrobot.com)
• Hummingbird robotics kit (hummingbirdkit.com)
• Raspberry Pi (bit.ly/1UgmoTl)
• Arduino (bit.ly/22l22gO)
• VEX (www.vexrobotics.com)
• Lego Mindstorms (mindstorms.lego.com)
For Toddlers
• Code-a-pillar www.fisher-price.com/codeapillar/
• Cubetto www.primotoys.com
Potential Projects
• Create a website
• Create a story in Scratch
• Create a light up monster with the Lilypad
• Build your own Lego robot
• What are you ideas?
Possible Languages
• HTML/CSS
• Javascript
• Python
• Ruby
• MySQL
Costs• Computers or tablets for each student (already in
the library or BYOD)
• Open source software for programming ($0)
• A trainer ($0-$100/hr)
• Hardware ($16/e LilyPad Arduino, $200/e LittleBits Kit, $36/e Raspberry Pi, $99/e The Finch)
• Misc tools and supplies ($200-$1000)
Volunteers / Donations• Find volunteers using Idealist, VolunteerMatch,
AllForGood or other such sites
• Request donations on sites like GoFundMe or YouCaring
• Create an Amazon wish list for your organization (for example: http://amzn.com/w/NF8ABQSCGRDI)
• Of course you can just ask!
Structure
• One Off: Have a project for everyone in attendance
• Hackathon: Have an 8 -12 hour event
• Over time: Have a project a day (every few days) or have a goal that has to be completed in a period of time. This might be a robotics or coding club.
• Look in to starting a Dojo : coderdojo.com
Promotion• Many conferences offer free tables to non profits
• Meetup.com
• Social media
• Local universities and colleges
• Partnerships
• Swag
Partnerships• Talk to :
• coding/tech/stem groups/meetups
• area tech companies
• coding bootcamps
• maker/tech shops
• schools with stem programs
Final Tips• Write a code of conduct
• Have parent’s permission (note any security risks)
• Take into account level of experience of attendees
• Offer different levels of events if necessary
• Create tutorials (Guide on the Side)
• Create evaluations (LimeSurvey)
Additional Resources• Free coding courses for kids : http://bit.ly/22mSqPk
• Choosing a summer coding camp : http://bit.ly/1PcklrF
• 45 places to learn to code for free : http://bit.ly/1Vd58xQ
• 12 sites to learn to code for free : http://entm.ag/1ROFyK7
• Cool products for teaching kids to code : http://huff.to/1pM1bV9
• Teach your kids to code : http://edut.to/1R3E9je
