The objective of this program is to make computer science available in schools nationwide. The end goal is to get more kids, including social minorities (females and learners of color) involved in the computer and programming scene.

Website: http://www.code.org/

What Users Love About the App

“Focused and engaging activities allow students to work at their own pace and stay challenged.”

“Code.org is free, and without advertisements or requests to purchase additional content. It teaches coding to students, beginning at the pre-reader stage. There are unplugged activities provided to bridge the plugged activities, so students gain a deeper understanding of the coding concepts.”

“Overall, I feel this is a great free resource for teachers to get students excited about computer science! The future workforce will need more people trained in coding and it doesn’t hurt to start young!”

“My overall opinion is wonderful. Student-led lets me walk around the room and monitor. Content is well scaffolded. Fast learners can work ahead. Students love it. I’d say it’s a win-win for teacher and student.”

“I believe Code.org is a great tool for all students. My bilingual teachers are able to use the tool using the Spanish language. Differentiation instruction can be applied and teachers are able to facilitate their students while they complete a tutorial and then apply. I even used the tool with my teachers in having them create a short storyboard after completing a tutorial course. They were excited and engaged throughout the process and realized how effective the tool was in promoting a student’s creative and critical thinking abilities.”

“My students always find this website really fun and it keeps them fully engaged. It’s important for the teacher to review the coding activities beforehand so that they can readily and easily help guide the students as they complete the exercise. Some of the repeat loops and conditionals are challenging for students to figure out on their own. This is also the nice part about this website because you can encourage a community of learners by working with the students to figure out the code.”

What Users Dislike About the App

“There was content that appealed to both male and female learners and the range of difficulty level was perfect for a spectrum of student ability. What was challenging for students was the login process? I would create a Screencastify tutorial to assist students in the future. Another challenge was the text-heavy instructions, which was difficult for non-readers. Using extensions and peer supports to read the directions aloud were useful solutions to this challenge.”

“The only feature I really wish was embedded into this site is the ability to print out individualized progress reports for each student. You can print the whole class, but I would love to show the kids a personalized report of how they’re doing.”

“Downside to this site is that there is no password reset if they do not enter in an email address. I had to have my students create a password file and log their user name and password for each site we go to.”

“I know the video game aspect and characters draw attention, but I am not sure that the students actually grasp the concepts that are being taught. I feel that it would be better if it was related more to real-world applications.”

“Without guidance, students might choose activities at random instead of following the scaffolded curriculum.”