Video: This App Uses Kids' Obsession with Phones to Teach Coding
Tiny Bop
This program uses a much more colorful coding language than Ruby or Python.
Learning to code can be a daunting prospect. It can be a completely different way of thinking, and there are so many coding languages to choose from.
Despite increased pressure to bring more STEM education to the classroom, only a quarter of schools in the U.S. are actually teaching computer science classes. Organizations like Code for America have been making efforts to bring coding skills to the masses, but programs are often geared toward older students.
Enter Everything Machine. This app teaches kids coding by tapping into the physical components of the phone, such as the camera, microphone and gyroscope, and using an easy-to-learn visual language that lets the coders customize their phone in new ways. Users can do things with their phones not available in their standard settings, like switching on the phone's light by swiping, or turning the phone into a digital whoopee cushion.
To learn more about the Everything Machine app, check out the video from Wired: