![java2.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1519868833/mh3nxvi7irq3n7ofnu6j.png)


I've been asked to teach some current and feature robotics students some Java over the summer. Their programs were pretty basic this year and they'd like to step it up a notch next year. Plus there are at least two new students who will be freshmen next year and want to get a headstart on programming the robots. We might end up having the quite unusual problem of having too many programmers on a team. In addition, just because, I'm going to let my 9-year-old join in too and see if she can keep up. She has been wanting to learn some programming for a while. If she can't go as fast she can get extra help because she lives with the instructor.

**So what to do?**

I'm going to figure out some type of lesson plan focusing on the stuff they will use, which is mostly the same as what I'd teach someone in a basic survey of Java. Beyond the subject matter I want to make it fun something that they have to work together with, either cooperative or maybe a little competitive too.

I've listed below some of the resources I am looking at:

Here are some FTC related resources:
* [First Resource Library](https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/technology-information-and-resources)

Here are a couple of resources I've found online:
* [CoderZ](http://gocoderz.com/#features)
* [Robocoder](http://robocode.sourceforge.net/)


The CoderZ site is cool, with actual robot simulations and may be more directly relevant to robotics, but it's not free and in fact very expensive for what I want to do. Robocoder is free, but not nearly as glamorous as CoderZ. I want to keep looking some more but wanted to put out a call to my followers because some of them are pretty smart tech people.

So some type of simulated robot programming is definitely at the top of my list. Conversely,  I might just have them work on a project together. Make a game or something else fun. I want to teach them some meta-skills like learning how to use version control and track tasks. These skills are just as necessary as programming itself in a potential job.

So if there are any resources I've missed or ideas I have not yet thought of please leave a comment. I will write another post once I fully flesh out my ideas.