For this IncrediCoders book, we selected some key professional technologies for you to learn! We could teach the next generation of coders tools designed for kids, but if they learn professional tools, then they can be trained like a college graduate before they even get to middle school!

Meet the tools:

• Python: The #1 programming language is also the best language to learn for AI development! It’s powerful yet simplifies some complex aspects of coding.
• Pygame: This set of Python modules allows you to create videogames in Python!
• Visual Studio Code: Microsoft’s IDE (integrated development environment) is the gold standard, cross-platform code editor.
• Replit: This online IDE allows you to write, run, and debug code directly from your web browser!
• GitHub: This web-based platform hosts Git repositories and provides us with tools for version control and collaboration, including our Wiki!

Python

Python is the top programming language: https://lnkd.in/gK3mD4xv

It's also the most recommended programming language to learn: https://lnkd.in/g9-UV6M2

I believe the Python community is the most passionate programming community, because:

1. Python is powerful but simplifies some of the more complex aspects of coding. It catered to some core standard and important principles: procedural, object-oriented, and functional programming.

2. It has a vast ecosystem of technologies and modules, including a large standard library.

3. It banked on the future (placed the right bets), by differentiating and focusing on being a great language for AI, data science, automation, and web development. Since all those needs/uses have grown (and will continue to grow), so has usage of Python! This includes the rise of AI tools and frameworks, like TensorFlow and PyTorch. Some good Python AI libraries also include Numpy and Pybrain.

And, yes, that means Python is typically seen as the top programming language for AI right now: https://lnkd.in/g34s9RWa

There are other languages that teach programming to kids. Right now, kids often learn on tile-based programming (Code.org, Lego Mindstorm, Tinker, Scratch Jr., Kodu), and then they learn (or skip up to learning) block-based coding (Scratch, Code.org, and Microsoft MakeCode). At Microsoft, I helped with Small Basic (and I wrote a book for age 10+: https://aka.ms/SmallBasicBook), which is one of the only text-based languages that exists to teach kids to code.

Our goal with the IncrediCoders book is to see if we can help kids learn the #1 programming language much earlier in the typical computer science education journey!