Scratch and Python: An Intro to Coding

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I recently had the opportunity to take a course called Coding for Education (EDU774) at Dominican University and it was a really great time getting my hands and feet wet into coding.  I definitely enjoyed getting to learn more about Scratch and Python because I've always heard of it, but have not gotten the time to trying it out myself.  Both of the programs will definitely come in handy and I think about how to incorporate it into my classroom.  Scratch would definitely be the first program I would introduce and it is a great platform to allow students to explore and create. 

Python is great too because I think that would really help expose students to having to type out their code versus using the block method found in Scratch.  I want to use Python, but I definitely need to take some more time getting myself familiar with it as well as think of more ideas on how to use it in the classroom.  I love that Python could be used in conjunction with a lot of other tools, mainly a Raspberry Pi computing kit.  I look forward in the near future to giving it a shot - where students (and myself) will have to start from scratch to get the Raspberry Pi hooked up correctly, and from there perhaps purchase a car kit so that we can program it with Python.  There are so many options! 

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