Welcome, students, to Piedmont's 1st official Coding Club!

This is your club. Choose from these coding resources below to get started, and let me know if you have another resource to add here. 

1. Choose to Code Contest - code a website between now and Feb 26. Choose Beginner course unless you have previous coding experience.The Quick Start Guide provides step-by-step directions needed to complete Choose to Code . You n eed a Microsoft account—used to sign in to Xbox Live, Outlook.com, or OneDrive  If you do not have a Microsoft account,  create one at http://signup.live.com. (might have to do it from home) then Enter Your Choose to Code Azure Pass Code (get one from Ms. Gurthie) 
2. Minecraft Coding Game 
3. Build a Star Wars galaxy with Code
4. Scratch
5. Khan Academy Coding  - Drawing and Drag and Drop
6. Tynker Coding Games_ 
7. Code Academy

Related Posts:
Make Your own Video Games with Tynker - includes Flappy Bird, Frozen, and more!
Hour Of Code Games 2014

Tynker is a website that let's you easily learn to code starting from step one.
Here is how to make video games on Tynker

Some courses cost money but many are free.

To test the Video Game design link at the beginning of this post, I clicked "remix this program" for the penguin game, then I saved my work. It asked me to log in and I did using my google account so you can do the same since all students have Google Drive (the same way you log into your Chromebook).

If this is all new to you and you need help getting started wtih Tynker from step one, check these Tynker video tutorials that will show you anything you might want to do.

It's so easy a little kid can do it, in fact elementary school  students at Red Oak right here in CMS use Tynker to create hundreds of projects. Check out the games they designed! 

The following videos were created in Piedmont's Fun Arts Video Club  run by Mr. Jermaine Coles.  Scroll below for video making tips to make your own great videos with our makerspace materials.

Basic Video Do's and Don'ts 

Do: 

• create a storyboard (know what you will say and show in each scene. draw it out)
  
• practice your roles, plan for where you will stand
  
• keep the camera close and check your sound
  
• distinctly enunciate each word
  
• frame your shot- what can be seen? get rid of any distractions, face the camera, clean interseting background
  
• upload the video to YouTube or Google Drive so that you can share the link with teahcer and classmates (and the world if desired)
• include achirvial footage, blend in stills, use special effects, humor, emotion or other tricks to keep your audience involved.
• copy styles you like
• use symbolism. Think about  your lighting, sound, and location

Don't:

• wait until the last minute (you need time to re-do if things don't come out well)
  
• turn your back to the camera
  
• overdo the visual or sound effects. Keep your message clean
• make the video too long.  Better to show than tell

Special Effects and Chromakey

Special Effects Apps
School iPads are equipped with

•  Lego Movie Maker and iMotionHD for stop motion videos
  
• Imovie for post-production editing, and 
  
• ActionMovie HD for special effects
  

Greenscreen: Do you want to add you own specialized cool special effects and backgrounds to your videos? Just film in front of our MakerSpace Green Screen (in the media center hallway) then follow these instructions to edit your footage:
  Green Screen with the app TouchCast on school ipads
Touchcast is free so you can download it onto on BYOT ipads - but greenscreen will not work on the Touchcast iPhone app. You can use  your phone or iPod touch as a remote control for the ipad filming. Just download the appTouchCast Remote.

Earn a DIY maker patch for your video and green screen skills 

Upload instructions and examples of Piedmont students' movies http://piedmontpd.weebly.com/lesson-ideas/have-students-make-a-movie

Check out these links to improve your videography skills:
http://kidsvid.4teachers.org/
http://coolspotters.com/articles/the-mega-movie-making-guide-for-kids

Earn the DIY Stitcher Patch by learning how to sew at home, by hand, or at school on our sewing machine in the new Media Center Maker Space:
https://diy.org/skills/stitcher