{"id":63,"date":"2019-03-07T16:13:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T16:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/edld6313\/?page_id=63"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:00:21","slug":"computer-science-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/computer-science-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Computer Science Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Computer Science FAQs <\/strong>– The Arkansas Department of Education’s Computer Science Fact Sheet<\/a> provides key information on the implementation of computer science education in Arkansas public schools. This Fact Sheet is updated regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coding <\/strong>is a primary skill in computer science … but sometimes the terminology can be confusing. A great resource for this is Qualtrics free Glossary of Coding and Programming Terms<\/a>. It’s written in simple, easy-to-understand language that’s perfect for beginners. (Special thanks to Willow and her Mom Annie for sharing this reference with us.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Code.Org <\/strong>– Code.org<\/a> is a major source for Computer Science information. Supported by generous donations from Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and many more, Code.org is dedicated to giving every student in every school the opportunity to learn computer science. The site features effective curricula, exciting videos, and focused lessons for all grade levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone Can Code<\/strong> – Everyone Can Code<\/a> is dedicated to showing how coding teaches students to solve problems and work together in creative ways. It also helps students build apps that bring their ideas to life. This document<\/a> has links to free teaching and learning aps designed for both middle school and high school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More On Coding – <\/strong>Syracuse University<\/em> offers a collection of free resources to help students develop the skill of coding. The Kids and Coding<\/a> site includes several learning pages, such as “Glossary of Coding Term,” “Six Tips for Teaching Kids How to Code,” “How to Teach More Than Just Coding,” and “Kid-Friendly Coding Languages and Learning Tools.” It’s an excellent resource for both teachers and students. In addition, Masters In Data Science<\/em> provides a detailed guide to Teach Coding to Kids<\/a>. It includes coding lessons for Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. It also includes a link to Michael Resnick’s Ted Talk<\/a> on the benefits of teaching kids to code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Great Coding Resource<\/strong> – As the folks at Nominus <\/em>remind us, “Almost everything in our lives relies on computers these days, and what makes those computers work is code!” So kids learning about coding just makes sense. Nominus’ Coding Courses and Games<\/a> site has plethora of coding courses and great games. This one is definitely worth checking out! (Special thanks to Girl Scout Ava Messer and her mom, Amanda, for making us aware of this site.) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HTML vs. CMS<\/strong> – For students who would like to dig even deeper, here’s a resource that clearly explains the differences between HTML and CMS<\/a>. Understanding this distinction is essential for students exploring computer programing since it clarifies the relationship between the technical foundations of the web and the user-friendly tools that make content publishing accessible to everyone.\u00a0(Special thanks to Molly Fisher for sharing this resource that she discovered while working towards her “Coding for Good” badge in Girl Scouts.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Free Resources<\/strong> – In addition to the sources above, there are links to several free coding resources on the Praxent website. Just scroll down to How Can My Child Learn To Code?<\/a> (Special thanks to Noah Miller for sharing this resource that he discovered while working towards his “Programming Merit” badge in Boy Scouts.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The News <\/strong>– When this movement first began, Wired Magazine published an interesting article about Arkansas’ efforts to make Computer Science an integral part of the state’s curriculum. So Arkansas is Leading the Learn to Code Movement?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CS First <\/strong>– CS First<\/a> was created by Google as a free Computer Science resource. It allows almost anyone to teach computer programming and coding by creating fun, interactive science projects around different themes like Sports, Art, Fashion, etc. Each theme contains eight lessons (usually 60 – 90 minutes) that can be custom tailored to fit classroom schedules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bee Bot Emulator <\/strong>– A “Bee Bot” is a colorful, easy-to-operate little robot that’s a great tool for introducing computer programming to kids in K-2. By pushing buttons for forward, reverse, left turn, and right turn, it teaches the basics of sequencing (a foundational programming skill), as well as prediction and problem-solving skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bee Bot Emulator<\/a> is an on-screen simulation of a Bee Bot. It’s a free program, and works on any computer. A good introductory exercise is to click on the “CVC Words Mat” option, then challenge students to program the Bee Bot so it moves to the rainbow. Once they’ve mastered this, choose other pictures and see if they can replicate their success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Create a Website<\/strong> – If you or your students want to go beyond the norm, consider creating your own website! Thanks to continuing advances in technology, almost anyone can now make a website without the need to understand web development, design, or coding. There are numerous free resources online that provide simple step-by-step instructions on how to do this. Here’s just one example<\/a>. (Special thanks to Rachel, a student in New York, for providing this reference.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More resources coming soon …<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Computer Science FAQs – The Arkansas Department of Education’s Computer Science Fact Sheet provides key information on the implementation of computer science education in Arkansas public schools. This Fact Sheet is updated regularly. Coding is a primary skill in computer science … but sometimes the terminology can be confusing. A great resource for this is Qualtrics free […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-63","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3579,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63\/revisions\/3579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.atu.edu\/morelan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}