This week on the blog, I am deep diving into my first experience with a programming program called “Hour of Code”. If you want to try it out I will link it here: https://hourofcode.com/ca/learn. It is a website that helps people learn how to computer program through different variations of age levels and difficulties. It was fun to try out something new to me, even in this day and age of technology. However, I also learned how complex computer programming can be. I wish making a video game would be as easy as typing in “make Mario game”, but unfortunately it is not. I found even the programming activity that I chose on the Hour of Code website became extremely difficult. That is one of the faults of the specific activity I chose, I didn’t know how to attain help immediately from the program. The lesson I chose is called “Mario’s Secret Adventure: Build Your Own 3D Mario Game”, and I will link it here for you to give it a try: Mario’s Secret Adventure. I chose this one because it is nostalgic for me, and the types of video games I grew up with. Compared to today’s games and the type of programming and graphic skills it takes to make a game, it is incredibly how much we have progressed as a society.
When I began the lesson I found it quite straightforward. It is such a good activity for critical thinking and I honestly feel as though it would be a useful program for kids to learn creativity, critical thought, and technology. However, as a 26-year-old, I found it a struggle to follow the instructions at around level five of the lesson. It could be a generational thing too as I bet the younglings of our age probably would get it in a heartbeat. For this gal…This was not the case. I would love to keep trying and teach my kids this program for brain activity since our age is so technologically involved. I will insert video footage of myself trying the lesson here: Jorden’s Mario Hour of Code. Thanks for keeping up with the blog and we will see you on the next one.
Cheers!
Jorden Robitaille
