Camp Description

This fun camp is all about coding games - and the awesomeness that comes from it!  From Frogger to Tron or even classics like Breakout or Flappy Bird, our Code Coaches will help choose the right game(s) for our campers.  Campers will not only create a real functioning game from scratch, they'll practice the fundamental coding concepts required in any language, learn how to think logically, and have fun while doing it.  Using Scratch, MIT's popular drag-and-drop programming language, campers will code cool playable games with guidance from our seasoned Code Coaches, and have a sweet Friday afternoon demo for parents to see!  Because we do all our coding online, campers can log into their account at any time during or after camp to show off what they've done, and even keep adding to their game!
 

Teaching Platform

Scratch is the most widely used teaching tool for kids today.  Kudos to the folks at MIT who created it, Scratch is great because it's so graphical and easy to start with, but can support even the most complex logic that professionals use.  Think your little camper "knows Scratch" already?  They don't!  That's the beauty of what we teach - it's not the language (the "syntax") that matters , it's the practice of thinking through a problem and applying a solution (the "logic") that's critical to ANY coding language - and any future career, for that matter!  Some locations may choose to use Snap! instead, a similar language created by Berkeley (that they even use to teach Berkeley college freshman!).  You can find out more about Scratch at http://scratch.mit.edu and Snap! at http://snap.berkeley.edu.

Concepts Learned

What will campers learn?  Lots of cool stuff!  Our camps focus on coding apps from scratch.  We're not just relying on a platform to change parameters in a game, we're actually doing sequential coding through logical steps.  Campers will gain general skills like problem solving, teamwork, code debugging, and perhaps most importantly, all campers will learn and practice the logical thinking skills required to program a computer at any level!  In addition campers will gain and practice important coding concepts that may include:

• Variables, Loops, and If/Then Logic
• Cartesian Coordinates and Sprite Movement
• Event Detection
• Score Keeping and Game Design
• Simple Math Logic
• and More!

Skill Level

Kids with very little or no coding background can join us for this beginner's programming camp.  And, because we have a number of games up our sleeves, even the more advanced elementary school coders can learn and have fun in our camp by coding more complex games.  If your camper is a regular Coder School student however, be sure to check with us first, as sometimes this material is covered in more detail in our regular after-school Coaching sessions.

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Camp Description

Our WebRox camp is all about websites, because the web rocks!  Our campers will spend the week designing and building their very own websites and get 'em published to the world by the end of the week.  Importantly, kids will be introduced to Internet Safety and why cyber-safety matters, plus we'll learn the basics of how the internet works (wait, you mean that Facebook page lives out in the "cloud" somewhere?!).  As usual, our Fridays are all about the demo, showing off the all cool website stuff the kids create!
 

Teaching Platform

We use the "big three" languages of the web in this camp - HTML, CSS, and for advanced kids, Javascript.  These three technologies make up the basis of all websites around the world, so are some of the most well known languages there are!  Unlike some other classes, we focus on the core technology code base, instead of using a platform to quickly create a beautiful site without needing to code.  The Coder School also provides each camper their very own public place to host their page(s), so anyone around the world can see the cool stuff they've done with just a URL!

Concepts Learned

Campers will learn all about how websites are coded from scratch, and how all websites everywhere are based on the exact same languages that the kids will be using.  Some of the concepts kids may learn and practice include:

• Basics of internet safety
• High level understanding of the Internet Architecture
• Basic usage of HTML tags like <img>, <p>, <strong>
• Understanding of how CSS affect websites
• What Javascript is, and for more advanced kids, a basic start
• and More!

Skill Level

Kids in our WebRox camp should be strong typers and familiar with the keyboard. Coding or website experience isn't necessary.  Those with some level of website experience are also welcome to join to learn more advanced concepts.  If your camper is a regular Coder School student learning website development however, be sure to check with us first, as sometimes this material is covered in more detailed in our regular after-school Coaching sessions.

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Camp Description

Who's ready for some PYTHON!  Sounds a little gross, like a giant snake right?  But it's actually one of the hottest languages around today.  Take advantage of the easy-to-read style of coding while picking up on one of the most popular languages today for professional and beginner coders alike.  We'll start out by using an online python platform to learn some basics and practice some fundamental concepts, and time permitting and based on our camper skill set, we may jump on to some more complex Python coding, potentially getting into coding with PyGame.
 

Teaching Platform

Python is a crazy awesome language!  One of the most popular languages today, Python allows beginners to easily read and understand the code while providing an almost endless supply of libraries and supporting systems to develop things from websites to backend servers to data scripts and yes, even a particular version of Minecraft!  Depending on the student skill level, we'll likely start with online coding platforms like Trinket or Pixelpad.io, and may extend into pure Python coding and local machine development, time (and skill) permitting.

Concepts Learned

Our Python camp really focuses on - you guessed it - Python!  Campers will gain general skills like problem solving, teamwork, code debugging, and perhaps most importantly, all campers will learn and practice the logical thinking skills required to program a computer at any level!  In addition campers will gain experience in:

• An introduction to a typed language, for those who have only used Scratch
• Python syntax (loops, variable, structure, etc)
• Function calls
• Cartesian Coordinates through Python (Trinket)
• and More!

Skill Level

Because Python is a purely typed language, we require that our campers are all strong typers.  Slow typers are likely to get frustrated with the experience, and potentially focus too much on typing rather than coding.  While Python experience isn't required, we do require some amount of general coding experience, typically Scratch or a similar language.  Understanding basic coding concepts is important to diving right into Python and learning all they can.  As always, if your camper is a regular Coder School student, be sure to check with us first, as sometimes this material is covered in more detailed in our regular after-school Coaching sessions.

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Camp Description

Our Pi Jam camp introduces our more advanced programmers to the world of IoT, or Internet of Things.  As computers and technology expand like wildfire, you'll find more and more computers in your "things" - like your watch, your smart home, or even your refrigerator.  These gadgets are all run by computers that are getting smaller and smaller!  Our Pi Jam camp introduces kids to one of the hottest mini-computers today, the Raspberry Pi.

Teaching Platform

Raspberry Pi is the latest in the tiny computing and Internet-of-Things craze - a mini computer that can run languages like Scratch or Python, control physical things like lights and other sensors, and even let you play with a Python-coded version of Minecraft!  Our Pi Jam camp takes campers through an introductory crash course on how to set up a Pi and run some basic programming on it.  Each camper will have their own Pi computer to work on (however, please check your specific location as to whether kids take the Pi home at the end of the week).

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Camp Description

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the bigger buzzwords today, and we're ready to help you tackle it.   What is AI?  Why is it taking over the world?  When will the Terminator come back and take down John Connor??  We'll start out talking about AI use cases and dive into some fundamental algorithms and create some basic AI apps as well.

Teaching Platform

Depending on our campers' skill levels, we'll likely use Python or Scratch for our coding.  AI typically is a focus on algorithms and logical design, so language and language syntax is less important.  We'll typically use the language the campers are more familiar with.

Concepts Learned

Our AI Camp will help de-mystify what artificial intelligence is, and how it's used in the world.  AI can be extremely complex, but like all software, it's based on basic building blocks of logic.  We'll start with basic AI apps like guessing games, then dive into more fundamental AI apps like computer-opponent games or chatbots, and may get into more complex strategies of "computer thinking" based on campers' progress.  Specific applications will depend on skillset of campers enrolled.

Campers will gain general skills like algorithm design, problem solving, code debugging, and perhaps most importantly, all campers will learn and practice the logical thinking skills required to program a computer at any level!  In addition campers will gain experience in:

• How AI affects our world today
• Algorithm design and understanding
• Deeper coding concepts that apply to all levels of coding
• Brush up on the fundamentals, Python syntax and/or code structure, where appropriate (loops, variable, structure, etc)
• and More!

Skill Level

Knowledge of Python is helpful, but not required, as apps may be built in Scratch as well.  Desire and ability to think through complex logical steps (algorithms) is required, because AI is all about algorithms!  Note that this camp will focus less on graphics and visual feedback, and more on logical algorithm thinking.  As always, if your camper is a regular Coder School student, be sure to check with us first, as sometimes this material is covered in more detail in our regular after-school Coaching sessions.

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Camp Description

From the day Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, smart phones have been slowly taking over all of our worlds. Our Mobile Madness camps gets our intermediate coders introduced to the world of mobile app development by coding mobile apps loaded on an Android-based mobile phone.

Teaching Platform

Built by the engineering minds of MIT, App Inventor is an amazing platform that allows students to build and deploy mobile phone apps. Currently compatible with Android - and soon iPhone - App Inventor uses familiar logic-based code to build apps that run on a simulator for testing that can also be deployed to Android phones as fully functional mobile apps.  Each camper will be provided their own Android phone to work on, but are invited to bring their own if they have them.

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