Misconception: Students incorrectly believe that variables passed into a block in Snap! will get modified; however, a copy of the passed-in variable is what the block receives and modifies.
Explain that when you ask an object to do something the proper syntax in Java is to say object [dot] method, sometimes there is additional information required.
Misconception: Students transitioning from Scratch to AppInventor are often surprised to not have a wait block.
Get students' thinking aligned with the Ruby on Rails community values by introducing them to community resources like Github, forums, and screencasts, for example http://railscasts.com/.
Highlight the basic syntax and semantics of Ruby on Rails without referencing complex external concepts like closures and blocks to enhance beginning students learning to code them quickly.
Illustrate the steps a user-action travels through in the Ruby on Rails framework, from making a request at the browser to returning a response, to help students learn create a meaningful mental model.
Have student video tape their Arduino circuits to make it easier for you to grade because you don’t have to collect the Arduinos or set aside class time to observe the circuits in action.
Explain the “discards qualifiers” error in C++ using the metaphor of a contractor who has signed a contract not to change instance variables, but then attempts to use subcontractor who hasn’t agreed to the same terms or signed the appropriate forms.
Mention to students that individual blocks in Scratch and Snap can be tested by double clicking them in the block library so they know this useful, non-intuitive trick for learning what an individual block does.