branson convention center| May 16 – 18, 2024
Branson, MO
Programming Workshop Information
We are super excited to be working with Excalibur Solutions again this year to present 2 different programming workshops. Both workshops are for 13-18 year olds
Balloon Pop in Scratch
How many balloons can you pop in one minute? Find out with us as we create an arcade game in Scratch called Balloon Pop. Scratch is a blocks-based programming language created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help make it easier to learn to program. Participants will create the entire game start to finish using a technique called progressive refinement. They will start with some basic functionality and add new features in small chunks. Along the way, they will learn foundational computer science concepts including variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and events and event handlers. No prior programming experience is required.
This class will be Thursday 5/16 from 10:30am-12:40pm
T-Rex Run in Python
Have you played the dinosaur jumping game in Google? Want to create your very own version of this game in Python? This class will introduce participants to the basics of programming in Python and Pygame. Python is a text-based programming language considered by many to be easy to learn due to its English-like syntax. Pygame is a Python library designed specifically for writing video games. In addition to learning several foundational concepts from computer science, participants will learn about aspects of game design like sprites, collision detection, and the game loop. No prior programming experience is required.
This class will be Thursday 5/16 from 12:50pm-3:00pm
Programming Workshop
Meet Your Teacher
Robert, a former math teacher who has also worked as a hardware tech, an IT director, a trainer, a programmer, a software tester, a technical writer, and a business owner, is the founder of the Excalibur Solutions STEM Academy. He believes all students need a solid foundation in STEM education, and he uses his blended background to create engaging projects focused on technology and engineering.
Programming Workshop FAQs
This workshop is designed for 13-18 year-old students.
Previous experience is a plus, but not required for this program.
Participants will not need to bring their own computer. However, if they want to bring a USB memory stick, they will be able to copy the work they do in the class to it and take it with them.