Code Academy

I recently stumbled upon a website called Code Academy which was brought to my attention by a colleague in his blog post to his students.  I know how to write HTML and CSS code pretty well for web design purposes but I am always eager to learn more code so I can do more stuff on the web.  Code Academy is a great place to learn more about coding in the languages of Javascript, Ruby and Python.  Currently on Code Academy I am taking a class on Javascript.  The first part of my training held 8 lessons and 42 simple exercises to get me used to the programming language.  I like Code Academy because it is easy to follow and takes a step by step approach to coding.  The language that is used is simple to understand and follow and of course the fact that I am learning for free is a plus.

Now What?

Code Academy is a great way to introduce your students to coding.  I know that in most middle and high schools students do not have the opportunity to take these level of courses and it is a great way for them to determine whether or not they would want to pursue a career in computer science.  As an extension activity, have the kids create an account and get coding.   Code Academy would also be a great website to add to your links on your class website.