Tag Archives: Programming

Education

4 Reasons Coding Will Pay Off for Your Kids

There’s no question that kids today are busier than ever and it can be difficult to fit it all in. However, there’s one thing that we at CodeREV Kids think every parent needs to make time for: Kids learning to code. It’s not because we think every child should be a programmer when they grow up, but because technology is rapidly changing the world we live in and learning to code better prepares our kids for that. Here are four reasons that coding is likely to pay off for your kids.

1. They’ll be ready for the technology of the future

Today, our world is becoming more and more reliant on technology. This is only going to increase as time goes on. From hardware to code to programs, we are a society that’s very reliant on technology. No matter what career path your child eventually choses, there’s a good chance it will be affected in some way by technology and learning to code can help prepare them for it.

2. Coding teaches kids to be makers

When kids learn how to code, they’re empowered. They gain confidence, they learn to be innovative, and they take on skills likely leadership and ingenuity. Coding is all about finding new solutions and teaching new concepts. If you want your child to be creative and to be able to solve problems than teaching them to code is a great way to get there.

3. Kids gain important logic and critical thinking skills

There are so many skills a kid learn when they learn to code. They discover how to solve problems on their own, the best way to tell a story, how to communicate effectively with others and with an audience, how to think methodically and creatively. In fact, learning to guide while also building a video game can be extra powerful because they’ll need to use both technical and artistic skills.

4. Kids love to code!

Most importantly, kids have a great time learning to code. They get to meet new friends, they’re motivated, and they learn a genuine desire to be creative in their world. At CodeREV Kids we’re so glad that kids gain valuable skills but the fact that our students have a great time is enough of a reason for us to show up to work every day.

Skills

Computer Coding: The Workforce Silver Bullet?

Many policymakers throughout the country are wondering how to create more equity in the workforce. Coding is one avenue many are exploring. Consider a recent article for the US News & World Report titled “Is Computer Coding the New Silver Bullet?”

Lauren Camera of the US News & World Report writes, “Deborah Berebichez remembers marveling last year at the throngs of girls working in teams at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. They were writing computer coding to categorize and analyze all sorts of artifacts from the museum. ‘It was brilliant what they were doing,’ said Berebichez, the chief data scientist at Metis, a coding boot camp provider affiliated with education and test prep company Kaplan. But then she approached a group of girls who had written code to analyze statistics about turtles. In a column that showed each turtle’s weight were big numbers, like 120 and 200. ‘I asked them what measurement of weight that was,’ she explained. ‘And none of them knew.’ The education arena loves silver bullets, and right now it has its eyes set on getting girls to code as a way to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math – or STEM – fields. Dozens of programs have sprouted up across the country, and the White House has made investing in computer science a major policy priority. But without also providing critical thinking skills, many say, the potential solution is just the latest shiny object in a series of now-tarnished baubles. ‘It makes me a little bit sad,’ Berebichez said at the annual Arizona State University Global Silicon Valley Summit, held this year here in California. ‘Coding programs are sprouting like broccoli all over the country, but it’s just a language. What we really should be teaching them is critical thinking skills.’”

If you are looking for the best in customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.

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 camps today!

Coding Education

Louisiana Governor and Deuce McAllister Spread the Word About Coding

While there are no shortage of coding educators willing to tell people about the wonders of coding, sometimes it takes outside voices to spark interest in children. Consider a recent article for the Clarion-Ledger titled “Gov. Bryant, Deuce McAllister spread coding gospel.”

Bracey Harris of the Clarion-Ledger writes, “Former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister joined Gov. Phil Bryant Monday in evangelizing the need for coding in the state’s classrooms. During the Bytes + Bites coding event to raise legislative awareness about the benefits of incorporating programming into a school’s curriculum, roughly two dozen students from a cluster of Jackson-metro elementary and middle schools switched roles to become teachers for the day. Sen. Brice Wiggins and Rep. Jay Hughes crouched down between scholars from Brown Elementary, Olde Towne Middle School, Reimagine Prep and Highland Elementary who showcased what they’d learned through programs like code.org and SCRATCH. McAllister, a longtime advocate for childhood education in Mississippi, told the young group of 15-year-old Luke Bannister from the U.K. who won $250,000, after placing first in World Drone Pix in Dubai. ‘I believe that next individual could be one of you guys in this room, because that’s the type of talent that you have,’ said McAllister. A common theme was that early exposure makes a difference. Half of the hands in the room shot up when Alexandra Vlachakis, southern district manager for code.org, asked how many students had an interest in computer science. Only a few were raised when she inquired how many had even known such a career path existed. Participants sat in three rows, deep in concentration as they tried to maneuver Princess Anna from the popular movie ‘Frozen’ around the screen, using a learning program from code.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting computer science. The budding coders may have seen what was a favorite character from a beloved movie, but Gov. Phil Bryant saw something different — workforce development. ‘We’re getting you ready for a job,’ said Bryant. ‘Go tell your mom and dad that you’ll have a really good job in the future.’”

Looking for the best in hands-on coding education? Your best bet is CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.

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 camps today!

Coding Education

What is the Verdict on Coding Toys?

It’s no secret that coding could be the key to employment for many young Americans. For this reason, parents are looking for anything that can help get their child a leg up. Consider a recent article for Live Science titled “Do Computer Coding Toys for Kids Really Work?”

Tia Ghose of Live Science writes, “From beating the best human players at chess, to flying planes, to running stock market transactions, computers are now used in virtually every facet of modern-day life. But children aren’t being adequately prepared to understand and use this omnipresent technology, experts say. That’s why many parents are turning to coding apps and toys to help give their kids a head start. The toys, tailored to different age groups, range from robot turtles to stripped-down, visual coding languages made just for kids. But will that programmable robot or snowman game turn your baby into the next Alan Turing or Steve Jobs? [The Best Coding Toys and Apps for Kids] It turns out, no one really knows, because there’s very little research on the subject, and even less from outside a traditional classroom setting, said Andrew Ko, a computing education researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. ‘We have a very immature understanding of how to teach computer science right now,’ Ko told Live Science. What’s more, coding apps and toys shouldn’t be taking the place of time spent in more traditional childhood exploits, such as playing in the mud or learning to read, experts said. However, early exposure to coding toys and apps can build enthusiasm, and that motivation could potentially translate to future computer science work, experts said. [The Top 5 Benefits of Play for Kids].”

If you’re looking for the best in hands-on coding education, there is no substitute for great mentorship. When it comes to customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.

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 camps today!

Coding Education

Could 2016 See the Downfall of Coding Bootcamps?

Coding bootcamps are big business these days. They are everywhere. Seemingly, they offer a quick-fix to someone looking for a career change who knows nothing about coding. However, is it really that easy? For that matter, are coding bootcamps sustainable as business ventures? Consider a recent article for Wired titled “In 2016, The Coding Bootcamp Bubble Is Bound to Burst.”

Issie Lapowski of Wired writes, “Coding bootcamps had their moment in 2015. They were celebrated by everyone from President Barack Obama to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton to Republican Senator Marco Rubio as one-way tickets to the middle class in the 21st century. The Department of Education even rolled out a new pilot program that would allow students to use federal financial aid for some bootcamps and so-called massively open online courses, or MOOCs. But in 2016, the bootcamp bubble is bound to burst. The fact is, thanks to all of this attention, the number of bootcamps around the country has ballooned. So have the number of graduates. And while many of these schools are reputable institutions with solid relationships in the tech industry, others are, like so many for-profit schools before them, just jumping on the bandwagon and offering a less than satisfactory education in the process. The more people are encouraged to enroll in these bootcamps, the more likely a good percentage of them will find themselves six months later out several thousand dollars and out of a job. And as financing options for these bootcamps proliferate, and more students take on debt to pay for them, the model will only become more controversial. Another threat facing the coding bootcamp world is the fact that many tech recruiters are still skeptical of bootcamp graduates. They’ll come around eventually, but for the people who are putting their lives and careers on hold to take these courses today, change may come too late.”

When it comes to customized, sustainable coding education, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.

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 winter camps today!

Coding Education, Skills

JavaScript and Being a Star Programmer in 2016

When it comes to programming, a lot of the discussion right now is centered around mastering JavaScript. Consider a recent article for Mashable titled “To be a star programmer in 2016, learn Javascript and move to Utah.”

Anita Bruzzese of Mashable writes, “Coding is the hot job of the near future, and the word is out. It’s becoming more competitive and employers are raising the bar for jobs. While there are thousands of job listings for programmers and coders on various job sites, the increasing number of people capable of filling those jobs means that those in the industry will have to up their game if they want to thrive in their careers in 2016. First up: technical skills alone won’t cut it any more. Language skills — and we’re not talking PYTHON — are crucial. For example, one employer looking for a coder has told headhunter David Klein to screen out resumes that are not written well, or ones that contain grammatical errors. Klein, director of recruitment for KDS Staffing in New York, says that the employer is looking for coders and programmers who can ‘communicate well.’ Michael Choi, founder of Coding Dojo, says that employers ‘are doing more filtering,’ especially since there are more qualified applicants for jobs. ‘In general, the bar is going up,’ Choi says. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer programmer jobs are expected to grow 8% by 2022. While boot camps such as Coding Dojo continue to turn out coders in addition to various schools worldwide, other qualified personnel will enter the pipeline through the TechHire initiative, a public-private partnership aimed at filling tech jobs. At the same time, companies are placing more demand on coders to help them fill the strategic and business goals of the organization. No longer will coders specialize in certain areas – they will be asked to broaden their knowledge and be able to collaborate more, Choi says.”

Looking for the best in customized coding education? You can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.

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 winter camps today!