iOS is a dedicated operating system for use with all Apple mobile platforms. This means applications for use with iPhones, iPads and the more recent Apple watch. Apple approaches mobile application development in many different ways to its Android counterpart. it is important that a student understands the commonalities between the two platforms as well as the fundamentals of programming before diving into iOS development.

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The process of developing, testing and releasing a mobile application is a learning topic in itself and can be a lengthy process. This is one of many barriers Apple has in place to ensure that all applications placed on the App store are of a high quality.

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It is generally considered that the best place to start learning iOS development is from Apple&rsquo;s own dedicated developer site at developer.apple.com. Here a learner can get familiar with the App deployment process and the stages of development needed before ever writing a single line of code. It is very important to understand this process to minimise frustration when learning mobile development. Once they are ready to dive in and start coding, there are numerous websites and blogs online which can accommodate a learner in building an application from the ground up. One of the most popular of these is <a href="https://www.raywenderlich.com/">raywenderlich.com</a>, though there are many others, some which also provide interactive coding challenges.

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iOS Applications are generally written using either the Objective C or Swift languages, which are compiled using Apples native Integrated Development Environment (IDE) called Xcode. This is free to download after registering with an Apple ID, though it is worth noting that this will only work on Mac operating system . While there may be many syntactic similarities between say, Python and the core iOS languages, there are many fundamental differences to consider. As with any programming language, the official documentation for each is the best place to start learning.

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Sources:

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/referencelibrary/GettingStarted/DevelopiOSAppsSwift/">https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/referencelibrary/GettingStarted/DevelopiOSAppsSwift/</a>&nbsp;</li>
	<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_app_development">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_app_development</a></li>
</ol>

How do you learn to develop iOS apps?

Competitive programming is a well known sport among the programming community and is not generally used as a means for children to learn coding. While there are benefits to framing the learning process in a competitive context, there is a lot to consider.

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The arguments for and against the use of competition as a tool for learning can be explained across most disciplines. Competition is a great motivator as it directly interacts with our social side in order to achieve results. The power of competition as a motivator makes its use as a learning tool very tempting.

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However, competition is not always a positive experience, and conflating competition with learning at a very young age has shown to not always bear positive results, as put forward by John Shindler in his paper Transformative Classroom Management (2009). Competition can take away from the team work ethic, can damage self-esteem, and probably most significantly can establish a fear of failure in children. A negative competitive experience may alienate children from the learning process altogether, and may also spoil relationships among their fellow students.

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There are also obviously great benefits to competition - promoting quick learning against other students, providing motivation where it might not already exist, and they are of course a social experience. John Shindler (2009) proposes some solutions for the above problems.

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i) Try to reduce meaningful incentives from winning

ii) No competition should last longer than a class period

iii) Use competitive play as a way to reinforce existing knowledge rather than learn new things

iv) Make learning and fun the main aim of the activity rather than competition

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In the adult world of programming, competitions are common and enjoyed by many. For children, who are less developed socially and who are just developing, the situation can be more complicated and both the negative and positive effects long-lasting.

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Sources:

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-begin-with-competitive-programming/">https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-begin-with-competitive-programming/</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://info.thinkfun.com/stem-education/competition-in-the-classroom">http://info.thinkfun.com/stem-education/competition-in-the-classroom</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Chapter18competition-final.htm">http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Chapter18competition-final.htm</a></li>
</ol>

Is competitive programming a good way for kids to learn how to code?

The online learning platform codecademy currently has a 5% pass rate. This trend is shared across many courses online that provide a similar service. Such courses assess users answers based on whether their solution works or not, and therefore can be quite challenging as answers are either right or wrong. Each challenge is often completely unique, and cheating and bluffing is nearly impossible.

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Courses such as Codecademy are primarily directed towards adults, who are usually more motivated to learn and continue when presented with challenges. Due to the challenging nature of coding, It is often difficult to motivate kids to return to a challenge after failing a challenge initially. For this reason it is often better to start a childs programming education on a platform that is dedicated to children learning.

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Once a child has become familiar with the basics of coding, they are more likely to enjoy courses such as codecademy, which are generally aimed at a more mature audience. There are also many &lsquo;gamified&rsquo; learning applications available online such as CodeCombat, which frame coding challenges based on &lsquo;real world&rsquo; languages such as Python in a fun and engaging way.

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Sources:

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://medium.com/newsonthebloc/72-of-codecademy-users-never-finished-de1768a6c1c6">https://medium.com/newsonthebloc/72-of-codecademy-users-never-finished-de1768a6c1c6</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-reasons-shouldnt-learn-code-codeacademy/">https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-reasons-shouldnt-learn-code-codeacademy/</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://codakid.com/4-ways-code-academy-can-change-childs-future/">https://codakid.com/4-ways-code-academy-can-change-childs-future/</a></li>
</ol>

What’s the completion rate for online courses like Code Academy? Are they effective?

There is no single &lsquo;best&rsquo; approach to teach children how to code, though there are a huge variety of options available to accommodate anyone willing to learn, spanning across all abilities and age groups. A teacher should carefully consider their students individual abilities before choosing a methodology.

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Many &lsquo;gamified&rsquo; learning platforms such as CodeCombat and Blockely are highly regarded tools to learn and offer challenges applicable to all types of students, regardless of technical ability or age. These games bundle the coding experience with visually appealing tasks, interesting characters, and event-driven storylines to keep kids interested and engaged while still remaining fun.

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Many studies have shown that associating fun and learning at a very early age can hugely impact a child&#39;s ability and willingness to learn in later life. According to Jennifer M. Zosh (&lsquo;How People Learn&rsquo; , 2017) the most impactful method of teaching code is related to the culture and environment in which the child is taught. Children tend to absorb new information when they are working within a positive atmosphere, and studies show that a happy child is one that learns faster - and that this relationship is cyclical.

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It is important for teachers to let the child &lsquo;drive&rsquo; and allow them to engage with the code directly. Demonstration is simply not enough to learn effectively, and It is necessary to give each child their own computer when teaching a class. Pair programming has also been shown to be useful in this case, where two students can help each other navigate through challenging concepts. This same approach has been adopted among professionals in the industry due to its effectiveness in learning.

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Sources:

<ol>
	<li><a href="https://codakid.com/a-beginners-guide-to-teaching-kids-coding-even-when-you-dont-know-how-to-code/">https://codakid.com/a-beginners-guide-to-teaching-kids-coding-even-when-you-dont-know-how-to-code/</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.intechopen.com/books/trends-in-e-learning/research-study-on-significance-of-gamification-learning-and-i-campus-using-internet-of-things-techno">https://www.intechopen.com/books/trends-in-e-learning/research-study-on-significance-of-gamification-learning-and-i-campus-using-internet-of-things-techno</a></li>
</ol>

What's the best approach or methodology for teaching kids how to code?

Java is a object oriented programming language that is widely used for cross platform applications. This course introduces programming in Native Java using an IDE. Java Fundamentals introduces students to Java in a 16 week course that is designed for students with no or limited experience in coding. Each week a core coding concept is introduced and explained through a series of exercises. Short assignments and exercises outside of class build proficiency. For the last two weeks, students work on a capstone project that pulls together all of the concepts and coding techniques that they now have in their toolbox.

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Course worksheets are available that introduce the concepts and how they are applied. These worksheets have been developed for those new to coding. They provide clear explanations of important concepts using non-technical language. We think you will appreciate the approach.

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We would note that this course requires a level of math equivalent to Algebra 2.

Java Fundamentals introduces students to Java in a 16 week course that is designed for students with prior experience in coding. Each week a core Java concept is introduced and explained. Short assignments and exercises build proficiency. For the last two weeks, students work on a capstone project that integrates the coding techniques that they now have. This course is equivalent to a introductory college level course in Java. There are 18 lessons in the course. Requires having completed Algebra 2.

Java Fundamentals

Java for Kids | UCode

This course is suitable for students without any prior programming experience. Students will learn to code in Java while introducing fundamental concepts of variables, loops, and data types. Java is a widely used programming language expressly designed for use in the distributed environment of the internet. It is the most popular programming language for Android smartphone applications and is also among the most favored for the development of edge devices and the internet of things. It is also the language used for AP Computer Science A or Methods.

Date	Time	Availability
Thu May 19 2022	04:00 PM PST - 05:00 PM PST	Yes
Fri May 20 2022	05:00 PM PST - 06:00 PM PST	Yes
Sun May 22 2022	02:00 PM PST - 03:00 PM PST	Yes
Thu May 26 2022	04:00 PM PST - 05:00 PM PST	Yes
Fri May 27 2022	05:00 PM PST - 06:00 PM PST	Yes
Sun May 29 2022	02:00 PM PST - 03:00 PM PST	Yes

Java Fundamentals

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