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This is like a simplified BASIC in a jupyter style format. Fun, and worth working on.

qnsi 5y ago
it reminds me of LOGO. Not sure if people are still learning it, but I learned it in school in 2000's and it got me hooked on programming
- ochrist 5y ago
  There's also this for the BBC MicroBit: https://makecode.microbit.org/ https://makecode.microbit.org/
  - mmoskal 5y ago
    I'm one of original devs of the above. I guess the main difference between MakeCode and most other kids learning environments is that it starts with a real language (TypeScript) and then exposes a subset of it through graphical blockly interface (while allowing usage of both). Having a real language makes it easier for more advanced users to create libraries, which can be exposed (as blocks which map 1:1 to functions) to less advanced ones. It also doesn't place an artificial ceiling on user's abilities. The library approach in micro:bit is mostly used for interfacing external hardware, but in https://arcade.makecode.com/ https://arcade.makecode.com/ it allows for the entire 8-bit game engine to be implemented in-system.
- gfodor 5y ago
  Ironically just this week, I put my four year old in front of an apple 2 emulator running apple logo, and he was far more engaged and interested than any of the modern “kids learn to code” toys of today. Even the “updated” logos I found sucked because they throw you into a notebook not a repl. For young kids, a repl is way less overwhelming and confusing, because you’re “talking to the turtle.” Even the error messages are better: “I don’t know how to X.” The kid loved seeing the turtle talk back. These notebook oriented ones kind of lost the original thesis of logo form Paepert.
  - empressplay 5y ago
    If you might be more interested in a modernized version of Apple Logo, you should check out https://turtlespaces.org https://turtlespaces.org -- I too grew up with Apple Logo and thought it would be great to create a 3D version of it. It has a REPL just like the original, and the 'I don't know how to...' error messages too!
- tingletech 5y ago
  I learned logo in school in the late 70s. It was on the computer apple had given to our school.
  - allcentury 5y ago
    Where was this?
    - tingletech 5y ago
      Southern California, I think they gave 2 to every elementary school in California iirc. -- EDIT: so, I guess it was not till the 80s they gave them out to all the schools. I thought we got them in the second grade, but maybe it was 4th grade. http://hackeducation.com/2015/02/25/kids-cant-wait-apple http://hackeducation.com/2015/02/25/kids-cant-wait-apple
- empressplay 5y ago
  They are :) It's not as huge as Scratch is but our Logo interpreter gets a reasonable amount of traffic, enough to make it worthwhile to develop, anyway

qnsi 5y ago

it reminds me of LOGO. Not sure if people are still learning it, but I learned it in school in 2000's and it got me hooked on programming

ochrist 5y ago
There's also this for the BBC MicroBit: https://makecode.microbit.org/ https://makecode.microbit.org/
- mmoskal 5y ago
  I'm one of original devs of the above. I guess the main difference between MakeCode and most other kids learning environments is that it starts with a real language (TypeScript) and then exposes a subset of it through graphical blockly interface (while allowing usage of both). Having a real language makes it easier for more advanced users to create libraries, which can be exposed (as blocks which map 1:1 to functions) to less advanced ones. It also doesn't place an artificial ceiling on user's abilities. The library approach in micro:bit is mostly used for interfacing external hardware, but in https://arcade.makecode.com/ https://arcade.makecode.com/ it allows for the entire 8-bit game engine to be implemented in-system.
gfodor 5y ago
Ironically just this week, I put my four year old in front of an apple 2 emulator running apple logo, and he was far more engaged and interested than any of the modern “kids learn to code” toys of today. Even the “updated” logos I found sucked because they throw you into a notebook not a repl. For young kids, a repl is way less overwhelming and confusing, because you’re “talking to the turtle.” Even the error messages are better: “I don’t know how to X.” The kid loved seeing the turtle talk back. These notebook oriented ones kind of lost the original thesis of logo form Paepert.
- empressplay 5y ago
  If you might be more interested in a modernized version of Apple Logo, you should check out https://turtlespaces.org https://turtlespaces.org -- I too grew up with Apple Logo and thought it would be great to create a 3D version of it. It has a REPL just like the original, and the 'I don't know how to...' error messages too!
tingletech 5y ago
I learned logo in school in the late 70s. It was on the computer apple had given to our school.
- allcentury 5y ago
  Where was this?
  - tingletech 5y ago
    Southern California, I think they gave 2 to every elementary school in California iirc. -- EDIT: so, I guess it was not till the 80s they gave them out to all the schools. I thought we got them in the second grade, but maybe it was 4th grade. http://hackeducation.com/2015/02/25/kids-cant-wait-apple http://hackeducation.com/2015/02/25/kids-cant-wait-apple
empressplay 5y ago
They are :) It's not as huge as Scratch is but our Logo interpreter gets a reasonable amount of traffic, enough to make it worthwhile to develop, anyway