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Introduction
Computers are amazing things. They are these devices which enable us to do so many things: play games, explore the internet, make art and create music. They’re exceptionally good at doing really complex tasks, but they have to be programmed, or told, how to do those tasks first. Programming is how we, as programmers, can tell a computer what to do. A computer does not understand regular English. We cannot simply program a computer by telling it to “walk the dog” or “do my homework”. Computers understand only a small set of instructions. What our job is, as programmers, is to tell the computer how to use the instructions it knows, to solve a problem we have. Exercise All of the tutorials give you simple instructions to complete the code challenge. If you get stuck, go back a step to figure out what you did wrong. The main thing is to take your time and have fun! Most tutorials use Blockly. Blockly is a visual editor that allows users to write programs by plugging blocks together. Even top universities teach block-based coding (e.g., Berkeley, Harvard). But under the hood, the blocks you have assembled can also be shown in JavaScript, the world's most widely used coding language. When am I Done? When you reach an hour you can click on the link I've finished my Hour of Code Optional Hints for Students Don’t be discouraged if your program is not correct on your first try. Simply read each instruction given. Explain your program problem to a class partner, friend or family member, and see if they can spot a mistake. Programming in the real world is a collaborative effort - it is normal to give each other hints on how to solve puzzles. Watch below video! Let's get this party started! - Professor Chuck Konkol, Rock Valley College
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