Teaching Coding through Game Creation

Book excerpt: This engaging guide demonstrates how easy, fun, and rewarding it can be to teach and learn coding at the library. In our technology-obsessed society, computer coding is a highly valued and in-demand skill, but many people consider it an activity only for technology geeks and educated professionals—even more so to teach coding. Not so, says author Sarah Kepple. In this accessible guide, she explains why you don't have to be an expert to lead coding, shows how easy and rewarding learning and teaching coding can be, and provides step-by-step instructions to help you and your community get started. The book shows how to engage students quickly with learning activities that springboard off of the powerful appeal of video games. The author takes users through activities that introduce popular programming languages—including GameMaker, JavaScript, Python, and Scratch—to create video games, and in the process, to learn coding. These activities, themed around classic and popular stories, appeal to a broad age range—from elementary-age youth through high school and beyond to adults and seniors. Readers will see why school and public libraries are venues ideally suited for coding classes, workshops, clubs, or camps, and they will understand why teaching coding not only meets an important need but also serves to highlight the library's relevance to its community.