Make What? MakeCode!
Name a kid who doesn't love Minecraft.
I'll wait, but go ahead and keep reading.
Thanks to Microsoft MakeCode, kids can learn how to code.
They offer three platforms: Minecraft, Arcade, and micro:bit. We're going to go over their features, along with their pros and cons.
Minecraft
A child can learn from a... Game?! Sure can! This is actually what we recommend to start their coding experience.
Instructors can set targets and goals for students to achieve, such as building a farm and harvesting crops. Coding aside, the sky's the limit. Kids can use their imagination: create superpowers for themselves (think Elsa and her ability to freeze everything - even her sister) and use their robot called Agent to build a mansion on a cliffside that has chickens raining down. Like we said: the sky is the limit.
PROS:
Can be used on PC, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad.
It's an easy sell to kids.
CONS:
Requires licensing, which may be covered by your institution.
Arcade
Do you remember Space Invaders? We do and we've had a blast introducing it to our children at home. With Arcade, you're able to build retro-style 8-bit video games with ease with drag-and-drop blocks. Graphic design and coding aside, team building can be an additional focus as this is more involved than Minecraft Coding.
PROS:
Hardware is not required.
Can be used on PC, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad.
CONS:
Hardware, if desired, is expensive.
micro:bit
Picture a credit card. Now, picture that credit card as a computer. It has a processor, sensors to detect temperature, tilt, and acceleration, a compass, and microphone, and a bunch of blinky lights to provide feedback. Who doesn't like blinky lights?
micro:bit takes coding a step up by introducing hardware design and electrical engineering into the curriculum.
PROS:
Hardware is not required.
Can be used on PC, Mac, Chromebook, and iPad.
CONS:
Hardware, if desired, is expensive.
We've worked with these three branches of Microsoft MakeCode and found them to be a fantastic platform to start with. You can find some of our trial projects here. We've also created a syllabus for each one that can be found here.
