Coding to Inspire: Learning through animation and music!

By: Yasmin Ranade

December 2, 2014

CP_BMO2_girls learning code - groupWith the second-annual Hour of Code campaign, a worldwide effort to broaden participation in computer science, especially by girls, about to launch next week, I was intrigued by two different stories about inspiring people to choose a profession in programming.

As part of Computer Science Education Week, which runs the week of December 8-14, 2014, Code.org® unveiled a computer science tutorial featuring heroines Anna and Elsa from The Walt Disney Company’s blockbuster film “Frozen.” Thanks to Disney Interactive, students will learn to write code that enables Disney Infinity versions of Disney’s “Frozen” characters Anna and Elsa to draw snowflakes and snowmen and perform magical “ice craft” in Code.org’s signature lesson for the Hour of Code 2014. The tutorial aims to teach logic and math and nurtures creative thinking through introductory computer programming.

Role-model technologists and celebrities, including Polyvore CEO Jess Lee, Microsoft engineer Paola Mejia, app developer and model Lyndsey Scott, and model Karlie Kloss, provide short video lectures to guide students through the one-hour activity. Students will be able to share their artwork online or with friends through a unique link.

“As a parent, I know firsthand how excited kids are over Disney’s ‘Frozen,’” said Hadi Partovi, co-founder of Code.org. “Our entire team is grateful for Disney Interactive’s tireless support of the Hour of Code, which provides students an entry point into the world of creativity that opens up when they build technology for the first time. Computer science and coding literacy are vital to our children’s future and we applaud Code.org for making computer science education more widely available.”

Along with this collaboration, Disney is donating $100,000 to support Code.org’s efforts to bring computer science education to afterschool programs nationwide. Disney Interactive will host Hour of Code events for local students at their Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Seattle, and Kelowna, British Columbia offices.

The tutorial, “Artist with Anna & Elsa,” is Code.org’s newest addition to its online learning platform, Code Studio, designed to teach students the basics of computer science, starting as early as kindergarten. Code Studio is used in more than 50,000 classrooms.

Last year, Code.org launched the Hour of Code with a tutorial featuring artwork from Rovio’s Angry Birds, PopCap Games’ Plants vs. Zombies and video lectures by Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. To date, 22 million students have tried the one-hour, introductory tutorial.

Anyone can try “Artist with Anna & Elsa” now, at Code Studio: code.org/frozen

Learn HTML With Song

Similarly, Learn HTML With Song, combines HTML instruction with music and video support.

Aimed at putting the fun into learning code, HTML With Song hires up-and-coming independent musicians to craft educational music themed around learning HTML, CSS, Javascript and other scripting languages.

Its talented artists work with Diane Presler, a code ninja with decades of experience teaching HTML, to produce songs so catchy that student programmers are taught how to program in a fun way.

Presler, a seasoned programmer and software expert, has always been interested in how music aids memory. One of her earliest recollections is of learning the ABCs, and she still relies on that old tune as a mnemonic device to memorize other alphabetized lists.

Coding courses – each accompanied by lessons, tips, example and videos – are available online at: http://learnhtmlwithsong.com/blog/.

WhatsYourTech recently wrote about National Girls Learning Code Day, which is a Canadian coding effort aimed at getting girls to code. It was spearheaded by MasterCard and Ladies Learning Code, and took place on November 8th 2014.

Also related, see, Square Code Camp Encourages Young Women to Pursue Tech,

 

 


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