The Hubby is in IT. So are my dad, my brother, my uncle, my aunt, and a couple of cousins. So you could say that programming, coding, IT and all that are in Raine's blood. As a family, we're all advocates of Girls Who Code.
My uncle set the girls a set of Girls Who Code books, which they love
Even Breeze is getting into coding
Raine has been trying to learn how to code for a couple of years now, mostly on her own. She was beyond thrilled when I told her that we're reviewing a coding class for kids by CodeWizardsHQ. Of course I knew that part of the thrill also stemmed from the fact that the live class--which was 10AM CST--would be 11PM here. Way, way past her bedtime.
Before the class, CodeWizardsHQ emailed me a link to their online coding platform, and Raine's user name and password. This was our very first live online class, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We obviously needed an Internet connection, and a microphone/speaker setup. I think a second monitor (or a huge one) would also be ideal. While the exercises are done on the coding platform, the actual class--interaction with the teacher and classmates--courses through GoToMeeting, so there are two windows working during the class. Raine and I fumbled (or rather I did) with the windows for a bit before we finally figured it out. As a result, Raine missed the first set of instructions, and was lost during the starting exercise. Fortunately, she was able to speak up and ask for a repeat of the instructions (this was also an eye-opener for me as I have never seen her in a class setting; I was worried that she'd be too shy to speak up but apparently I shouldn't worry). Once she got into the groove though, she was in her element.
That's one of the great things about a live class--you can get immediate feedback. I was also impressed by CodeWizardsHQ's coding platform. It's set up in such a way that Raine was easily able to figure out the components. Also, and very importantly, the teacher can see what's going on in real time as Raine works on her code.
Student dashboard -- everything starts here
Raine's editor screen--visible to the teacher in real time
After getting Raine settled into class, I left her to it, checking in occasionally (and since her mic was on, I had to be as quiet as possible). The project they had to do was a fun one, something that appealed to Raine's creative writing passion--make a nine-panel (minimum) comic. The teacher would give instructions, and Raine would follow along on the editor (see video clip below). At the end of the class (it was a small class, only a max of eight at a time), all students presented their work. The hour flew by pretty quickly.
Again, I was impressed by what Raine came up with in less than an hour (you can see the full panel here).
Part of Raine's comic...
...and the code behind it
An infographic that shows how the multi-tiered learning system works
Raine and I loved the class. The only drawback for us would be the price. At $149 per month, times the three months required for each course, it's pretty much beyond our budget at the moment. There is a special rate for the homeschoolers who get their own class together, but it still is quite steep. They do offer scholarships good for a 12-week course, but only for qualified US residents. Bummer.
But bottomline, we loved it, Raine would be happy to keep on doing the classes, and she learned a lot. If we could, we would.
Other homeschooling families also tried CodeWizardsHQ. Click below to read about their experiences.
So glad Raine enjoyed the class! Getting to stay up late is a treat! – Lori