Coding Makerspace with A-Frame

My Brother's Keeper and Changing Expectations partnered in Austin, Texas to teach students coding with A-Frame.

Find out more at:
https://medium.com/mozilla-tech/getting-schooled-in-virtual-reality-f041c4be626c

Today we're at
the George Washington Carver museum,

which is a historic site in Austin,

it actually represents the life and work

of Dr. Carver in science

and we're actually making sure

that his legacy continues

by teaching kids science
through computer science.

I think WebVR and tech

and many things that are going on
in the tech space now

is about accessibility.

The great thing about WebVR

is it's based entirely in the browser

so it's open software
that everyone can access

on practically any device.

So A-Frame is a means for us
to get better in WebVR.

We already knew hoe to code.

I feel like if you didn't know
how to code at all,

and you saw A-Frame,

the fact that you make changes
that reflect immediately,

would keep you going.

I can pick this up to, looking at it,

okay, HTML, that's familiar.

Now, let's add something else onto it

and have that 3D space that VR creates.

At the right side of the screen,
wherever it is...

So, it's like you are making changes

and you see the effects immediately,

instead of other languages
where you have to write it all

and try running it to check.

Giving them this opportunity
to learn A-Frame

allows them to really begin

to see themselves as somebody

who can converse with all these people

in these great and wonderful
and interesting jobs.

That then opens up that world to them.

A-Frame was very helpful

because a lot of us haven't worked
on WebVR before,

including the professionals
who are working with us.

With A-Frame they just reference it,

check out how it's written,

they assist us in the working.

To expand my knowledge,

so I can make my own games

or even create my own langauge.

The great thing about
getting students excited

about making software
in the browser,

is that they can take this anywhere.

They can use it to make VR,

they can use it in A-Frame.

They can also use it
for normal web software,

whether that's e-commerce
or social media,

the things their lives
are centred around these days.