We are entering a world and culture of code. There’s coding in our phones and cars and washing machines, everything! Because my teen-aged boys work through their high school years they are seeing the need to understand computer code, so we were excited to get the chance to sit in on a live online coding class offered by CodeWizardsHQ.
My 10th grade son has been taking a computer coding class through a university during this school year and was happy to sit in with his 8th grade brother to see how things were presented. I was very pleased to find that both boys not only enjoyed the class, but they give it 2 (or 4) thumbs up! Let me tell you a bit about this coding program and why we liked it so much.
Students enrolling in CodeWizardsHQ are assigned to an instructor, who interacts with a small group of students (5 or 6.) When student logs in, he ‘meets’ the teacher and fellow students via earphones, mic and webcam. In our experience, the students were not visible on camera, but each could see the instructor.
My son, Noah, is a beginner. He has watched his older brother work with html but has not really done much himself. The class was geared for beginners and his teacher was able to grab their attention and speak in a way they could understand. He was a bit relieved that it was not over his head.
After an introduction, they got right down to business and began working on a project that involved using HTML (a computer language.) They worked on creating images for a website comic strip, following instructions and interacting with the teacher and other students.
My boys would like to share their thoughts after sitting in on their one hour sample class. Noah, 13 years old, coding novice says:
- I liked that it was a small group of students so the teacher could help each of us.
- The teacher is a real person that can talk through you through the process.
- It was simple and easy to understand.
- The teacher can see your code so she can give you suggestions and helpful tips.
- I would like to continue using the curriculum if I get the chance.
Gabe, 15 years old, some coding experience says:
- I like the size of the class. A small group of students works well.
- It is helpful to have a person helping ‘live.’
- You do not need prior coding experience.
- You use IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that your instructor can see. That makes it easy for her to help you with your specific lessons.
- You can customize your project. You don’t have just copy and produce something someone else has already created.
This is a subscription curriculum that offers real-time video classes with a live instructor. It is 12 weeks long at a page of one class per week. It’s hands on course and there is excellent interaction between teacher and student.
Right now, CodeWizardsHQ has a special offer just for homeschoolers. These live classes are not just for homeschoolers, though. They are a terrific option for anyone wanting to learn coding. There is a Facebook group for parents who are interested in learning more about this product and about coding for their children. My sons are planning to move ahead and learn several computer programming languages, including HTML and JavaScript and Python.
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You can learn more about the great curriculum by visiting my fellow Homeschool Crew Mates who have also had the chance to sit in on a coding class. Just click on the image below:
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