EduBlocks Blog 1 getting started....

To install EduBlocks type in the following into  the following terminal on Raspberry Pi.

curl -sSL get.edublocks.org| bash 


In summary the new version you can easily save, load and switch between block mode and see the python version of the code. Furthermore you can save the python version of the code. Also you can easily stop the script when you are bored with running it by pressing Esc on the keyboard in summary. Its more awesome than it was before. Great work again Josh et al.

Here is the link to the new version cheat sheet:
https://t.co/rS6QT3HDts

Josh has developed with the help of others EduBlocks to try and bridge the gap between visual programming and textual programming in Python.

I came across this a few months ago and had an initial play and created some crude hacks using his drag and drop interface. These can be accessed here.

It runs in chromium browser on the Raspberry Pi. Here is an example of a script that I created that randomly drops active TNT squares in the sky.

You can install it on your Pi buy going on your browser and typing in : edupython.co.uk/install.sh 

Based on what I have seen so far from this 13 year old lads creation is promising. Initially you could run a script and then struggled to easily stop it. 

Through the grape vine he is working has created a solution to this. In the first version you couldn't save / load your script now you can!!! thanks to the hard work and dedication of Josh. 

You can request additional functionality and it gets added. In summary his work in progress IDE is rapidly evolving into a great introduction IDE to Python coding. I will certainly be using it at future Jams. 

I look forward to seeing it develop further over the coming months. Great work Josh et al.

N.b. it works on all Pi's however from my experience Pi 2 and 3 are probably the optimum model to use.

Leamington Raspberry Jam and 2017 .....

On Saturday  the latest Jam was held in Leamington Library. For the first time we used Microbits as to with Rasberry Pi's.

The first session was creating a traffic light using a single Neo pixel attached to a Microbit. It was coded using Micropython. The second session was using the Microbit as a trigger to start a traffic light sequence in Minecraft. Here is the link for the sheet that was: used https://github.com/ncscomputing/Hackpack/blob/Volume-5/Microbit%20Traffic%20lights.docx

It was really nice to see people turn up and enjoy themselves. Credit goes to the year 8 lad who traveled from Coventry who managed to combine both sessions into one complete solution. He clearly has the nack :). There was a year six student who attended who goes to the Code Club at the same venue. She said that her session was led by a man called Sam. So fair play to him for encouraging her to come along.

Next up is Minecraft Library Jam in May get your tickets here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/minecraft-library-jam-coventry-central-library-tickets-32203062226

After that July's Jam at Nicholas Chamberlaine School and maybe a few more in between.