{"id":979747,"date":"2022-02-09T07:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T12:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=979747"},"modified":"2022-02-09T07:40:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T12:40:00","slug":"get-an-easy-start-to-coding-with-our-new-free-online-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=979747","title":{"rendered":"Get an easy start to coding with our new free online course"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you curious about coding and computer programming but don\u2019t know how to begin? Do you want to help your children at home, or learners in your school, with their digital skills, but you\u2019re not very confident yet? Then our new, free, and on-demand online course Introduction to Programming with Scratch<\/em> course<\/a> is a fun, creative, and colourful starting point for you.<\/p>\n

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Being able to code can help you do lots of things \u2014 from expressing yourself<\/a> to helping others practice their skills<\/a>, and from highlighting real-world issues<\/a> to controlling a robot<\/a>. Whether you want to get a taste of what coding is about, or you want to learn so that you can support young people, our Introduction to Programming with Scratch<\/em> course<\/a> is the perfect place to start if you\u2019ve never tried any coding before.<\/p>\n

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Your course presenters, Vasu and Mark.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

On this on-demand course, Mark and Vasu from our team will help you take your very first steps on your programming journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can code \u2014 we\u2019ll show you how<\/h2>\n

On the course, you\u2019ll use the programming language Scratch, a beginner-friendly, visual programming language particularly suitable for creating animations and games. All you need is our course<\/a> and a computer or tablet with a web browser and internet connection that can access the online Scratch editor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can code in Scratch without having to memorise and type in commands. Instead, by snapping blocks together, you\u2019ll take control of \u2018sprites\u2019, which are characters and objects on the screen that you can move around with the code you create.<\/p>\n

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This is how you build Scratch programs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

As well as learning what you can do with Scratch, you\u2019ll be learning basic programming concepts that are the same for all<\/strong> programming languages. You\u2019ll see how the order of commands is important (sequencing), you\u2019ll make the computer repeat actions (repetition), and you\u2019ll write programs that do different things in different circumstances, for example responding to your user\u2019s actions (selection). Later on, you\u2019ll also make your own reusable code blocks (abstraction).<\/p>\n

You can create your own programs and share them<\/h2>\n

Throughout the course you\u2019ll learn to make your own programs step by step. In the final week, Mark and Vasu will show you how you can create musical projects and interact with your program using a webcam.<\/p>\n

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By the end of the course, you will create a program to control a Scratch character using your live webcam video.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Vasu and Mark will encourage you to share your programs and join the Scratch online community. You will discover how you can explore other people\u2019s Scratch programs for inspiration and support, and how to build on the code they\u2019ve created.<\/p>\n

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Thousands of people share their projects in the Scratch online community \u2014 you could be one of them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Sign up for the course now!<\/h2>\n

The course starts for the first time on Monday 14 February, but it is available on demand, so you can join it at any time. You\u2019ll get four weeks\u2019 access to the course no matter when you sign up.<\/p>\n

For the first four weeks that the course is available, and every three months after that, people from our team will join in to support you and help answer your questions in the comments sections.<\/p>\n

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I want to sign up for the course<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If you\u2019re a teacher in England,<\/strong> get free extended access by signing up through Teach Computing here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And if you want to do more Scratch coding\u2026<\/h3>\n

You can find more free resources here! These are the newest Scratch pathways on our project site, which you can also share with the young people in your life:<\/p>\n