Personally, my favorite thing right now is to use webvr, for example a-frame to get newcomers excited about coding. You can get pretty far with just HTML, so if that's in your wheelhouse, I'd be happy to discuss.
Creative coding with python was also mentioned. I specifically call out the python port of processing: https://py.processing.org/ Processing is used in art programs around the country quite commonly (BFA or MFA), and is closely related to the development of the Arduino IDE (which is also cool). That brings up circuit python, which you probably can't support, but is worth mentioning as a cool and accessible thing folks could check out. It's also worth saying that software carpentry is not focused on the challenge you're describing. You might look at "hour of code" which is designed exactly to give people a brief intro to coding, and motivate further study. I hope it goes well, and I'm curious to hear what you decide to do! Dav On Fri, Aug 16, 2019, 9:09 AM Iva Momcheva <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Everyone! > > Thanks to David and others who reached out with suggestions! > > Responding to my own thread with some of the materials I was able to find > if others are interested in using them. > > First, I had somewhat strict constraints: the students were mostly > freshmen with possibly no programing background and the class was held at a > university computer lab where I was not able to install anything. As a > result of the latter constraint, I was severely limited in the type of > packages I could use. I could not get pygame or vpython to work in Google > Colab (at least not reliably, vpython worked once and never again). > > In the end I went through some basic material and had them write a little > chatbot. That worked really well and some of them did some very creative > stuff. > > Here is the notebook with my materials: > https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1mxhW06ZFoj3DMCuSijHZDUSA0l7fFyAg > > The chatbot idea came from the Creative Coding in Python book linked > below. The Invent With Python book also has similar ideas, but I found that > later. > > And here are other fun projects you can do with Python: > > Python Mad Libs: > https://courses.p2pu.org/en/groups/playing-madlibs-with-python-building-your-first-game/content/build-a-simple-madlib-using-wing-ide/ > > Tic tac toe and other games: https://inventwithpython.com/invent4thed/ > > Creative Coding in Python book: > https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1631595814/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 > > Coding Games in Python book: > https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1465473610/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 > > App to track Amazon prices: > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg9r_yLk7VY&feature=youtu.be > > How to make a gif YouTube video: > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjkYiVy069Y > > Instagram automation app: > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnfhv1E1dU4&feature=youtu.be > > Simulate the Solar System: > http://firsttimeprogrammer.blogspot.com/2014/12/and-here-comes-whole-solar-system.html > > > *The Carpentries <https://carpentries.topicbox.com/latest>* / discuss / > see discussions <https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss> + > participants <https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss/members> + > delivery > options <https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss/subscription> > Permalink > <https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss/T418bea44a1fd7d4c-Mba0924627addba4b6ec6da2b> > ------------------------------------------ The Carpentries: discuss Permalink: https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss/T418bea44a1fd7d4c-Mc8f028b6ed0a129864945388 Delivery options: https://carpentries.topicbox.com/groups/discuss/subscription
