Review Geek: Raspberry Pi Debuts a Code Editor for Young People. “Python is the preferred coding language for beginners (particularly young people), as it’s the most intuitive language utilized by professionals. For this reason, Raspberry Pi’s Code Editor uses Python (specifically the standard library and P5). Support for web development languages, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will arrive at a later date.”
Penn State: New coding tool could aid computer programmers who are blind or have low vision . “Prior work has focused on making different parts of the coding process more accessible for blind and low-vision users, such as reading or navigating code. Grid Editor is the first to place emphasis on code editing — an important step in making continuous updates to software, in which programmers edit and update existing code that was previously written by other programmers.”
MakeUseOf: 7 Helpful Online Communities for Developers. “If you don’t interact much with fellow developers, programming can quickly become to feel like a solitary and boring activity. But joining developer communities can help you feel connected, keep up with the industry, and get support from other developers.”
Mashable: From kitten gifs to Minecraft modding, these online games make coding fun for kids. “Coding games also give kids an opportunity to improve critical thinking and creative problem solving, and the latest spate of coding platforms is designed to appeal to kids with varying interests. There’s text-based coding for creating art and animation, and puzzle games instructing a robot to move crates.”
CNET: Black Girls Code wants to diversify the tech industry. Here’s why it’s important. “Women have long been underrepresented in the tech industry. But women of color even more so: One study, by the National Center for Women in IT, reported that Black women in particular held only 3.1% of computing jobs in 2019. Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code, an organization that helps young women of color from underrepresented communities learn skills to help prepare them for STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and math).”
CNET: Want to learn to code? We found 5 online coding courses for beginners. “My husband is a tech guy through and through — tinkering in code to build simple apps and websites just for fun. I’m not. I knew my way around MySpace HTML back in the day (enough to change my background at least) and could navigate WordPress for my college newspaper, but those skills are quite rusty now. Learning to code is a valuable skill for almost anyone working in our digital world. And though unemployment levels are high due to the coronavirus pandemic, tech companies like Apple and Amazon are still hiring. Picking up some coding skills could help you get a foot in the door.”
Make Tech Easier: Top 3 Resources to Teach Kids to Code. “As a former elementary teacher who also spent time teaching technology to young children, I’ve identified a few sites that allow students as young as four to begin learning about code. There are many others out there, but these are three of the most engaging, and they use sound teaching practices.”
Hongkiat: 10 Websites to Test Your Codes Online . “In this article I want to outline 10 interesting web apps for testing your code online. All of these apps require an Internet connection, and some of the more advanced editors offer pro plans to upgrade your account features. But most of these tools will surely come in handy when you’re scrambling to debug a block of JavaScript or PHP.”
MakeUseOf: 6 Awesome No-Code Resources to Build Apps and Websites Without Programming. “The idea behind the no-code movement is to allow non-engineers to build a great product. These are specialized tools to develop anything you want, and you don’t need any coding knowledge or experience whatsoever. There’s a similar other low-code movement which relies on minimal coding experience. The no-code philosophy is all about empowering non-techies to enter the world of technology. You can’t escape smartphones or the internet, but you don’t have to hire developers or learn coding to get into them.”
MakeUseOf: Coding for Kids: The Best Classes and Websites. “If you home school your children, coding becomes even more vital. But even if you’re adept at coding yourself, it might be simpler to rely on online sources. We’ve compiled a list of the best websites and online classes to teach coding for kids.”
Hackaday: Think You Know cURL? Care To Prove It?. “Do you happen to remember a browser-based game ‘You Can’t JavaScript Under Pressure’? It presented coding tasks of ever-increasing difficulty and challenged the player to complete them as quickly as possible. Inspired by that game, [Ben Cox] re-implemented it as You Can’t cURL Under Pressure!”
Arizona State University: New Partnership to Provide Statewide Online Coding Curriculum. “The Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas State University, and the Arkansas Public School Resource Center announced a partnership program to provide a statewide online coding curriculum starting with the fall 2020 semester.”
MakeUseOf: 11 Useful Tools to Check, Clean, and Optimize CSS Files. “In addition to optimizing, modern CSS development is improved by cleaner syntax. If you really want to take your development up a notch, CSS frameworks let you do more with streamlined code. These tools and programs will help you clean up your code, solve errors, and improve syntax.”
Google Blog: New coding activities for any classroom. “Since its launch in 2013, CS First, a Code with Google curriculum for elementary and middle school students, has been used by hundreds of thousands of teachers and millions of students in over 75 countries. While we’ve heard teachers love bringing the magic of coding into the classroom, they’ve also told us that they want more subject-specific coding activities.”
Google Blog: Grow with Google is coming to a library near you. “To support the amazing work of libraries throughout the country, Google and the American Library Association are launching the Libraries Ready to Code website, an online resource for libraries to teach coding and computational thinking to youth. Since we kicked off this collaboration last June, thirty libraries across the U.S. have piloted programs and contributed best practices for a ‘by libraries, for libraries’ hub. Now, the 120,000 libraries across the country can choose the most relevant programs for their communities.”
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