Category Archives: Coding Education

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!

Coding Education

Coding Contest Helps Students Purchase Tech for Classroom

A passion for coding can bear plenty of fruit. These benefits can take the form of anything from a trophy to a lucrative career. Consider a recent article for 9&10 News titled “Students Buy Classroom Drone, 3D Printers, GoPros with Coding Contest Earnings.”

Adora Namigadde of 9&10 News writes, “A unique contest gave students at one Northern Michigan school access to some very cool technology. Now students at Buckley Community Schools are putting it into practice — and teaching others how it works. ‘This equipment is innovative. Most people have not actually seen a 3D printer, they’ve only heard about it. Most people haven’t flown a drone,’ said Buckley Computers Teacher Sara Papineau. But now that technology is available to students at Buckley Community Schools. They participated in a coding contest called ‘Codecademy.’ Students could win one hundred dollar gift cards to donors choose, a teacher crowd funding site. Thirty-six students qualified — and they got some extra cash for having at least 10 girls on that list. The grand total this year – 4,600 dollars. ‘Initially, we thought we were going to receive 1,000 plus the additional 1,000. So when it more than doubled, we were ecstatic.’ Students in the computers class chose what sort of equipment they’d get. ‘I came into class and pulled up Amazon, who is one of the main vendors for Donors Choose, and literally said ‘What would you like to learn next year?’’ Now, it’s in the classroom. Seniors in Computers Three are learning how to use the equipment — including a drone, GoPros, and 3D printers. ‘When all the new equipment got in and we were opening it, it was like Christmas again,’ said Buckley Senior Dennis Nolf. Once they master the technology, they’ll teach it to younger students. There’s been a learning curve… ‘We have a junior Evan Marlowe, he actually calibrated two of our 3D printers because we couldn’t figure it out,’ said Buckley Senior Dominique Kroskie.”

The best way to cultivate your child’s coding talents is with mentorship and engaging educational programs. CodeRev Kids offers both of these things and customizes lessons to meet your child’s needs.

At CodeRev Kids, we emphasise 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, making the entire curriculum 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.

If you’re interested in taking your child’s coding education to the next level, check out our fall classes and afterschool programs!

Coding Curriculum, Coding Education

White House Presents Award to Inspirational Young Coder

Coding is a serious need for students in the United States. By 2020, one million computing jobs will go unfilled in the United States due to a lack of appropriate preparation of our future workforce. Right now, students are graduating from excellent universities without the ability to obtain positions that utilize their expertise, yet someone who graduates from college with a computer science degree is very likely to obtain a desirable and high earning position immediately.

The White House is well aware of this. Recently, President Barack Obama honored a teenager working hard to inspire more young girls to code. The Washington Post took a look at this in a recent article titled “White House honors teenager who inspires girls to do computer coding.” T Rees Shapiro of the Washington Post writes, “Swetha Prabakaran dreamed of becoming a physician, using the power of medicine to heal the sick and to are for the ailing. She studied biology in middle school, but the course of her life changed during her freshman year at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Virginia. She took an introductory class on computer science and learned about programming, becoming fascinated with coding and the intricacies of how to teach computers to make life easier for people. ‘I learned I could help people in the same way with computers and not just a stethoscope,’ said Swetha, 15, a junior from Ashburn, Va. Earlier this month, Swetha was honored at the White House as one of 11 young women named ‘champions of change,’ for her work as the founder of Everybody Code Now! The nonprofit operates in 12 states and has partnerships in India and Ghana to help elementary school students, from kindergarten through fifth grade, learn how to code. According to a White House statement, the Champions of Change program ‘was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.’”

At CodeRev Kids, we understand the potential for empowerment that coding and tech careers can offer to communities. We customize our lessons to serve all students, no matter their level of expertise.

Our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages. In addition to being highly informative, our lessons put an emphasis on fun. As a result, our students stay engaged and internalize coding concepts and creativity in the process.

If you want to give your child a quality coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids!

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, Skills

Using Coding to Combat Piracy and Unlock the Secrets of the BMW Electric Car

Many people are turning to coding to find the solutions to societal problems. If you want to understand how important coding is becoming, consider a recent article for the Guardian titled “Musicians back coding solution to win fair deal for artists.”

Vanessa Thorpe of the Guardian writes, “After more than a year of campaigning under the banner Free At What Cost?, the musician, who was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for her film score for Skin in 2010 and who writes music for many television shows, including The Only Way is Essex, has built up a growing movement on both sides of the Atlantic to push for a solution: a coding device for all, that would label and protect creative material before it is viewed. She believes deploying a technical protection on a new file to charge the online audience a small amount each time they click offers a practical solution. Last week the artist Imogen Heap put forward her plan for recording artists to use the technology behind bitcoin, the internet currency, to solve the problem. Muddiman and the Free At What Cost? movement believe they are closer to an answer. Their system would allow artists and creators to make a small amount of money, sent direct to their accounts, when their work is viewed. In an age when most professional artists and writers struggle to make money, Muddiman believes this would provide a regular income, securing a supply of content in the future.”

BMW enthusiasts also have reasons to invest in coding. Popular Science reports on this in a recent article titled “IN BMW ELECTRIC CAR, SOFTWARE ‘CODING’ UNLOCKS HIDDEN FEATURES OWNERS WANT.” John Voelcker of Popular Science writes, “At least some are choosing to follow instructions posted online and in BMW forums to ‘code’ their cars–which is to say, modify the car’s software to provide these functions. That, not surprisingly, is highly frowned upon by BMW, for a very rational reason. Software updates could go awry, creating safety hazards from modified electronic control systems that operate every aspect of the car. Nonetheless, at least a few intrepid i3 REx owners have enthusiastically taken to coding their cars.”

In order to be in a position to solve major problems with coding in the future, your children need a quality coding education today. At CodeRev Kids, we offer a customized coding education that is both informative and fun.

Our lessons emphasize computational thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming languages. With CodeRev Kids, the lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. As a result, the entire curriculum is customized.

If you want a quality coding education for your child, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids!

Coding Curriculum, Coding Education

An Ancient Coding Language Called SPITBOL

When we discuss coding, we often talk about it in the context of jobs and competing with other countries. But that’s only part of it. At CodeRev Kids, we embrace the fun and wonder of coding. There are so many wild things people can do. Consider a recent article for Motherboard titled “This 70-Year-Old Programmer Is Preserving an Ancient Coding Language on GitHub.”

Jordan Pearson of Motherboard writes, “Dave Shields is trying to save a dying machine language. Shields has been coding for more than 50 years, and over the decades he’s worked at both NYU and IBM as a research programmer—someone who pushes the boundaries of software design. Shields has racked up a few accomplishments worth bragging about over his long career, including being one of the developers behind Jikes, a Java compiler that was also IBM’s first open source project. But Shields, now 70 years old and retired, is mainly interested in just one thing these days: an obscure programming language called SPITBOL that he worked on in the 1970s and then abandoned for 30 years. SPITBOL is, Shields says, a ‘quick and dirty’ implementation of a 60s programming language called SNOBOL4, written by Robert Dewar. It’s terse and to the point—28,000 lines of code altogether, half of which are comments—and is chiefly meant to manipulate text and symbols, and recognize patterns. While SNOBOL4 was seen at the time as powerful but slow, SPITBOL was built for speed. Now, Shields is trying to keep SPITBOL alive as an open source project hosted on GitHub, all by himself. Since taking the project online in 2009, Shields has been the sole contributor to SPITBOL’s code. So far, he’s succeeded in reconfiguring the language, which he at one time ported for a 60s supercomputer called the CDC 6600, to work on modern Linux and Mac operating systems.”

Once upon a time, Dave Shields got a coding education that forever changed his life. At CodeRev Kids, we want to provide that experience to as many young students as we can.

Our lessons emphasize computational thinking, which ecompasses 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. As a result, 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. When the lessons are fun, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.

If you’re interested in providing your child with a customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids!