Welcome to CoderDojo Ponce Springs -- the free and fun place where Atlanta's kids code apps, games, sites, and more -- supported by mentors, parents, and a global community!
We follow CoderDojo principles. Our events have two halves: the first to support beginners, the second for returning students working on our ongoing mentor-led series tracks.
1:00 - 2:30 PM: Beginners Session -- Before you come, please start learning at home with one of the free courses or tutorials linked below in the Event Details section.
1:30 - 2:30 PM: Students enrolled in Learn to Program with Minecraft Plugins who want to review Chapters 1 -3 before the 2:45 session
2:45 - 4:15 PM: Part 3 of [Learn to Program with Minecraft Plugins] (Workshops/MinecraftPlugins/README.md) -- Chapters 4 - 6 in the book
2:45 - 4:15 PM: Part 3 of HTML5 Game Development with JavaScript and Quintus -- Adding a New Game Level to Towerman
Keeping reading for more details...
View our 2013 year-in-review video to see what a dojo is like.
As mentioned above we have two ongoing mentor-led tracks:
- Learn to Program with Minecraft Plugins -- Build creepers, flying cows, custom houses and more with Java and Minecraft's programming tools.
- HTML5 Game Development with JavaScript and Quintus -- Build games like Pacman and Super Mario Brothers that run on phones, tablets, and your computer.
See the end of this doc for more details! We'd love your help!
To help ensure privacy for our members, parents please sign up for your kids / students at CoderDojo Ponce Springs September 13th RSVP page! There is no cost to sign up, you just have to join Meetup.com so that we can get a head count. If downtown Atlanta is too far for you, see the bottom of this page for our offspring dojos in Georgia!
We're @CoderDojoPonce. Follow us for event updates and links to coding resources!
There is some homework. Don't worry, it's fun!
Remember to bring a laptop for your student. We have some machines that you can borrow during the event, but they are all Linux based, and not everyone is familiar with Linux.
We recommend you do one of the beginner videos linked below in Event Details together with your students. However, let the student control the keyboard as much as possible. For inspiration, see Sugata Mitra's Child-Driven Education TED talk.
First time voluneeters must complete this application and background check authorization. Thank you.
Students, remember that the dojo is a partly a "flipped classroom", but mostly a playground.
This means you should start coding at home before you attend events, starting with the resources linked below. Come to the event having tried something already. We'll help you go further and have fun with what you're learning!
We want you to feel free to pursue whatever programming languages, tools, and ideas are most interesting to you. You can always ask a mentor about things that you want to get into or to demo things you've tried at home.
Think about where you fit against these descriptions:
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Beginner level: You are totally new or have little exposure to programming and / or web development
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Intermediate level: You have some experience with coding, but want to dig into concepts like game development, object-oriented programming, events, and web programming
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Advanced level: You have already been programming for a while and have your own project that you'd like to discuss with other students or mentors that can help you go further.
Definitely see our parking guide.
Looking to get started with coding? The best thing to do is start trying it at home on your own laptop. Try out any of the following free resources at home, and then bring your laptop and show us and other students what you're learning. We'll help you keep going from beginner to expert!
If you decide to do one of these, please let us know in the comments when RSVPing on Meetup.com so that we know what to help you with.
Like learning from videos you can stop and rewind? Try one of these:
- Basic HTML for Kids (1 hour video course)
- Learn to program with C# and Turtles (1h)
- Learn to program with Scratch (5h)
- Learn to Program Android apps with App Inventor (2.5h)
- Learn to Program PC and X-Box Games with Kodu Kingdom Defense (3h)
Not into video training? We've got a huge list of other ways to get started on our Students Getting Started and Online Learning Guide.
Want to get even more in-depth? You can download the courseware and training from Teaching Kids Programming. It's really impressive and fun!
We'll have new installments of two popular mentor-led series during this event.
Important: Click the name of the series for full requirements and details:
- Learn to Program with Minecraft Plugins, Part 3 -- led by Erin Stanfill
- HTML5 Game Development with JavaScript and Quintus, Part 3 -- led by Josh Gough
All students are welcome during this part even if they have their own projects that they'd rather work on. Mentors will take time to answer questions and work with all students.
If you have any issues or questions, please email coderdojo AT versionone DOT com
Mentors, we need your help! We don't require that you build their own materials. There is plenty of material to use already.
We need mentors to help students pursue the following:
- Making Android Apps with App Inventor -- It's as easy as Scratch, but for Android apps!
- Explore Electronics with Arduino -- The microcontroller platform that helps you learn about electrical engineering, programming, and human-computer interaction
- Sphero: The App-Controlled, Programmable Robot Ball That Does it All -- Sphero is an amazing robot orb that can move, jump, and even swim. We have 4 Spheros, you won't need to buy one unless you want to donate another! See this video of kids from Mental Fitness ATL going nuts with Sphero!
- 3D Modeling for Minecraft and Beyond: Using Autodesk's Free 3D Modeling Tools for CoderDojos -- Autodesk is providing free 3D modeling tools to all CoderDojos! The tools can even be used to make models to import into Minecraft!
Thanks to all our volunteers and our corporate sponsor VersionOne!
Other dojos and similar efforts in Atlanta and the surrounding area have sprung to life by dedicated volunteers taking on the challenge. See the bottom of this page for details.
- CoderDojo Henry
- uCode @ University of West Georgia
- Mental Fitness APS (in partnership with CoderDojo Ponce Springs)