Coding 1 Plus (K - 2nd, students must either have completed a prior coding course or be in 2nd grade. 2nd graders with proficient laptop skills are encouraged to take Coding 2 instead): 

While similar to Coding 1, Coding 1 Plus is designed to build upon the things the students already learned in Coding 1 while exploring more complex robotic control and more advanced game coding. Students will enjoy both game and robot coding while furthering their understanding of fundamental concepts of computer programming (sequences, variables, loops, and conditionals), and while gaining basic laptop proficiency. The course is designed to encourage logic based thinking and teach problem solving skills. While not essential, some reading skills will be helpful. The course will help improve those skills, as well as their understanding of simple mathematics, and their comfort level with using laptops.

After a block coding review of the fundamental concepts of computer programming (sequences, variables, loops, conditional logic, objects, threads, and message passing), students will begin learning to code in a professional programming language called Python. Python has been selected because its simple syntax and english-like keywords make it an ideal first programming language, but it is so powerful that it is used for many professional applications including web development, game design, data science, and artificial intelligence. During this course, in addition to furthering their understanding of basic coding concepts, the students will learn about various powerful coding data structures, object oriented design and programming, and even explore some AI algorithms, including ones used in image/video processing & analysis, and non-parametric statistical machine learning.

Welcome to VEX® Robotics, an exciting, hands-on class where students design, build, and program robots to solve challenges, compete in games, and explore the world of engineering and automation! Students will learn to build and code VEX robots. They will take on the same or similar challenges faced by competitors in the VEX® Robotics World Championship competition, and the regional VEX IQ Robotics competitions that feed the world championship. While this course does not compete in competitions, it is designed to prepare students who wish to compete in the future.