Elementary kids learn coding, program robots at Austin Peay coding camp
Programming robots at APSU coding camps
(Published June 14, 2019)
Kindergartners through fifth-graders have been learning how to program all week at Austin Peay’s coding camps. On Thursday, they got class time with robots.
The Wonder Workshop Dash robots zipped across the floor, navigated small mazes and even played tunes on the xylophone. And the young coders were at the controls all along.
“My favorite thing to do in coding is to drag and drop the things we do in coding and make them do what we need them to do,” Sango fourth-grader Ella McCain said.
Earlier in the week, the students engaged in a modified game of hopscotch to learn how to program patterns into games. One student, acting as the programmer, set orange cones in patterns and taught another student, acting as the program, how to jump through it.
Learning to code patterns
“We’ve been doing a lot coding and gaming, and I think my favorite part is making our games and playing games to get our logic thinking going,” Sango third-grader Adelaide Post said.
Students received one-on-one instruction from Bridget Cloud – who manages the Computer and Information Technology Academy at Northeast High School and is a computer science graduate student at Austin Peay. APSU faculty – from the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology – and students helped with the camp.
Added Carmel second-grader Deklynn Kasitz: “I’ve never done anything like this before. We’ve learned how to play new games and things that use logic.”
The youngsters also got a surprise visit from Austin Peay’s mad scientist Bryan Gaither, who dipped roses in liquid nitrogen before letting the kids smash them into the pavement. The roses – and a smattering of nitrogen-frozen vegetables – shattered like porcelain.
Smashing Roses
Big kids can attend the camps too. Spots are available for the high school camps through July 12. They cost $199 per week. A four-day python programming camp costs $179.
Here are the details:
9th Grade-College Freshmen HTML, CSS, JavaScript Programming:
- When: June 24-28. All-day 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lunch, snacks and free T-shirt provided.
- What: Learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript, the languages of the internet and web.
- Deadline: Application deadline is June 17. Register here.
9th Grade-College Freshmen Python Programming:
- When: July 1, 2, 3, 5. All-day 9 a.m.-3 p.m. No camp on July 4. Lunch, snacks and free T-shirt provided.
- What: Learn Python, the hottest programming language.
- Deadline: Application deadline is June 24. Register here.
9th Grade-College Freshmen Unity C# Game Development:
- When: July 8-12. All-day 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lunch, snacks and free T-shirt provided.
- What: Learn Unity C#, one of the most popular game development engines.
- Deadline: Application deadline is July 1. Register here.
TO LEARN MORE
- For more about the coding camps, visit apsu.edu/csci/camp/coding.
- For more information, email codingcamp@apsu.edu or call 931-221-7840.
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