Show HN: New visual language for teaching kids to code (pickcode.io)

Article summary

The article introduces Pickcode, an online IDE designed for teaching computer science to students. It allows teachers to create lessons, assign work, and monitor students' progress in real-time. The platform supports multiple programming languages, including Python, Java, and JavaScript, and is accessible on Chromebooks. Pickcode aims to provide a sustainable and reliable tool for teaching computer science.

Main themes

• programming education
• IDE for teaching
• imperative vs functional programming
• block coding
• computer science curriculum
• teaching methods
• transition to text-based coding

What commenters say

• Some commenters believe that teaching functional programming to kids is an awesome goal, but others think it's better to start with imperative programming.
• There's a debate about whether block coding is too far removed from regular coding for kids to make the connection.
• Some argue that starting with a language that is not Python, with the goal of ending up doing Python, seems like a funny way to approach things.
• Others think that a gradual introduction to programming concepts, using a language that can progressively gain features, is a better approach.
• A few commenters suggest that the ultimate goal of teaching programming should be to provide a clear transition path to text-based coding languages like Python or JavaScript.
• Some believe that teaching programming should focus on giving kids an emotional experience of creating something, rather than just teaching technical skills.
• There's a discussion about the importance of understanding how computers work, with some arguing that it's not necessary to know the details of hardware to learn programming.