Synopsis
Who this book is for:This book is perfect for students who are keen to learn CS concepts and have no prior programming background. In addition to learning a lot of Computer Science concepts, you will do a series of interesting projects and programming activities. You will work on a few big projects, and you will also write many small “practice programs”. You will learn and apply concepts of computer programming and computer science when you write these programs. Snap! language:The choice of programming language is critical to achieve the intended objectives of teaching CS to beginners. In this book we use the Snap! programming language. Snap! is an entertaining and powerful language, and yet it is easy to learn. It is known as a "low floor and high ceiling" language – it allows the learner to build his/her vocabulary without getting mired in the complexities of syntax and grammar.There is a lot of material on Snap! Programming on the Internet, including videos, online courses, Snap! projects, and so on. This book is meant to offer a more organized and tutorial-like treatment to learning Snap!. It is also focused more on learning CS concepts rather than Snap! itself.Why learn programming:The idea of using computer programming as a medium for learning is rapidly gaining acceptance. The benefits of learning programming and computer science concepts well before college – even in elementary grades – are well-understood. Here is a list of some of the amazing things that happen when young people engage in computer programming:- Students become active and creative learners, because they explore ideas through a hands-on activity with an infinitely powerful tool.- They learn to think about and analyze their own thinking, because that is the only way to program computers.- They learn to solve complex problems by breaking them into smaller sub-problems.- They learn a new way of thinking (called "computational" thinking).- In the world of programming, answers are not simply "right" or "wrong"; this prepares a child's mindset for real-life problems.- Their learning processes are transformed from acquiring facts to thinking creatively and analytically.How the book is organized:The book is organized as a series of units – each containing a bunch of CS concepts and associated programming activities. Typically, each unit also includes a major programming project that helps you practice all the concepts learnt till then.
About the Author
As a freelance teacher (since 2008), Abhay's area of interest has been "teaching Computer Programming as a medium for learning" and he has been teaching Scratch regularly to elementary, middle, and high school students in Redmond and Bellevue, WA. He has also been teaching high school students at Aksharnandan School in Pune, India every summer since 2008.
Since 2011 Abhay has authored several books for a book series aimed at "Learning computer programming and CS principles". In 2011 he co-authored (with Sandesh Gaikwad) two books on Logo Programming and in early 2016 he authored two books on Scratch Programming. In 2017 he co-authored (with Sandesh Gaikwad) another book titled "Pen Art for Scratch Programmers". Abhay has written several articles to promote CS education, and has conducted teacher-training workshops to encourage aspiring teachers to experiment with this idea.
Abhay has been associated with the Software Industry since 1988 as a programmer, developer, entrepreneur, coach, and adviser. After getting an MS in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University (USA), he worked as a programmer for product companies that developed operating systems, network protocols, and secure software. In 1997, Abhay co-founded Disha Technologies, a successful software services organization.
Programming remains one of Abhay's favorite hobbies, and he continues to explore the "entertaining, intellectual, and educational" aspects of programming.
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