Have you tried the Hour of Code from Khan Academy?
By Lee Ka
@kaka135 (14994)
Malaysia
December 7, 2015 6:28am CST
I have read an email from Khan Academy, it's Computer Science Education Week (from 7 - 13 December), they are having this Hour of Code for children to learn how to code.
It's an hour introduction, and targeted to children who are 8 years old and above. I think it's quite interesting, and good for the children who'd like to know more about coding or how to build a website.
I am quite interested to look into it, though I haven't plan to teach my son to learn coding yet. I wanted to try it out today, but I was stuck at mylot. 
Perhaps I will spend an hour to learn something tomorrow.
Are you using Khan Academy to learn? Would you like to try out the Hour of Code?
You may visit Hour of Code here:
Perhaps I will spend an hour to learn something tomorrow.
Are you using Khan Academy to learn? Would you like to try out the Hour of Code?
You may visit Hour of Code here:
Anyone can learn to code! Spend an hour on Khan Academy learning to code, with our tutorials in JS, HTML, or SQL.
7 people like this
8 responses
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
7 Dec 15
I dont know what that site is about and what good will that event bring about as good for students. When I look at the strip that has the link here (on your discussion) - it says - "Spend an hour on Khan Academy learning to code" - and that is ridiculously insane.
No coding can be learned in an hour, it it did all of Internet users could be Programmers and Coders.
So definitely, they are not worth it. If they are, they have no idea of creating the description that their website gets across.
Of course, it can be an introduction as you mention on your discussion, but then, that 1 hours too is quite less to start with. And how do I know it? I spend 16+ years of my life teaching Programming to kids, professionals and even older seniors.
My take: It is a gimmick to collect personal data and then later start abusing it. Happens too much on the internet.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
13 Dec 15
I understand your worries. I don't simply sign up to any websites because of your last sentence too.
I am currently using Khan Academy, so I have already registered to the website. It's a quite famous educational website. My son is learning the Early Math now, as he is only 6, I am not going to expose him to coding at this young age yet.
I haven't check out the lesson yet, perhaps it's just some very simple graphical drag and drop programs.
I remember there was once we used a system to build a program, for industry use, if I am not mistaken. The program can be built by non-programmer, just drag and drop some blocks, of course we needed to add the conditional situations, something like a flow chart.
I really need to check out the lesson, as I think today is the last day.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
18 Dec 15
@thesids Actually I will not be letting my children learn coding until they are perhaps 12, as I will only allow them to actually use computer until then. I prefer the young children to do and imagine, rather than think now.
I have tried a bit of the Hour of Code, it shows the Ellipse function and explains the four parameters, in a more fun way. The student can change the coding, and the ellipse will be displayed on the right section. I know there's another drag and drop section, but I haven't learn that yet. Perhaps it's something similar to what you mentioned about Logo.
I remember the first programming language I learned was Ada, then machine language, it was not easy for me as a newbie though I was in my college year. I wish I have been taught with these basic concepts first.
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
14 Dec 15
@kaka135 True that at 6 programming should not be taught. It is definitely too early. Of course, the do it as you play thing can be more fun and creative.
Back in the past, at schools, we had logo and also some very simple QBasic. Logo was fun for kids as it is fun when you type an instruction and your see a line or even a rectangle drawn. In the next senior class, they would introduce the decisions, looping but that too was really very easy and simple.
1 person likes this
@Syllogism (206)
• China
9 Dec 15
I'm a programmer and earn my bread by coding.
I did ever see some books or teaching course for kids on computer coding.In my opinion, real coding is an activity that requires some maths abilities. By the maths abilites, I mean not only counting and sums(which is relatively easy for kids), but also logic(compare, sort, sequence, collections and so on) which may become very difficult for young kids.
But as far as I know, these coding course for kids often do not involve much in the maths abilities, they use language and graphics instead, they can make coding something like Lego which could be easy and attractive to children.Though some people would argue that such courses are not teaching real coding, but i recommend you try it out and see if your son is interested.
There're physics and chemistry for kids, even robots and space rockets for kids, why not coding for kids?
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
13 Dec 15
I still haven't check out the Hour of Code yet. I understand kids won't be able to learn actual coding in an hour, but it might let them understand more about coding or how a website is built better, just a very basic introduction to the programming world, I suppose.
Yes, the robotic projects sound interesting too, I might let my son learn those if he is interested, when he's older. 
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
7 Dec 15
It sounds as if it is a good way to introduce your children to coding if you think they need this at a young age.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
13 Dec 15
Nope, I am not going to expose my children to coding at this young age. I think they are too young for those logical thinking concepts. But, I am interested to find out how to make the lesson simple and interesting so a kid would like to learn.
1 person likes this
