During Spring 2020, during the height of the pandemic lockdown, I had to be creative about engaging learners in a meaningful way online. Energy-filled classrooms were replaced with eerily quiet Zoom rooms. As I was accustomed to leading very hands-on learning experiences, I had to pivot to a whole new way of reaching my learners. Luckily, I connected with an incredible computer science educator and educator trainer, Joe Thompson, and we began a wonderful professional partnership that has helped me dive deep into the world of computer science. With Joe’s help, I have compiled a list of free, high-quality coding resources that can start you on your coding journey today! (Not sure which programming language to start with? Contact me for free advice or take this quiz!)
- Codecademy: You can learn several programming languages here through coursework that is rated from beginner-friendly to advanced. Follow their Career Path options if you are interested in work as a software engineer, data scientist, or web developer. Other great advantages of this platform are the extensive career advice resources that are available and the opportunity to connect with other users through social media. Their online Sorting Quiz is a fun way to get guidance on what program is right for you; for example, they said I am a “Problem Solver” and recommended the Software Engineer career path or JavaScript coursework – too cool!
- freeCodeCamp: I am currently pursuing the Responsive Web Design certification, which is the first of many free certifications that you can earn on this platform (they recommend starting with this one). I have been having a lot of fun building cat apps and other light-hearted projects that allow me to learn HTML and CSS in a fun way. Check out their curriculum to see if this will build the skills that you are looking for. Thousands of people have been hired at tech companies after completing this coursework!
- The Odin Project: If web development is your main focus, check out The Odin Project’s free coursework. You start with their Foundations course, which walks you through many foundational concepts such as the basics of Git, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more! Then you choose one of two paths: Full Stack Ruby on Rails or Full Stack JavaScript. This platform also has a very active online community that you can lean on.
- CodeHS: If you explore this platform you might soon figure out that it is aimed at teenagers. However, this is how I got started learning JavaScript and I find it to be a wonderful resource! You would want to create an account and start with the Intro To Programming with Karel the Dog course – Karel is a cartoon dog that solves puzzles that get increasingly difficult over time. If you want to code and have some fun too then this might be a good place to start. If you like this one then you can follow it up with the Introduction to Computer Science in JavaScript course, which will be sure to challenge you in manageable, engaging chunks.
This is definitely not a full list of all the options out there but it is a start! Please contact me if you recommend another resource that is not listed above.