Ask HN: Android project for introducing teenagers to programming?

[chrismanfrank]

I'm one of the founders of ImagineK12-backed Tutorcloud.com. We've been talking to lots of parents who want their kids to learn a little programming. We'd like to help them, and we need your help.

Specifically....Recommend a project we can use in our Intro to Android Programming workshop.

These kids are 12-16 years old. No programming experience. Eager to learn. Dying to build "cool apps". What could we build with them?

The workshop is only 4 hours long. Can we build something kids will think is cool in that time?

Comment here, or contact me directly. And if you're interested in teaching teenagers in the Bay Area, or online, drop me a line as well. [[e-mail]].

[cd34]

Don, a local developer, put this together for a two part meetup group:

http://blog.machineinteractive.com/2011/05/reflections-on-ru...

Includes full code for the app on github. He also did a quick gps + yahoo weather api which isn't as exciting, but, might fit the time constraints.

Don also uses processing.org for a lot of projects which is a pretty good learning environment - though, not android. Peruse his blog for more stuff.

He also wrote the Myxer.fm Android app.

[chrismanfrank]

Thanks for the link!

[Turing_Machine]

Have you seen MIT (formerly Google) App Inventor?

http://appinventoredu.mit.edu/

[chrismanfrank]

I have. Unfortunately, it looks like MIT hasn't re-released it yet. Although it looks like it's possible to run your own server now. Thanks!