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CoderDojo McDonough is a free and fun place where Henry County's kids learn how to code, supported by mentors and parents! We hope you have a great time.
Students, remember that the dojo is partly a classroom, but mostly a playground. Ultimately, you get to decide what programming languages, tools, and ideas you want to explore, learn, and play with. And, all of us: mentors, other students, and parents are here to help you learn and have fun.
We want you to feel free to pursue what is interesting to you. You can always ask a mentor about things that interest you, or any other questions you have.
- 1:00 PM: Volunteers begin setting up
- 1:30 PM: Doors open - parents and students check in at the library lobby.
- 2:00 PM: Welcome and kickoff -- Mentors will describe the goals for their group and coding begins.
- 4:15 PM: Sessions wind down -- Mentors seek feedback from the students about the session and ask them what they want to try next time
- 4:30 PM: Volunteers begin shutting down
Google Maps link for McDonough Public Library
- Bring a laptop for your child if you have one available. If you do not have access to a laptop please email [email protected] and we will try to make one available for you.
- We'll have water, pretzels, and animal crackers. If you'd like to bring some other snacks to share, that would be great.
See our Web Browsers page for suggestions regarding the web browser used during coding sessions.
First time students between 7 and 11 who would like to learn programming concepts with minimal typing involved should be registered for Code Studio. Please create an account on the Code Studio website on behalf of your children. Your child will need to use the same login information for each CoderDojo session.
Older students should learn to type! Learning to type properly is one of the first things you can do to become a proficient coder. Sites such as typing.com and keybr.com are great free online resources that teach typing skills.
Students interested in using the Code Kingdoms Minecraft modding platform must have purchased Minecraft for Windows or Mac and have Minecraft installed on their laptop. Tablet, phone, XBox, or other versions of Minecraft are not supported. We will be using the LearnToMod system for students who do not have Minecraft installed on their laptop but still want to learn about coding by modding Minecraft.
Parents and students check in at the library lobby. A mentor will sign you in and guide you to the appropriate session room. Students should get a name tag and print their first name on their name tag.
Students can join another session at any time. Students 7 - 12 who are complete beginners are encouraged to join the Code Studio group. We encourage the parent and student to discuss and decided what session their student attends. Talk to a mentor for advice on what session your student should attend.
Students will use online learning resources to learn at their own pace with help from fellow students and mentors. Coding sessions will usually not include a lecture or instruction from a single mentor to all students in the room. Within each room there will be students with varying experience levels present. Each mentor will help and encourage a group of students. Mentors will try to group students together based on the student's experience level. More experienced students are also welcome to assist beginner students.
Team up with other students
Mentors will encourage students to work together in pairs or small teams. Both students will be writing coding individually while asking each other questions and tackling problems together. Intermediate students can also practice pair programming techniques.
Learning resources used during coding sessions or in between sessions
Please see our Learning Resources for resources used during the coding sessions. You should also study and practice with these great free resources on your own time.
View the latest event posted on our Meetup site to see details about the current coding sessions offered at CoderDojo McDonough.
No signup is required to attend our coding sessions, but we encourage parents and guardians to RSVP on our Meetup site so we know how many students to expect: http://www.meetup.com/CoderDojoMcDonough/
Parents should only RSVP for the number of students participating and do
not include parents or guardians. This will allow us to know how many students will be in attendance.
We want you to have fun and learn lots of new things! We also love your feedback and want to know what kinds of ideas you have and what you want to learn, so let us know when you visit! Thanks!