Kids coding languages marked by Google Doodle – when is CSE Week and what is Logo?
It has been 50 years since kids programming languages were first introduced to the world.
IT HAS been 50 years since kids programming languages were introduced to the world.
Today, Google is celebrating Computer Science Education Week with the search engine giant's first ever coding Google Doodle with help from a furry new friend.
How does Google's Doodle help kids learn to code?
Google's Doodle teaches users how to draw up basic code with the help of Google's new furry friend.
The white rabbit, on his hunt for carrots, how users how programming code can make the rabbit do an action.
By inputting the correct pattern you can help the furry white rabbit on its quest to eat all of the carrots - this coding tool is based on the Scratch progamming language for kids.
Scratch was developed at MIT and was designed to be less intimidating than typical programming languages, but just as powerful and expressive.
Coding was added to the UK's National Curriculum in 2014 and we are increasingly seeing kids leave their parents speechless with the new words and skills that they are learning.
Kids can 'code' the movements for the rabbit which helps him get at the carrots.
What is Logo?
Logo is a basic programming language that teaches programming principles in a fun and easy way which makes it perfect for kids.
It was created in 1967 and was the inspiration for the code Scratch which today's Google Doodle is built from.
It essentially uses a small icon known as a "turtle" which can be moved around the floor using the basic Logo coding blocks - similarly to the furry rabbit in the Doodle.
By moving the turtle around the screen, users are able to draw different shapes.
To draw a square using Logo code you would input the following:
- FORWARD 100
- LEFT 90
- FORWARD 100
- LEFT 90
- FORWARD 100
- LEFT 90
- FORWARD 100
- LEFT 90
You can access a Logo-like programme from your browser called for free.
What is Computer Science Education Week?
Computer Science Education week began in the US but is being celebrated around the world.
CSE Week 2017 takes place between December 4 and December 10.
It's an annual programme that's dedicated to inspiring school students to take an interest in Computer Science and Information Technology.
There's a wealth of tools at yours and your children's disposal to help them learn to code online and this Google Doodle is just the start.
This Doodle was developed by three teams: the Google Doodle team, Google Blockly team, and researchers from MIT Scratch.
What is a Google Doodle?
In 1998, the search engine founders Larry and Sergey drew a stick figure behind the second 'o' of Google as a message to that they were out of office at the Burning Man festival and with that, Google Doodles were born.
The company decided that they should decorate the logo to mark cultural moments and it soon became clear that users really enjoyed the change to the Google homepage.
In that same year, a turkey was added to Thanksgiving and two pumpkins appeared as the 'o's for Halloween the following year.
Now, there is a full team of doodlers, illustrators, graphic designers, animators and classically trained artists who help create what you see on those days.
Recently, a Google Doodle celebrated the 2017 Autumn Equinox, which marked the official ending of summer and the coming of autumn.