DS wants to take a computer programing course

[RJH]

DS8 is interested in taking some sort of computer programing course. He wants to learn how to create his own computer games. Does anyone know where I could find info on this? thanks!

[Jules]

We have been using the things from
www.motherboardbooks.com

My kids have enjoyed her items that she has and she is willing and helpful to answer your questions. If you send her what your child is interested in, she will help you with where and what to start with.

I would highly recommend it.

[sandra in va]

We've been looking for something similar for my 10 yo ds, so thanks for that link, Jules!

[Sue in St Pete]

My son took a video game design at our co-op from Computer Explorers (http://www.computerexplorers.com/locations/) and really enjoyed it. It's a franchise, so there may be classes available in your area.

[choirfarm]

My 13yo son has been working through this textbook I got at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Alice-2-0-Introductory-Concepts-Techniques/dp/1418859346/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232413831&sr=8-1

If the link doesn't work, then search for Alice 2.O and you should get a textbook by Shelly, Cashman, and Herbert. It came with a cd containing the program and step by step instructions and lessons. It is great and he has done it all himself. He is in the final chapter and for the first time, he got a little stuck. You can get Alice for free on the internet and play around with it, but to be honest I needed something my son could read and teach himself and this has been perfect. It was only 30 dollars.

Christine

[Stacia]

My son took a video game design at our co-op from Computer Explorers (http://www.computerexplorers.com/locations/) and really enjoyed it. It's a franchise, so there may be classes available in your area.

Mine did too, lol. Actually, ds took a class on video animation using Scratch. Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/) is a free download from MIT. I think if you google, there are some lesson plans to go along w/ learning Scratch on your own. My ds loves playing around with it.

You may want to check if your county offers classes for kids. That's how ds did the class through Computer Explorers -- they offered the class through the county.

[Sue in St Pete]

My 13yo son has been working through this textbook I got at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Alice-2-0-Introductory-Concepts-Techniques/dp/1418859346/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232413831&sr=8-1

If the link doesn't work, then search for Alice 2.O and you should get a textbook by Shelly, Cashman, and Herbert. It came with a cd containing the program and step by step instructions and lessons. It is great and he has done it all himself. He is in the final chapter and for the first time, he got a little stuck. You can get Alice for free on the internet and play around with it, but to be honest I needed something my son could read and teach himself and this has been perfect. It was only 30 dollars.

Christine

I believe the website is www.alice.org. But isn't it more for middle school, high school, and college?

[GVA]

I'm an part-time IT professor at the local CC, we use Alice in our first programming course. It's really for at least middle school or up.

At 8 y.o. you could start on the animation end of it with Corefx available from Timberdoodle and others. Timberdoodle also sells Terrapin Logo which is good to learn about programming. It's not cheap, but I've considered getting this for my kids at some point (one grammar and one logic stage). Then when he's a bit older, the materials from Motherboard Books are appropriate and also Alice.

You can tell him that people who write games have to have skills on many fronts. It really is like being an engineer in terms of preparation. That disappoints my CC students who think that they can do that with just one or two classes.;)

[Cindyg]

https://www.courseportal.ode.ttu.edu/login.php Click Academics, Other Programs, Distance Learning, K-12 Offerings, View Our Catalog, High School Courses, and then scroll down to Technology Applications.

http://www.computersciencelab.com/index.htm

http://www.motherboardbooks.com/

http://www.terrapinlogo.com/

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.or...fer&Itemid=450

http://www.computerladyonline.com/

http://www.alice.org/

http://www.pottersschool.org/tps/courses.asp#JHAL (Scroll down to Computer)

http://67.202.21.157/forums/showthre...31356#poststop

http://www.pahomeschoolers.com/courses/index.html (Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Website)

http://www.northstar-academy.org/aca...Offerings.aspx (Scroll down to Computers)

http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/

Can you tell my homeschooler is obsessed with computers? I'm planning to keep him busy with this list from 5th - 12th grade. We're about 2 months in to the first course from Texas Tech, and so far so good.

[harrypmgaga]

I was looking forward to looking at the first site in your list, but it doesn't work :(

[Cindyg]

I was looking forward to looking at the first site in your list, but it doesn't work :(

I fixed it (above). Whew, they didn't make it easy to find!

[birchbark]

I just saw this in the HSLD magazine:

http://www.homegrownprogrammers.com/