12 Lessons in Computational Thinking, Problem Solving, and Creativity
Sign up for this free course delivered directly to your Inbox!
Learn to Code, Learn to Think is a free email course for educators who want to explore coding on their own or with students. The goal is not to create programmers, but to engage learners in computational thinking: problem-solving, sequencing, pattern recognition, and more. Exploration, discovery, experimentation, and creativity are key components of this process.
| What is Learn to Code, Learn to Think? |
Learn to Code, Learn to Think is an email course consisting of 12 main lessons and 4 Bonus sections. Step-by-step lessons cover the basics in a fun, friendly, and interactive way. Each lesson introduces a new programming concept that all coders need to learn. Short activities help you understand and practice the concept. Each lesson links to our Learn To Code website with more activities and a link to the original email. See the Course Outline with concepts and activities. |
| How much does it cost? | Nothing! The course is free, and the tools you’ll use—online robot emulators, Logo Blocks, a mini version of Logo, and a full Logo programming language trial—are all free. |
| Who is it for? | It’s for teachers or parents who want to learn to code with their students, primarily those in grades 3–8, though it is adaptable to older and younger students. |
| When do lessons arrive? | Lessons arrive via email every few days. You don’t have to keep up that pace, but save them and do them in order when you are ready. You can even resubscribe to start the course again! A web page for each lesson expands on the concepts and contains additional activities. |
| Why should my students learn to code? | Learning coding concepts is key to success in many disciplines. Even if students aren’t making computer science a career, they will learn problem-solving strategies that apply to all areas of their learning. They will learn to be precise in their language, develop sequencing skills, identify patterns, break down problems into smaller pieces, and much more. |
| What educators are saying about this course: | What have they found most valuable? |
| “Better than I expected” | Activities I can use with students |
| “It is so comprehensive.” | Bee-Bot, Blue-Bot, and Pro-Bot activities |
| “I like that I can try different coding methods.” | Learning more about coding |
| “I appreciate the scope and flow.” | Learning computational thinking concepts |
| “It’s just so perfectly simple and approachable.” | Logo Blocks activities |
| “Very likely to recommend this email course.” | Understanding how coding relates to AI |
| Links and additional resources | |
| Trying the Logo language |
Terrapin is in a unique position to offer a course that uses a combination of online and floor robots, block coding, and a full programming language to teach computational thinking concepts. The Logo language was originally developed at MIT to give children a way to learn by discovery and build knowledge by exploring on their own. They just need to know a few basics to take advantage of this powerful learning environment. This course is designed to do just that. Logo is a graphical language, with its iconic turtle 
that you can move on the screen. But it offers all the capabilities of a modern programming language. We’ll show you how to begin your coding journey and advance at your own pace.
Get started today!
Sign up for this free 12-part course delivered directly to your Inbox!
Here is a preview of what you will learn:
- Lesson 1 - What is Coding All About?
- Lesson 2 - Stop Repeating Yourself — Use Loops!
- Lesson 3 - Add Surprise with Random Numbers
- Lesson 4 - Create Your Own Commands Using Procedures
- Lesson 5 - What If? Using Conditionals to Make Decisions
- Lesson 6 - Recursion: Procedures that Call Themselves
- Lesson 7 - Store Information with Variables
- Lesson 8 - Inputs: Interact With Your User
- Lesson 9 - Functions: Procedures That Give You Results
- Lesson 10 - Data Handling: Coding with Words and Lists
- Lesson 11 - Events: Interacting with the Mouse and Keyboard
- Lesson 12 - Design and Code Your Own Project
Bonus Lessons to Do Anytime!
- Bonus Lesson 1 - Edit and Debug Your Code
- Bonus Lesson 2 - Coding and Artificial Intelligence
- Bonus Lesson 3 - Programming Robots
- Bonus Lesson 4 - Coding Resources
Questions? As you go through the course, do not hesitate to contact us for help!