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New Zealand
Jess Weichler is a digital artist using open source software and hardware to create works digitally and in the physical world at CyanideCupcake.com.
She is also an award-winning educator for (and founder of) MakerBox.org.nz an organization that teaches kids of all ages how to use technology, from sewing needles to Arduinos, to make their ideas a reality.
Authored Comments
That sounds like a fabulous tradition!
Great poll! It's fascinating to see all the different responses and the reasons behind them.
I personally start with paper "code" and activities that help very young children understand basic programming concepts without a digital device.
Starting around age 8 and going to about age 10 I teach Scratch. I will still teach some paper "code" activities that relate to the learning. This is also the age range I introduce robotics with block-based programming languages.
Once students have a clear understanding of graphical coding I move into Python. I used to teach Processing, but don't think it has enough real-world value to resonate with my students. It's important to help students make the connection between new Python keywords and the Scratch blocks they already know.
Over the years I've noticed younger students with previous Scratch experience find text-based coding easier than older students who jump straight into text-based programming with no Scratch experience.
I also like how Scratch makes it easy to participate in an open community by empowering users to share and remix projects.