Trials & tribulations teaching Python at CoderDojo
summary
Teaches Python to CoderDojo kids aged ~6–18 over two terms and finds examples and jargon block learning. Tries Codecademy and PyCharm Educational Edition; three Saturdays on those exercises fail because examples mismatch and vocabulary confuses learners. Switches to tiny runnable programs: a 4-line uppercase wrapper, a guess-a-number loop with high/low feedback, a random-word/emoji password generator and a fake virus scanner — all run and kids tinker, succeed by week six.
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chapters (16)
- 0:00Intro
- 1:08Teaching Python online
- 1:50What is CoderDojo
- 8:45Code Academy
- 12:15PyCharm
- 16:07Strategy
- 19:10Complete program
- 21:21Guess a number
- 22:15Random password
- 23:50Fake virus scanner
- 24:42Output
- 25:06Feedback
- 25:45Graduation
- 26:22Is Python only for children
- 27:33Would you use PyCharm
- 28:33Adding the concept of reusability
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