A Stable Beginning: computer science

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Homeschool Coding Classes with SimplyCoding ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Happy Friday friends! Another week is down and I hope your schooling is going well. If you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I think you should check into the Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding.

Computers are the wave of the future and even the youngest of children are expected to have some sort of computer knowledge. Simply Coding was started in 2013 by a pair of friends, Joe and Seth who were themselves were never exposed to computer science while they went through high school or college. Once summer they were able to gather 60 nieces and nephews of Joe to test their teaching program. The program took off from that day and is still going strong today having grown to teach 1000’s of students in schools, online, or in summer camps.
Simply Coding features the following features for students aged 11-18:

~ on demand self-paced online courses

~ live chat / screen share mentor support

~ Step-by-step written tutorials and video instructions

~ Bi-monthly live Q&A sessions with the teachers

~ Month to month memberships available

Membership to Simply Coding is either by single student or family membership and includes over 300 hours of self-directed coding courses. Annual Membership costs $149.00 for a single student while the Family membership cost $229.00. The family membership allows access for up to three students and both options include a 10-day free trial.
There are four different learning pathways available through beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in web design, Javascript, and game design courses. They include:

Simply Coding:

Simply Media:

Simply Tech Essentials:

Simply Tech4Kids:

I used this program with my youngest daughter, McKenzie, who is 11. After receiving access she mostly showed interest in the Photography courses. Getting started on them was as easy as downloading the syllabus and clicking to get started. The activities within the photography course were fun and engaging for McKenzie and she enjoyed them.

The bulk of the program is the coding portion. While we did not fully dig into this area I did look over it and I think you should definitely take a look at it if your child has any interest in learning to code. Inside you will find courses from beginner to advanced in:

Web Design ~ beginning web design courses to teach students html and CSS. Intermediate web design courses will guide student in making a responsive web design.
Javascript ~ beginning students will learn and design games in about JAVA as well as in Android apps in JAVAscript.
Game Design ~ courses in game design help the student learn to create 3D and multiplayer games.

Overall, I think Simply Coding is a great coding program for homeschoolers or regular schoolers. Because many high school now require a computer science course for graduation, I think this program would fit the bill for your high schooler. While, my daughter was not that interested in coding she did enjoy using the photography course. I hope that my son, when he gets older will love coding and gaming. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this program by clicking the banner below to read their reviews.

Coding for Kids Annual Membership {Simply Coding Reviews}

Company ~ Simply Coding

Product ~ Coding for Kids Annual Membership

Format ~ online, self-paced

Price ~ $149.00 for a single student , Family membership cost $229.00.

Ages ~ 11-18 years old

Social Media Links:

Facebook ~ YouTube

http://astablebeginning.com

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook ~ a TOS review

My 13 year old daughter, Montana has recently become interested in computer science. This subject is not something I am fully versed in so we were both thrilled when we found out we were going to receive the Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook from Workman Publishing.

The Big Fat Notebooks are a favorite here at A Stable Beginning so I was glad to add this one to our set so my children can learn more about computer science. Back in the day when I was in school I remember having to take a typing class. I went at night, I can’t remember why, but I already new how to type and may have skipped class once in a while to hang out in the parking lot with my now hubby…but I digress. Now days computers are a very important part of our daily lives and I am glad my children have the chance to learn all about them.

Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook was written by Grant Smith, an expert in the field of computer science. Most everything has become digitalized from calendars to the way we communicate through email. To keep up in this digital world even the youngest students need to know how to operate a computer {many already do}. This book focuses on the middle school student and gives them the basic foundation in computer science. Students will learn the fundamentals needed to understand the how and why behind computer science and programs like HTML, Scratch, and Python through the use of:

key concepts ~ diagrams ~ mnemonic devices ~ definitions ~ doodles

The book contains eight units to dive into. They include:

Unit 1 ~ Computing Systems

Unit 2 ~ Data and Anaysis

Unit 3 ~ Software Engineering

Unit 4 ~ Algorithms and Programming

Unit 5 ~ Universal Programming Principles

Unit 6 ~ Programming with Scratch

Unit 7 ~ Programming with Python

Unit 8 ~ Web Development

Within the eight units of study your student will learn a multitude of topics including binary code, Loops, Boolean expressions, cybersecurity and more!

When our book arrived on a Friday afternoon my oldest, Marie, who is actually a software engineer with a degree in graphic design, took the book and read through it for several hours. In fact, when Sunday came along and I was planning out Montana’s schedule for the upcoming school week I could not find the book. Low and behold, Marie had it in her bedroom all weekend! She likes how easy it is to read and understand the concepts.

Montana loves it too! She worked in the book three days a week and as a fellow doodler, she loves the doodles that go along with the ideas presented. Montana worked from the beginning of the book through each section. Like our other Big Fat Notebooks, I did not have Montana write directly inside the book because I have younger children behind her who can utilize it when they are older. McKenzie, my 5th grader has already expressed interest in working through this book as well.

I personally love the format of this book! The illustrations included are not overwhelming and fit the theme of the book and topic. I also like that the book is set up like a real notebook page complete with color-coded notes for easy understanding. The text is easy to read and understand as well and all the unfamiliar vocabulary words are highlighted and defined. This Big Fat Notebook gives my daughter and I just what she was looking for into learning computer science.

But don’t just take my word for it, check out what 24 of my CrewMates thought of this Big Fat Notebook and see what they have to say. I know I am glad to have this on our bookshelf!