Coding Education

Coding Is A Great Way to Develop Your Kid’s Brain

Brain

Learning to code is great for the development of your child. A game as simple as Minecraft can teach kids real world skills. Coding will develop your child’s eye for the world around them, as well as the world within computers, and make them more able to analyze and understand new problems and ideas.

Don’t think of learning to code as a new skill, independent of anything your child might learn elsewhere. Learning to code can also develop artistic, scientific, and mathematical sensibilities. This can be best accomplished through hands-on focused learning with coding academies like CodeRev. There, your child can learn to design and create animation, website building, or even make their own computer games. Does your kid want to build things? The robotics-based programs will help them get on the cutting edge of integrated engineering and coding. There, they can learn on Arduinos and the programming language Rasberry Pi, two products which are used by professionals in many different disciplines today.

These days, paying for college is expensive. You might have a plan to  save, but costs are continuing to grow. Coding is a great way to place your child at the head of the pack. Coding can earn your child scholarships down the road which can be invaluable for their financial future and stability. The lessons learned in coding be applied to anything these days to improve job prospects, and many employers now ask for coding experience in positions which did not require it as little as five years ago. Even if knowledge of coding is not required, its presence on a resume can work wonders in displaying an applicant’s intelligence and capability.

Really though, most of those reasons should take a backseat to one simple fact: kids have a lot of fun at places like CodeRev. That is probably the most important part. Coding can help kids learn to be productive members of our world when they do, unfortunately, have to grow up, and they can do so while having fun.

Coding Education

Why Coding is a Skill Every Kid Should Learn Before College

Coding For College

Coding is an invaluable skill in the modern world. I believe that all children should be taught how to code, as early as is possible. It should be a language class after Spanish, but, that doesn’t really happen yet. Coding provides a foundation for a developing brain which leads to smarter and more successful adults. CodeRev Kids is one of the best ways to get a child started in coding. There are many ways to get your child involved, depending on your family schedule and your child’s particular interests. Programs are held as Spring and Summer Camps, as well as after school. Kids can choose among a number of topics, as young as age 6, and build on their skills along with their interests. Topics range from simple Minecraft modification fun to hardcore Python programming. Your child can delve into animation, game design, robotics, or another specific area in depth if they wish through a plethora of.

In this day and age, there are not many growing industries. The baby boomer generation is still taking up a large number of jobs, at it looks like they may not be able to retire as early as they would like. Some jobs are being outsourced and some have been made irrelevant. For these reasons, there aren’t many growing industries in the United States. Coding is a skill that can provide a child with a marketable trait as he or she moves out into the world. Coding can give your child the freedom of choice to live where they want, as you can always work from home! College is expensive, and it isn’t for everyone, so wouldn’t it be great if that wasn’t the only way to get your kid ahead in the world? If your child is college-bound, and doesn’t want to code, the skills learned through different coding camps can be applied to many other passions, and improve their eventual chances in the job market.

So please, make sure your kid learns how to code.

Coding Education

Teaching Kids to Code is Critical to their Success.

We all know that there are some serious problems facing our children as they grow up. Public schools are a mess. Standardized testing causes more problems than they solve for young people. It takes a ridiculous amount of money to even raise a child until college. College itself can cost just as much in only four years. After all this, young people are increasingly underemployed. Why is this?  It might have something to do with the way industry has transformed in the United States. After World War II, the United States enjoyed an economic boom in the industrial and manufacturing sectors as the country returned to work, and factories were returned to peacetime operation, with wartime equipment. Additionally, the economy was stimulated by the ongoing battle with communism as the military industrial complex continued to grow. However, with the advent of the personal computer, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, many jobs have been outsourced to various countries where labor is cheaper. As these jobs leave, others follow and American companies have downsized. This means that each entry level position that is actually available is more competitive than ever.

So what does America do now? Well, we’re pretty good at making software. Factories may currently be better suited for other countries, but America is still leading the world in producing influential (and necessary) intellectual property. Most of this intellectual property is, you guessed it, software and algorithms for computing. Where would the entire would be without social media or search engines with super-fast responses?

What does this mean for our kids? Simple: make sure they learn how to code. If their schools fail them, or money fails you, coding is a skill that will be in demand for much of the foreseeable future. With this one ability, your child will be able to find their own way in an increasingly uncertain world. Even if your child want to do something else, coding will only help them accomplish what they want to, from art to science to politics. If you already code, it should be easy to teach. If you don’t code, make sure to send your child to a coding academy of some kind, where proven professionals can guide him or her. Make sure to start early, because kids are like sponges for all languages, virtual or not.

Banking and financial services are a lost cause, teach your kid to code.

Coding Education

Why coding is the future of American economy

Industry in the United States has stalled considerably recently. While unemployment is not very high, underemployment is. While the country is currently clawing its way out of a large recession, many young people can still only find jobs which don’t fully utilize the skills they developed in college.  Sometimes, those that didn’t go to college find themselves in a better financial situation later in life without the
burden of student loans.  Obviously, this only happens if a high school graduate finds a profitable skill-based trade which suits her as a career. However, these jobs can be difficult to find as a large portion of traditional American industry has been outsourced in the last few decades. Everyone has it rough. The number of people competing for each job continues to increase, and we’re less and less likely to get promoted at the jobs we work in.

So what is America good at? It turns out, we’re pretty good at moving money around, maintaining a large military, and, we’re really good at making computers work. Like other manufacturing, much of the
building of smartphones, computers, tablets, and their requisite component parts is done in other countries. So what do we do? We write the code. Despite falling math and science scores nationwide,
the United States is still the center of influential and groundbreaking Codingsoftware, video games, websites, and algorithms. That’s odd, because we don’t teach kids much about computers in public schools. Often, only those with an odd predilection for computers ever delve into coding. Those that do, and learn to master a coding language or two, find that they have a marketable skill, independent of how well they happened to do in school. So, teach your kids to code, whether or not you can. It will be the best gift you ever give them. A vast majority of the world economy in the quickly approaching future, and from then on, will be driven by computer code. Teach yourself if you don’t know already. There are free websites, and paid tutors you can take advantage of as an adult. Even if it isn’t directly relevant to your current career, I guarantee it will help your resume in the future.

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Attacking the Gender Wage Gap with Coding Classes

file000550759573It’s well known that women statistically earn 78 percent of what their male counterparts earn throughout the workforce. Part of what contributes to this gap is the lack of women in certain industries that offer especially high earning jobs. Many organizations and institutions are making an effort to provide coding education to young women and girls in hopes of eradicating this disparity in the coming generation. One example of this is a coding class at Akron High School, according to Leigh Giangreco of the Buffalo News.

Giangreco writes, “Between 2013 and 2014, female participation in AP computer science tests increased by more than one-third, according to Education Week. But girls still make up only a small number of those test-takers, with 20 percent participation nationwide and just 18.4 percent in New York State. ‘There is nothing to stop a girl from signing up for a coding class,” Meek said. “The barriers are social.’ When Meek took his first high school computer science course in the 1980s, he said the field was just beginning to gain its geeky reputation. But with tech wizards such as Mark Zuckerberg emerging as billionaire moguls, the pendulum may be swinging the other way. In 2013, when Meek advertised an after-school coding program, more than 100 students signed up. At the end of the program, 97 percent of those surveyed agreed they needed the coding experience.”

When it comes to how the class functions, Giangreco writes, “The class uses tutorials from Hour of Code, a free online introduction to computer science, and Snap, a Berkeley-designed drag and drop program. Unlike language-centric programs such as Javascript or Python, which write the applications, Snap uses a simple building block method for coding. Meek admits the program is aimed at a middle school level, but said it provides a step toward more advanced coding. He also feels coding languages such as HTML will fade away to make room for a building block system.”

At CodeRev Kids, we also understand the importance of providing opportunities for young girls and others who are underrepresented in the tech fields to learn and master coding. To that end, we are beginning our coding program this April with the LAtinas, a group of high achieving female Latina high school students from underserved communities.  The group is a branch of Google’s partner, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. We will be building a prototype website together as the LAtinas learn to code, so not only will they be learning how to write code, but also how they can use it to attempt to solve a problem and even create a prototype which we will be partnering with Nation Builder for to attempt to turn the site into a real business that solves a societal problem.

Additionally, CodeREV is partnering with Microsoft to teach coding to 50 high school girls at Microsoft’s DigiGirlz event this May 16th.  We are so excited for this exciting L.A. based Microsoft event!

Finally, we are implementing our “Ladies Night” coding jam sessions this month as well, and will be hosting female students who want to check out coding and see if they like it.  We have a feeling many will.

We provide a host of programs that let students study everything from robotics to web development to app making.

Unlike other coding tutors, we customize our lessons to individual students’ expertise. We focus on Computational Thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages.

In addition to our afterschool programs, we also offer spring and summer programs. Whatever youth coding education needs you might have, look no further than CodeRev Kids!

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What do Micro-Bit Computers and Live Streaming Have in Common?

1383312908u8lsiPeople throughout the world are taking new and innovative approaches when it comes to trying to engage youth in coding education. For example, BBC is giving away micro-bit computers, according to TechCrunch. Steve O’Hear of TechCrunch covers this in a recent article titled “In Bid To Get British Kids Coding, BBC To Give Away 1 Million ‘Micro Bit’ Computers.”

O’Hear writes, “In a move that will bring a nostalgic smile to some British kids (and teachers) of the 80s, the BBC has announced that it is to produce a new educational mini-computer — codenamed the ‘Micro Bit’, a play on the broadcaster’s original ‘BBC Micro‘ computer — and will give away 1 million devices to British school kids aged 11. It will be distributed nationwide from autumn 2015. The new hardware project is part of the BBC’s wider ‘Make it Digital’ initiative to inspire ‘a new generation to get creative with coding, programming and digital technology,’ as the UK attempts to fill an anticipated ‘skills gap’ in the country’s growing digital economy. The move, which sees the BBC partner with over 25 organisations to develop the Micro Bit, including chip-makers ARM and Nordic Semiconductor, Microsoft, and Samsung, is also interesting in that it seems determined to address issues that caused controversy when the original BBC Micro was released.”

Meanwhile, watching live streams of people coding is becoming a major trend all over. Venture Beat News’ Chris O’Brien discusses this in a recent article titled “Watching live streams of people coding is now officially a thing.” O’Brien writes, “Across the Internet, sites are popping up that let people watch other people code for hours and hours. Indeed, live streams of coding are gaining enough momentum that there’s even a virtual conference being organized this weekend by some folks via Reddit. Internet video in general is exploding. But this latest, and seemingly unlikely, phenomenon comes on the heels of Twitch’s big success. The San Francisco-based company proved that there was a massive audience of people who were eager to spend hours each day watching and learning from other people’s game play. That led Amazon to acquire Twitch for almost $1 billion last year.”

While trends and contests can certainly be effective in getting the attention of youth, tutoring from experienced coding teachers is the best way to master coding. With CodeRev Kids, that’s exactly what you get. We have a wide variety of spring, summer, and afterschool programs that focus on subjects such as robotics, app development, and video game making.

At CodeRev Kids, we customize our programs for individual students to make sure the lessons are both thorough and engaging. Our students learn Computational Thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. For more information, check out some of our different class options.

For whatever youth coding education needs you might have, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids!

Coding Curriculum, Coding Education

Spring Camps a Success So Far!!

This Spring Tech Camp has been a huge success!  Many of our students have told us this is the best camp they have ever been to, and have even changed plans to keep coming next week.  We will be posting students’ creations shortly, so stay tuned to see some of the wonderful things our students have designed and coded!!  We are so proud of our guys!!!

We will be holding another Spring Tech Camp this coming April 6-10, so if you haven’t had a chance to try us out, this is a perfect time to come see what all the buzz is about.  As of today, we have a handful of spots left in our Creative Coding Center in Santa Monica.  Our Spring Coding Camps include many different programs to choose from, ranging from robotics to modding in Minecraft, to learning coding through 3D Video Game Design, to creating 3D animations, so come check us out for an experience that will change your child’s perspective on technology and learning forever!  Or, if you can’t make it this Spring, come join our Summer Tech Camps this summer for a chance to get in on the creative fun!

In addition to creating on the computer, we have sessions throughout the day in which students learn to plan out their projects before hopping on the computer, we have creative brainstorming sessions with peers and instructors, and we hold incredibly fun outdoor games our campers play which involve running outside and teamwork.  Students enjoy a bit of everything, and even go home with the ability to create on their own and a newfound confidence with the technology they have learned.

Coding Education

Latest Obama Initiative Highlights the Need for More Coding Education

460153866.jpg.CROP.rtstory-largeWe all know coding is fun. We also know it’s in high demand. By 2020, 1 million computing jobs will go unfilled in the United States due to a lack of appropriate preparation of our future workforce. Unfortunately, many students are graduating from excellent universities without the ability to obtain positions that utilize their expertise. However, someone who graduates from college with a computer science degree is very likely to obtain a desirable and high earning position immediately. Those who possess these highly valued technology skills will have the opportunity to work in any field they want as they depart college because every field will certainly contain positions that require expertise in technology.

Throughout the country, schools are beginning to emphasize and demonstrate the importance of coding. For example, students at Jesse Bethel High School are not just learning coding, but using it to earn money for resources. Dianne de Guzman explores this in a recent article titled “Jesse Bethel students learn coding and earn money for school resources.” De Guzman writes, “Thanks to a company called Codecademy, the students are learning the code required to build websites. A web-based program, Codecademy teaches users computer coding skills, teaching HTML, Javascript and other coding languages. In 2014, the company partnered with DonorsChoose.org, and through a $1,000,000 grant from Google.org, they’re offering schools a chance to earn $100 per student in DonorsChoose rewards. Each student that completes a 12-hour Javascript coding course by March 17 can earn rewards. Underrepresented groups in computer science, such as girls or African American, Latino, American Indian or Alaska Natives can earn more funding credits for their class.”

Meanwhile, in New York, coding schools are acting upon a recent initiative from President Barack Obama to encourage coding. According to the Associated Press, “Targeting stagnant wages in an otherwise improving economy, President Barack Obama on Monday called on employers, educational institutions and local governments to develop a home-grown high-technology workforce that could help drive up higher-income employment. The effort aims to attack a stubborn downside of the current economic recovery and fill a gaping demand for high-tech workers in the United States. It will also make use of coding academies, including New York City-based General Assembly and the Flatiron School, which have had a growing role in making tech skills more widely available. General Assembly will pilot an online Web development program with at least one community college system and also work on standardizing tech training programs. The Flatiron School will be helping to expand on a program it operates now as part of the city’s Tech Talent Pipeline to train 18- to 26-year-olds who do not have a college degree.”

At CodeRev Kids, we applaud these efforts. It’s our mission to provide youth with the tools they need to succeed in the computer science field when they get older. We offer a wide variety of programs that teach youth about robotics, web development, app making, and much more. Our lessons are customized to meet the expertise of each student and we emphasize engaging lessons that are not just highly informative, but fun.

Whatever youth coding education needs you might have, look no further than CodeRev Kids!

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Developer Makes “Music to Code By”

colorful-music-notes-in-a-line-colorful-musical-notes-wallpaper-087376origOne of the lasting images from the Facebook movie The Social Network is Mark Zuckerberg donning headphones and going into a deep zone every time he started coding. Many of us know the feeling. Music is a great tool for getting into one’s groove (no pun intended), after all. One developer is taking that a step further with an album specifically for coders. Phil Johnson of IT World examines this in a recent article titled “Music to get you into the coding groove.”

Johnson writes, “Carl Franklin, a professional musician and software developer, recently wrote, produced and released an album titled Music to Code By. He funded the album with a successful Kickstarter campaign that he ran last summer. Music to Code By consists of three tracks, each 25 minutes long so they fit in with the Pomodoro Technique that some developers (and others) use to manage their time. The album is currently available to download for $18, or you can order a CD version (and also have access to the download) for $20… I asked Franklin about the connection between making music and writing software, and whether one helps with the other. He felt the two have more in common than most people probably realize. ‘I can see how certain aspects of music – notation, practicing, expression, etc. – are all means of manipulating abstractions, much like language and very much like software development.’ The album, on which Franklin did all the performing, took him a little over 5 months to complete. What was the biggest challenge of writing music for people to code by, I asked? ‘The biggest challenge was dialing back my instinct to make real music. This had to fade into the background. It couldn’t distract the listener, but it couldn’t be boring either. That was a particular challenge that I think most musicians would have found maddening,’ Franklin told me.”

This looks like a great tool for youth to utilize when they’re practicing coding on their own. However, to get the most out of it, a student will need tutoring from an experienced coding teacher.

When it comes to coding education, no one does it better than CodeRev Kids. We offer a wide variety of after school programs, as well as spring and summer programs, that allow students to study robotics, web development, app making, and more.

Our programs focus on Computational Thinking, which encompasses a wide range of programming concepts and languages. Each lesson builds upon the last and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. By doing this, the entire curriculum is customized.

Whatever youth coding education needs you might have, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids!

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Community Creates “Hacker Hours”

More and more people are coming together to enjoy their love of coding with others. This has taken on the form of a library coding community in the case of a couple of middle school teachers. Gina Sipley and Mercer Hall of EdSurge talk about this in a recent article titled “Turn Your Public Library Into a Kid Coding Community.”

They write, “As lifelong teachers, we assumed the place where we’d feel most comfortable would be in a traditional class setting, so after careful research we signed up for a Back-End Web Development course at General Assembly. While a lot of information was presented during the 10 weeks, what we didn’t anticipate was how important a variety of hybrid learning experiences would be toward helping us truly master the new programming language. After a mixture of classroom lessons, online tutorials, and tutoring sessions, we stumbled upon what many NYC programmers deem the Holy Grail: Hacker Hours. Hacker Hours, a term coined by Aidan Feldman, is a place where programmers of all experience levels gather to help one another with their coding projects. We were so impressed by both the welcoming nature of the participants and the empowering process of intergenerational peer-to-peer instruction that we were eager to bring something similar to our own local community of teenagers. Libraries offer the perfect setting for Hacker Hours since we consider them to be local incubators. We recently piloted a series of free Hacker Hours for teens at the Franklin Square Public Library on Long Island, New York. We organized our meetups over the course of two days in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environment and welcomed sixteen students. Pitched to children ages 13-18 in the Franklin Square community, the gathering welcomed anyone who wanted to learn programming basics and build a working web app.”

If you’re looking for instruction from experienced teachers who makes their lessons not just informative, but fun, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. Our mission is to provide children with exciting, confidence-building experiences with technology.  Our curriculum covers everything from the basics of MS Windows to each step in programming, app development, game development, and robotics.  Children have fun and build confidence with our program, as well as learn valuable skills that allow them to explore their creativity and build important cognitive skills in the process.

We partner with schools throughout California to deliver a formal, K-10 technology curriculum. Our curriculum integrates common core standards in the computer lab environment and even offer programs geared to specifically teach math and science while teaching and integrating technology.

Whatever youth coding education needs you might have, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids!