Code Avengers

Over the past few months, I've been teaching myself coding using Codecademy. While I easily pushed right through HTML/CSS, I stalled on Javascript. In small bursts of mental gymnastics, I've made it halfway through the course.

The problem? The instructions are not written for non-programmers. Nine times out of ten, I'm finally able to understand what they are asking for by working backwards after looking for the answer in the forums. I do like the format, though - and I enjoy the projects. I've encouraged coworkers and students to check it out.

Yesterday, I stumbled across a comment on a blog post (unfortunately now I can't find it) where Code Avengers was offered as an alternative to Codecademy. Code Avengers breaks down coding into much simpler bites (haha) so that the average lay coder can tackle Javascript (and in the future, other languages). The format is a bit juvenile, but that may be the intention.

Simple layout

Whatever it is, CodeAvengers is FUN. I'm a visual learner - so the robot programming tutorials appeal to me. I also like the badges, although they aren't as creative as Codecademy's.

I feel like I'm playing with LOGO again!

Codecademy's strength lies in its user-base. By attracting a large number of users and creators, Codecademy is set up to continuously recreate itself into a better system. As it is now, it's still in the baby phase. However, just because you know how to code, does not mean you know how to teach coding. The guys at CodeAvengers, on the other hand, apply a sound teaching method. First, an overview of each topic is presented (topics are arranged in 10 lesson sequences). Then, over the course of the next eight or so lessons, the topic is taught and practiced. In the final lesson of that sequence, the user is quizzed. The quiz games are a bit hokey and annoying, but thankfully the animations can be turned off. I found the intro>teach>review method to help me retain far more information than I learned at Codecademy.

Small bug: not sure why I have the 2K badge when I only have 762 points.

CodeAvengers, like Codecademy, is still in the beginning stages. I see great potential, and I'm looking forward to new courses being unlocked.

Spread the word! It's an excellent teaching tool.

Badges in the Classroom

Positives -
1. Motivational
2. Assessment without grades
3. Able to communicate achievements

Negatives -
1. Extrinsic motivation
2. A piece of the "gamification" of education movement (*not a negative in my mind, but is in some)
3. Can be difficult to achieve standardization and/or recognition by others

STEM scouts is working towards creating badges to demonstrate student achievements in technology.

Well-designed & well-planned

Mozilla Open Badges is attempting to create a system whereby badges can be created an authenticated. These badges are designed to follow a person through their entire life - a visual certification system, if you will. To a simple code tinkerer like myself, it doesn't look like a feasible option for me to use... yet.

In the individual classroom, how can badges be used? Most students maintain an ePortfolio (my students build theirs using Google Sites) where badges could be displayed. At this point, there is not a simple way to create and distribute meaningful badges. Although Edmodo does allow teachers to award badges to students, these badges appear to be more like stickers praising achievements than a way to showcase skills. I want a widget for my students' ePortfolios where they can display badges that I have unlocked.

I plan to spend some time researching and playing with badges this summer. I'd like to use them in my English classroom to demonstrate when students have mastered certain skills (i.e. writing a polished essay). This may mean playing with coding myself to attempt to create a user-friendly app.

Will these badges be motivational? What are your thoughts?