Description:
From ordering food or scheduling a ride, getting directions or checking the weather, editing photos or staying in touch, even a calculator and a flashlight ....everyone is using mobile apps. There are more than 3.1 million apps just in the Google Play store. Teens love their phones and tablets will have fun learning to code custom apps (applications) for them. In this project-based workshop, students will design and develop an app of their choice. Will their personal app connect friends, create memes, play a game, or keep themselves organized?
Students will create apps using Thunkable, a development environment that uses a drag and drop menu to create apps. They will then have the option of moving into coding in C# in Microsoft's Xamarin cross-platform development environment. Both environments support the creation of apps for Android and iOS (iPhone) devices. In all app programming platforms, students will practice the iterative design process to define a problem, generate ideas, build, test, and improve their app. In all app programming platforms, students will practice the iterative design process to define a problem, generate ideas, build, test, and improve their app.
Students will need to bring a PC or Mac laptop to class. Chromebooks and tablets will not suffice for this work. Students should have a laptop with a minimum Intel 64 processor, Windows 7 or 8 operating system, 256 MB of RAM, and 200 MB of available hard-disk space for installation. Students will need their own gmail e-mail accounts to access the Thunkable software.
Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: Will be given in class and noted in the weekly e-mails. Assessments: Will not be given. Topics in this Series: App Design (Semester 1) and Web Development (Semester 2) What to Bring: A laptop and charger to class each week. Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Career Exploration, Technology, or Applied Computer Science for purposes of a high school transcript.
