Matryoshka Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Has anyone used these? If so, how did your kid like them? Well-explained? Good S&S? Did you use the book, videos, or both? Did they finish the course, and did they go on to do anything else, and if so, what? This is for dd13 for 8th next year, not for the dd15 interested in AP CompSci, in case you've been following my other posts... ;) This is the course I'm talking about, for reference... this dd wants to do C++ rather than Python, as it's more similar to what's used for Arduino, which she's been mucking about with a bit. She's planning to go through the Sew Electric book this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Thanks for asking this; I have wanted to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Have you checked out CodeAcademy ? That's what my ds swears by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Have you checked out CodeAcademy ? That's what my ds swears by. CodeAcademy doesn't have C++, unless I'm missing something?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Oh, my ds says it doesn't. Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 We've used the KidCoder windows/VB package, DS is currently finishing it and getting ready to start the Teen Coder Java. DH does IT/technology for a living and has learned several programming languages over the years, and he thinks these are well done. He says they are easy for DS to grasp the concepts and pick up coding techniques. We don't have the videos, just the downloaded (PDF) book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I've used KidCoder, and was pleased with it. I'm a software engineer (or I was before kids) and this is a good program, easy on the student, and very self contained. It doesn't require outside help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 This is the course I'm talking about, for reference... this dd wants to do C++ rather than Python, as it's more similar to what's used for Arduino, which she's been mucking about with a bit. She's planning to go through the Sew Electric book this spring. hmm link says C# (C-sharp) - quite different from the C++ language Does DD have previous programming experience? If so then locate a "teach yourself C++ book" at your local public library. Or for Arduino (embedded target board) just start with C first and migrate to other languages later. Currently AP is Java (never JAVA) and that is the current Intro programming language in most colleges (this has changed over time). www.learncpp.com is free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3byzaz Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 My oldest used this and did well. He is extremely into computers and techy stuff and it still provided a challenge. He didn't like JAVA or programming for that matter, but it was good for him to do! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 hmm link says C# (C-sharp) - quite different from the C++ language Does DD have previous programming experience? If so then locate a "teach yourself C++ book" at your local public library. Or for Arduino (embedded target board) just start with C first and migrate to other languages later. Currently AP is Java (never JAVA) and that is the current Intro programming language in most colleges (this has changed over time). www.learncpp.com is free Okay, that's an incredibly important point. I thought they were just using a funky font to represent the '++'. So, what is C-sharp and how is it different from C and C++? Is it object-oriented or not? Does anyone know how any of these relate to how Arudino is programmed? I've asked this before and haven't been able to get a completely clear answer as to whether it's C++ or C ... or some combination of both (is that possible)?? Or something that's just similar to one or the other? Would C-sharp still be helpful? It seems like the votes are that it's a well-laid out curriculum that will get done, so if dd will feel like it's still useful, I think it would still be a good idea... Dd has done a bit of Python and a bit of programming for an Arduino robot (in whatever langugage that was). She's planning to work through Sew Electric this spring (more Arduino programming). I know if she gets a book from the library, it will gather dust. Something with scheduled lessons is much more likely to get done. I think I would get the videos too; even though they're not necessary, she said she liked the samples and they might motivate her through dull patches. I know the AP is now in Java, but it seems like it's good to get something under the belt first. At older dd's high school, they have the kids do a semester of Visual Basic, then a semester of C++, and then do a year of Java (and then the AP w/ Java the following year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm a current computer science student, finishing up sophomore level classes. C was here first, then C++, then C#. Of the three, C is the most basic "low level," meaning the commands are closer to what the computer actually does, and in general harder for the beginning human to figure out. ++ in computer language means increment (add one to the loop index), so the name C++ is a cute way of saying it is like C but a little better. C++ is object oriented (not sure about C). C++ is harder for beginners than C#; the C# language automatically does a lot of things for you that the programmer has to explicitly code in C++. But that makes it a better language for the intermediate student, because as you work with C++ you get a good handle on complicated concepts like pointers and recursion, which are difficult concepts to understand unless you really work with them. Languages like C# and Java "protect" the programmer from those concepts which makes the programmer's life easier in the short run but inhibits learning in the long run. I have heard that C# is a lot like Java, and it is pretty easy to switch from one language to the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I am an early retired Software Engineering Consultant. From the days of Assembly Language programming... IMHO, it is really cool, or, in today's language, awesome, that middle and high school students are learning C++ I tried to get back into the job market, early in 2008, but my lack of experience with C++ and the Development Tools that are used in industry today, blocked that. Some of the kids who are checking out C++ today will be Software Engineers in the future. :-) Here's a link to the Arudino web site: http://www.arduino.cc/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm also a retired software engineer. My mother tongue is C, although I dabbled in assembly, and FORTRAN. I missed the punch cards by one semester. :-) That should give you an idea of my age. As a C native, the switch to C++ was easy. C is not an object-oriented language, but once you know C and assembly, you think like a computer. You can learn anything after that. That said, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that a beginner starts where we started. We had no choice back then, there was nothing else. DS has done VB, bit of Python and Java. DD is about to start. She's handled robotics (Mindstorms) and Scratch. Time to move her up. As for Arduino, here's what the website says: The Arduino software is published as open source tools, available for extension by experienced programmers. The language can be expanded through C++ libraries, and people wanting to understand the technical details can make the leap from Arduino to the AVR C programming language on which it's based. It seems it has its own language, which can be expanded with C++, but at the very base it's C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtgkids3 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 My 2 sons have just started the TeenCoder Java course, and we've run into a bit of a snag. I see lots of informed people have commented above. Can I post a question here or is there another forum I should go to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 My son has been learning it for free on his own. I'll have to ask him what sites he uses. He has used TeenCoder (Java?) before, but he says that there have been snags and he's learned more by looking elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 If he was wanting to learn C#, code academy would be a good supplement (and free). Do their Java course. I use jScript at work which is really really close to C#, and I went through the Code Academy Java to check for any holes in my knowledge since I'd never taken a class. The only difference I noticed was that Java used "===" to mean "is equal to" and C# uses "==". There are probably other differences, but that was the only one I noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 hmm link says C# (C-sharp) - quite different from the C++ language Does DD have previous programming experience? If so then locate a "teach yourself C++ book" at your local public library. Or for Arduino (embedded target board) just start with C first and migrate to other languages later. Currently AP is Java (never JAVA) and that is the current Intro programming language in most colleges (this has changed over time). www.learncpp.com is free I just asked ds how he learned C++. His response was the learncpp.com that MarkT recommended. Ds has been busy teaching himself several programming languages using mainly online resources. He started out on codeacademy and strongly advises working your way through that before moving on. Ds recommends learning Java first. We own the original Teencoder books C+ and games. Drove him and me nuts. We never got beyond the first couple lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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