Tag Archives: Coding Education

Coding Education

Finding Good Coding Teachers

In some places, it is hard to find quality coding teachers. Consider a recent article for the Tennessean titled “Search for coding teachers encounters obstacles.”

Jaime McGee of the Tennessean writes, “If the point of building a computer science program is to prepare students for jobs that are in high demand, how do you find coding teachers who are already highly sought after in the private sector? It’s the conundrum that coding programs across the United States face as they seek to fill their teaching ranks. At RePublic Schools, which offers computer science at four Nashville schools, the strategy has been to find teachers who are interested in teaching coding, rather than finding coders interested in teaching. ‘Given the way the economy and the actual demand for jobs is right now, someone who is really proficient in computer science seems to have a lot of flexibility in the job and environment they work in,’ said Ryan York, RePublic’s chief information officer. Part of it comes down to salary. An average middle or secondary school teaching job pays about $49,000 in Tennessee, while Tennessee software developers make an average of $82,000 to $88,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. York was a math teacher at Apollo Middle School when he taught himself computer programming. He created software for teachers that would help them track students’ proficiency more efficiently and develop individualized learning plans. Having already developed a passion for education, he shifted his focus to technology, but still within schools.”

Some adults might need unconventional ways to pick up on coding so they can teach it to youth. Consider a recent article for Quartz titled “This new robot teaches kids about coding—but it’s awesome for grown-ups, too.” Mike Murphy of Quartz writes, “Dash and Dot are meant for young children (although the box says ‘Ages 5 to ∞’), so Gupta says for now at least, the actual code behind what kids are doing in the app won’t be available for them to check out. But Gupta says he wants to get kids thinking at an early age about how things in the digital age actually work. And although I’m not the target demographic, I liked building little programs to make Dash and Dot terrorize my coworkers, or annoy my roommates. I liked being able to take a broad view on my programs, seeing how every step would unfold—something that is often lost in laymen looking at a text-based programming language. While I’m not entirely convinced that a five-year-old would be able to appreciate the coding aspect of Dash and Dot yet, Gupta said it’s a toy that’s meant to grow with kids.”

When it comes to customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, students learn computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. Our lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. Thus, the entire curriculum is customized.

We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

Sign up for one of our after school programs or fall classes today!

Coding Education

Customizing Coding Education to Reach Kids

It’s one thing to recognize that there is a major need for coders in the workforce. Developing an effective plan of action is another. Institutions throughout the country are making an effort to inspire young coders through a variety of methods. Consider a recent article for NPR titled “Federal Student Loans Expand To Cover Some Coding Boot Camps.”

Meg Anderson of NPR writes, “Starting soon, students will be able to use federal loans to pay for certain coding boot camps, the immersive web development courses that promise to make students into programming experts in just a few months. The experimental program will allow traditional accredited colleges to partner with coding boot camps and other short-term certification programs. Because they’re attached to colleges, the U.S. Department of Education will be able to evaluate their effectiveness. Colleges can begin applying today. The price tag for coding boot camps can be as much as $20,000, but the allure of high paying tech jobs has attracted an estimated 16,000 students this year alone. Enrollment in these programs is soaring, but the hefty cost means camps have been popular mostly among those privileged enough to afford the risk.”

Delaware Online also takes a look at ways to reach the youth in a recent article titled “Delaware native makes coding kid-friendly.” Scott Goss of Delaware Online writes, “Peter Kinney played a lot of video games while growing up near Townsend. Perhaps a little too much, if you ask his mother. But Kinney’s love of gaming – particularly strategy games – seems to have paid off. The 25-year-old Charter School of Wilmington graduate is now the lead programmer at Digital Dream Labs, a Pittsburgh-based educational technology company he co-founded in 2012. This month, the startup released the final version of Puzzlets, an innovative gaming platform that includes a downloadable app designed to teach basic computer programming skills to children ages 6 and older. The game, called Cork the Volcano, is similar to familiar titles, like Super Mario Bros., in that it involves a character avoiding obstacles to advance to the next level.”

When it comes to youth coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. Our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts. These lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. Thus, the entire curriculum is customized.

We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

Sign up for one of our fall classes today!

Coding Education, Education

Coding and a Well Rounded Education

We have long known that a well rounded education is the best education. However, people are trying to pit important subjects against one another and the residual effects could be detrimental to young people’s future careers. Consider a recent article for the Tampa Bay Times titled “Editorial: Don’t sacrifice foreign languages for computer coding.”

According to the author of the article, “Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, is the sponsor of SB 468, which would allow students pursuing a diploma on a college preparatory track to substitute two credits of rigorous computer coding classes for two credits of sequential foreign language instruction. To earn full credit, computer coding students would have to earn a related industry certification at the end of their coursework. The bill would allow students who earn the computer coding credits to be eligible for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Each school district would develop a plan for a computer science curriculum and submit it to the Legislature by January 2017. In Florida, students seeking a 24-credit standard diploma are not required to take foreign language classes. But students on track to attend college who wish to receive a diploma with a scholar designation must earn two credits in a world language, which mimics entrance requirements for Florida’s public universities. Ring, a former Yahoo executive, sees coding as its own unique language. But such a switch deprives students of valuable spoken language training, and a coding curriculum fits best within the science and math disciplines. Providing students with the chance to receive two years of coding instruction is a terrific opportunity that goes beyond the state’s existing commitment to expose students to computer science training from kindergarten through 12th grade. But sacrificing traditional foreign language study would be a mistake. Florida, with its large population of Spanish speakers, should be on the vanguard of language instruction, pushing all of its graduates to learn new languages and appreciate different cultures, races and ethnicities.”

CodeRev Kids fills in the need for coding education for California youth. Our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. These lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. Thus, the entire curriculum is customized.

We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

Sign up for one of our afterschool programs and/or fall classes today!

Coding Education, Skills

Check Out the Mobile Browser Two Brothers Made!

Coding offers many solutions to problems throughout the globe. Consider a recent article for Pulse titled “Nigerian brothers build mobile Web Browser out of ‘boredom.’”

Folarin Okunola of Pulse writes, “Anesi and Osine Ikhianosime, 13 and 15 years old respectively, are students of Greensprings school, Anthony Campus, Lagos, and they developed an Android based web browser called Crocodile Browser Lite sometime last year. As a matter of fact, these teenagers’ creation is actually on the Google Play Store. Speaking to TechCabal.com, Osine, 13, said he writes the code together with his brother, for their creations and his brother also designs the UI. At a closer look, these genius brothers are just like every other teenage boy but not quite at the same time. Osine likes to play soccer, but also takes coding as a hobby – which is not something every 13 year old boy does. His interest in computers began at the tender age of 7, the same age which he and his brother –who was 9 at the time (born June1, 1999), decided to start a company of their own. Inspired byMicrosoft’s ‘Windows’ platform, they initially named their new company ‘Doors’, but later changed the name to ‘BluDoors’ when they found out that the initial name had been taken. The two brothers decided to learn to code at ages 12 and 14 respectively. ‘I learnt to code by myself. I started in 2013, I used sites sites like Code Academy, Code Avengers and books like ‘Android for Game Development’ and ‘Games for Dummies’,’ said Anesi. According to both brothers, they started developing an Android based web browser, which they named Crocodile Browser Lite, about a year ago, out of boredom. Their strong interest in technology, coupled with their desire to learn, informed the decision to create a functional, fast browser for low end feature phones because ‘We were fed up with Google Chrome’, according to them.”

There are few better ways to cultivate young coding minds than with customized coding education. This is what we specialize in at CodeRev Kids.

At CodeRev Kids, our lessons emphasize computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming languages and concepts. These lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

Sign up for one of our fall classes today!

Coding Education, Education

Chicago Mayor Gives Big Endorsement to Coding

Coding is becoming a major priority for schools across the country. Chicago recently made a bold statement when the Mayor suggested that all high schoolers should code. Consider a recent article for Ubergizmo titled “Chicago Mayor Thinks All High School Grads Should Know How To Code.”

Tyler Lee of Ubergizmo writes, “Should everyone young person learn how to code? As technology becomes more integrated in our lives and with more jobs and industries relying on technology more than ever, the answer might be a ‘yes’ for some. Over in Chicago, the city’s mayor Rahm Emanuel seems to think so as well. According to a report from The Hill, Emanuel expressed his opinion that every high school graduate should know how to code, to the extent that he thinks such classes should be made a requirement in schools. Emanuel was quoted as saying, ‘Just make it a requirement. I am fine with Common Core. We adopted it in the city, one of the first cities to do it. I’m great. [But] you need this skill — national policy. Make it a high-school graduation requirement.’ Emanuel has been a huge proponent of making coding a requirement in schools. Ever since becoming mayor in 2011, he has made several steps towards that goal and by 2018, computer science is expected to become a requirement in high school graduations, at least as far as Chicago is concerned.”

Slash Gear also explores this in a recent article titled “Chicago mayor calls for national coding graduation requirement.” Brittany Hillen of Slash Gear writes, “The call was made by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who made the proposal this past Thursday. He pointed out that kids need to have this knowledge to thrive in the present and future world. Chicago itself already has plans in place to get its high schoolers on the coding path, moving to have computer science sources as a graduation requirement. According to The Hill, in a statement at a Washington Post-sponsored event, he said, ‘Just make [coding classes] a requirement. I am fine with Common Core. We adopted it in the city, one of the first cities to do it. I’m great. You need this skill — national policy. Make it a high-school graduation requirement.’ While a noble effort, there are some big barriers in place — namely, finding individuals with both the tech credentials and the teaching credentials to teach such classes. As it stands, and as many critics have pointed out, those qualified to teach the classes can earn much higher salaries taking their skills elsewhere, giving them little incentive to become a high school instructor.”

With coding education becoming increasingly sought after, taking advantage of customized coding curriculum is even more valuable. When it comes to custom coding education for youth, your best bet is CodeRev Kids.

Our lessons emphasize computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming concepts and languages. These lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise.

We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

If you’re looking to take your child’s coding education to the next level, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids!

Uncategorized

Hello Ruby Opens the Door to Coding for Children

It is no secret that young people in the United States are enthralled with their video games. This doesn’t mean video games necessarily have to be a distraction, however. These games can be used as educational tools. Consider a recent article for Geek Dad titled “Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding – Thinking Like a Programmer.”

Randy Slavey of Geek Dad writes, “Hello Ruby blew past its initial $10,000 goal on Kickstarter nearly two years ago to become one of the most anticipated children’s books to be launched on the crowdfunding platform. While there are dozens of excellent programming books available that are targeted specifically to kids, what makes Hello Ruby different from other coding books is its surprising lack of code. Any code. Hello Ruby contains no “Hello World” examples, no “Build a Working Calculator” project. There is no mention of language or syntax. In fact, unless you’re reading the eBook version, you don’t even need a computer. Instead, Hello Ruby approaches programming, not as a skill to be taught, but as a way of thinking about a problem. Written and illustrated by programmer Linda Liukas, formerly of Codecademy and 2013 Ruby Hero, Hello Ruby tells the story of a precocious little girl named Ruby who goes on an adventure to find five gems her father has hidden for her. Along the way, she meets a number of interesting characters that will probably seem a little familiar to those with programming or general computer backgrounds. Ruby has to learn to communicate with the penguins, who can be difficult to understand at times with their utterances of ‘grep!’, ‘ awk!’, and ‘bash!’, and the Snow Leopard, who lives on the mountain and prefers simplicity and purity. Throughout the book, Ruby is faced with problems that must be solved using basic principles of programming such as conditions and loops.”

While video games can do wonders for young children, at a certain age, they need human mentorship. This doesn’t have to be less fun or engaging. In fact, with CodeRev Kids, we emphasise having fun just as much as we emphasise coding concepts and languages. As a result, our students stay engaged and learn at the same time.

Furthermore, all of our lessons are customized to fit each students’ level of expertise. All of these lessons emphasise computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. Thus, they are just as thorough as they are fun.

For more, check out our fall classes and afterschool programs!

Coding Education, Education

Getting Young Children a Start in Coding

There are a variety of strategies parents use to engage their children with coding at an early age. An increasing number of games are being released to help meet this need and prepare children for the necessary coding education institutions like CodeRev Kids can provide. For example, consider a recent article for USA Today titled “How to get kids to start coding.”

Jinny Gudmundsen of USA Today writes, “If you have a Frozen movie fan in your household, head on over to code.org to explore 20 programming puzzles focused on making Elsa and Anna skate to create patterns on the ice. Created in collaboration with Disney for the Hour of Code initiative, these fun puzzles start with an inspiring video where women coders encourage children to learn programming. The puzzles introduce a visual language called ‘Blockly’ that lets kids snap together blocks of commands to create a program.  If interested, kids can toggle to discover what the commands look like in the programming language JavaScript… Similar to the Frozen coding project above, Tynker also uses code blocks to teach kids how to program. Tynker introduces its visual programming language within a series of puzzles called Codey’s Quest. In each puzzle level, kids use the code blocks to make Codey, a cute purple alien, move to his beloved candy. Kids exercise logical thinking to create programs that stress efficiency; and in that process, they learn about programming using loops and conditionals. The app also has a set of Crash Course puzzles that works with connected devices such as the Sphero and Ollie robots. In addition to the free puzzles, Tynker offers a section in which kids can use the block codes to create their own games. Additional content is available via in-app purchases ($1.99-$4.99). A separate school version app costs $5.99. Parents can also find more free content on www.Tynker.com, as well as paid courses.”

If you’re looking to provide your child with a quality coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. Our classes are customized to give your child a unique educational experience.

Lessons at CodeRev Kids focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. Our lessons build upon one another, and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise; thus, the entire curriculum is customized. Furthermore, while we are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

If you want to give your child a quality, customized coding education, sign up for one of our Fall classes or after school programs today?

Coding Education

The Secret to Quality Coding Education

Providing quality coding education isn’t as simple as sitting a child in front of a computer and expecting magic to happen. Unfortunately, many institutions don’t seem to think this all the way through. The Washington Post explores this in a recent article titled “Coding for kids makes sense — but it’s going to take more than just classrooms to make it work.”

Dominic Basulto of the Washington Post writes, “In order to be successful, these coding for kids programs need to recognize that the traditional approach to learning — instructors in a classroom, homework assignments and specific curriculum requirements planned out years in advance — may no longer be the optimal approach. Coding is no longer a full-year, degree-driven program. It’s become a world of boot camps, flipped classrooms and nanodegrees earned in a space of months, if not weeks. That means ‘Computer Science for All’ and similar programs need to think creatively about how they teach programming and to remain adaptable to changing trends within the technology sector. Educators must realize that schools are always at risk of being disrupted as superior digital alternatives emerge. It also means educators must balance on-screen time with on-floor activities to ensure the right mix of experiential learning for kids. You can’t just hand out tablets or smartphones and expect everyone to start programming. However, preparing for a future in which coding is included in the same company as the three Rs (reading, writing, arithmetic), may not actually be as hard as it sounds. For a five-year-old, an algorithm can be something as simple as a kitchen recipe or a morning routine. Games can make tech learning seem more like play than work. And the flipped classroom means that fellow students can become teachers and mentors. The exciting part of coding for kids is that there’s now growing evidence that coding helps develops parallel cognitive skills. Coding may be a catalyst for learning — much like learning a foreign language or a musical instrument helps to stimulate parts of the brain and boost skills such as reading comprehension. Here’s one example: after taking a class in coding, kids who once saw ‘brushing your teeth’ as a 3 or 4 step process suddenly saw it as a nuanced, 20-step sequential process.’”

When it comes to providing an innovative, customized coding education, no one does it better than CodeRev Kids. Unlike others, we adjust starting points to each of our students’ levels of expertise.

Our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming languages. Although our lessons are highly informative, we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, our students stay engaged while improving rapidly as coders.

If you’re looking to provide your child with a quality coding education, sign up now for one of our fall classes and/or afterschool programs!

Coding Education, Education

Australia Mandates Coding Education for All Primary School Students

How seriously does Australia take coding? A recent decision will now mandate that all primary schools provide coding education. Beta News takes a look at this in a recent article titled “Australia’s primary schools to teach coding.”

Sead Fadilpašić of Beta News writes, “Australia is preparing for the jobs of the future by having children learn coding and programming at a very young age. According to a report by Mashable, 21st century computer coding will be taught in primary schools from Year 5, and programming will be taught from Year 7. The curriculum was approved by Education Minister Christopher Pyne in one of his last acts before being sworn in as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. The Department of Education and Training recently announced it will be pumping AUD$12 million (£5.54m) into four different science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education initiatives as part of the Industry, Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda. Those initiatives are the development of innovative mathematics curriculum resources, supporting the introduction of computer coding across different year levels, establishing a P-TECH-style school pilot site, and funding summer schools for STEM students from underrepresented groups.”

PBS Newshour also explores this in a recent article titled “Australia will teach primary students computer coding.” Alexandra Sarabria of PBS Newshour writes, “Coding will soon replace history and geography under Australia’s revamped national curriculum. Australian students will begin coding at age 10 and computer programming at age 12, Mashable reported. The move was one of the last acts approved by Education Minister Christopher Pyne, who will be sworn in as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. The Australian government plans to invest $12 million to strengthen science, technology, engineering and math education initiatives and improve the country’s innovation and economic sectors. The demand for STEM subjects in primary schools has gained momentum worldwide. Last year, the United Kingdom ambitiously changed the national curriculum, which includes coding classes for children as young as five-years-old.”

When it comes to coding, the best education comes when a child is having fun while learning. At CodeRev Kids, we customize our lessons for your child.

Our curriculum focuses on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. We adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise and our lessons build upon one another.

Although our lessons are highly informative, we also pride ourselves on making learning fun. As a result, our students stay engaged and become better coders at the same time.

If you would like to provide your child with a quality, customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids!

Coding Education, Education

Why Many Schools Are Not Making Investments in Coding

Investing in coding would seem like common sense at this point. However, schools in all parts of the world who have the ability to make that investment are refusing to do so. Consider a recent article for Computer Weekly titled “One-third of schools admit to making no investment in coding training for teachers.”

Claire McDonald of Computer Weekly writes, “One-third of schools admit they have not invested any money in training teachers to deliver the new computing curriculum, according to research. Freedom of information (FOI) requests by enterprise software company MapR have revealed that the support teachers are receiving is inconsistent across the country, with some schools investing nothing in training and others investing more than £3,000. Paul Tarantino, director at MapR Technologies, said: ‘Last year the government pledged £3.5m on new curriculum training. But this information shows that it’s simply not being filtered down so that every young person has a trained teacher. It’s shocking to see such a huge discrepancy in what was said in the run-up to the election compared to what these promises have translated to on the ground.’ Of those asked, 22% were investing over £3,000 on training teachers to deliver the computer science curriculum, 33% spent between £500 and £1,000, while 11% spent between £100 and £500.”

To understand why making an investment in coding is so important, consider a recent article for Forbes titled “How The Coding Explosion Has Changed The Programmer Job Market.” Harsh Patel of Forbes writes, “In the past two decades, the landscape for computer science has changed. Part of this comes from a general increase in education availability: from traditional CS degrees to online learning and coding bootcamps like ours, nearly everyone has access to learn programming if they want to. The other part stems from the technology itself. In the 1990s, coding was based around singular purposes — enterprise applications, self-contained games and custom databases for corporations. In the 2000s, the rapid growth of always-on Internet connections and the emergence of smartphones added new layers of security, small phone-based apps, cloud-based interfaces and databases, and increasingly complex web environments. Now, software systems power everything from tablets to car systems to home appliances. As a result, the United States job market is undergoing a dramatic shift, such that by 2020 nearly one million coding jobs will be unfulfilled based on projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the field of computer science rapidly expanding, key traits for smart hiring in the field have changed from even just a few years ago.”

To prepare your child for this job climate where coders are in high demand, you need personalized coding education. At CodeRev Kids, we customize all of our lessons to fit your child’s expertise.

Our lessons emphasize computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. Students can choose from a variety of different tracks, including robotics, app making, and website development.

Although we are the most educational camp out there, we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, your child is both engaged and receiving a top flight education at the same time.

If you’re looking to take your child’s coding skills to the next level, check out our afterschool programs and fall classes!