Happy CS Ed Week!

I'm a former middle school science teacher career changer, now working in software...but I have to admit that #CSEdWeek played a large part in my transition into software. I started using Code.org tools such as AppLab and Hour of Code activities with my kids each year, then started incorporating other block-based programming tools into the curriculum, such as StarLogo Nova.

So naturally, I was excited to see this article, Block-based Programming in Computer Science Classrooms, which shares research on the experiences of kids who start out with block-based programming.

Did anyone else start out with block-based programming, for yourself, or using it with your kids or students?

What's your take - did it help with the transfer over to learning a programming language?

Any favorite block-based platforms to share?