Category: Uncategorized

Week 7

Today I researched some potential companies I can reach out to about my coding goal. One is called Westie Design Inc. and looks like an amazing option for technology support. They help small businesses and have even helped the UofA and NAIT so they have worked with schools before, but it looks like they only help with general website stuff not coding. I am still going to reach out to them and ask about if they have anybody who can help me with my project. The other option is Codecademy, a free website that teaches many people how to use various coding languages including python. They look amazing in terms of lessons on how to use coding languages but I’m not sure how well they will be in terms of in person helping or if they will even be available. Unfortunately, I had nowhere near enough time to work on my coding during the week so I probably won’t be able to make the tutorial game by the new year but I will make sure to finish it over winter break.

Week 6

I completed “loops” in learnpython.org. At home I worked on the Pygame tutorial, also I didn’t add the link for the tutorial so it’s here now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO6qQDNa2UY

I got about 20 minutes into the video so I will work on it more during the week and next weekend. It was surprising how much code you need just to make the game work eg. making sure the window doesn’t immediately close as soon as it opens.

Week 5

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to set it up; it takes a while to set up so I don’t want to work on it for just a few minutes. I will make sure to work on it this weekend and once I’m done that I’ll have more pictures and things to talk about for my blog. I will also try to find an easier way to set it up so I can work on it at school as well if I have any time. I hope I’ll be able to finish the pygame tutorial before December ends so I’ll have a month and a bit to work on my final game. I can’t do any coding at school (unless I find an easier way to set up) so I have to do all the coding at home and the blogs at school.

Week 4

I took out my raspberry pi. My dad and I took a while to figure out how to set it up and there’s no way I can bring it to school unless I figure out an easier way to set it up (Current setup below) but it works great and I found a different tutorial on how to make your first game which I will be working on over the weekend.

Week 3

At home I was able to find my raspberry pi but I didn’t have time to test it out. Over the next week I will test my raspberry pi and hopefully be able to bring it to school next wednesday. Today I kept working on learnpython.org and completed “basic string operations” and “conditions”.

Week 2

I think I’ve found out how Python and Pygame work and how to get them. My raspberry pi should have them automatically installed but I still have to find my raspberry pi and figure out how it works. At home I will try to find and test it. I have also found a good tutorial on how to recreate snake. Once I am done learning the basics I will go through that tutorial to make my first game and then try making my own game.

Week 1

To learn how to code I am using learnpython.org. I have completed the first three assignments on there, hello world, variables and types, and lists. so far I have learn’t how to print text, work with numbers, and make lists. When I was working on it I realized that Python can’t make games, if I want to make a game I need to have Pygame to turn the commands into an actual game. Today I am going to do more research on how Pygame works and maybe do more lessons on learnpython.org.

Genius Hour Planning

I am going to learn how to code with Python, and maybe with JavaScript. For my final project I am going to make a small platformer game using all the things I’m going to learn to do. I hope to include: Basic movement, semi-solid platforms, buttons and levers, movable objects, and a checkpoint and finish. I am going to start by learning how to do basic things in python, movement, platforms etc., then learn some harder stuff like buttons, semi-solid platforms, and checkpoints. I will need a computer/chromebook and I have a raspberry pi that has python built into it so I will probably use that for the coding.

Genius Hour with Isaac: Intro

Welcome to my first Genius Hour blog post. My name is Isaac and I am in junior high. I go to school in edmonton. I like learning new things although I’m not always very excited about actually working on them. Some of my favorite things are sports and games, especially video games.

For my first Genius Hour project I am going to learn how to code. My final project will be to create a small 2d platformer game. I have done lot’s of block based coding like the ones where you have to clip together commands to make robots move. I am going to learn how to do text based coding as well. I have always been interested in coding and other computer sciences but I really wanted to start when I saw a post on newsela, which is linked below, about a young girl who made a board game that teaches kids the basics of coding. I am going to start by learning how to code in python and depending on how long it takes I may learn JavaScript as well.

https://newsela.com/read/kid-inventor-makes-coding-board-game/id/2001018848/