As a blogger, I’ve used HTML code a time or twenty. One of my children has been watching while I work on my own and others blogs. Through observation, she has been figuring out some of the phrases of code and thinks she would like to learn more. When the opportunity came up to review a one-time class with CodeWizardsHQ, I knew just which child would be interested. She immediately said yes. She knew what the possibilities were, and couldn’t wait.
Our class was set up as just the first in the intro to programming course. We were able to secure a weekday time slot during the day – perfect to fit into homeschool families’ schedules. There are three different live online courses in just the first level. If your child has experience, they may test out of the lower levels. Not only could your student be quickly on their way to earning coding and programming certifications, but some money could be saved as well. The courses are paid monthly and not per course; this might make a difference in your budget, too.
Because the beginning level of the courses offered by CodeWizardsHQ is for students as young as middle school, I thought my sixth grader might be interested. I wanted to see how the middle schooler and high schooler faired with way the class was done. Would it move too fast? Would it be too easy? Once we had our student account set up and our class time set, I told our oldest son he would be tagging along. He was not as enthusiastic as his sister. He thought of coding as something boring his mama does on her laptop. He was not aware of the possibilities, or where coding could lead. He did not know the finished product or the projects he could be doing with some coding knowledge. I was most looking forward to what he would get out of this short introductory class.
The classes are live
One of the things that make CodeWizardsHQ stand out from other online coding courses we have seen, is that the classes are live. The students are not just watching a video presentation then following written directions. They are in an online classroom, receiving live instruction. They are putting into practice right then what they are learning and getting feedback in real time. They have the opportunity during the class to ask questions and get clarification on the spot. This has made a difference in the experience.
The certifications show the skills attained
The other thing that really stood out to me as a parent (with older children looking to their future beyond our homeschool) is the certification that is granted throughout the coursework. After the completion of each level, consisting of 3 12-week courses, a certificate is earned. These courses cover HTML, CSS, Java, Python, and other advanced skills for web design, mobile app development, and more. These certifications show the skills attained. This will help your student stand out on employment applications, college applications, etc. At the completion of the lower levels, your student qualifies for an internship with a non-profit. Depending on availability, your student can start putting into practice the skills they have learned and make a difference.
Our trial class
To get a feel for how the courses work, our trial class was run just as the first class in the first course is run. From within the student dashboard, we accessed our class at the pre-arranged time. Remember, these are live courses, so don’t be late. After some initial shyness, my two participants finally turned on the microphone of the laptop and joined in. They were relieved that they were not on screen, only the audio. The instructor could see all that they were doing in the coding area. With the student’s permission, the instructor shared the projects so all could see. The class time was right at an hour – and most had completed their projects. The classes are scheduled to meet once per week. There are a variety of class times so that this can fit in your schedule. This is selected when you sign up for a course and will be your regular meeting time throughout the course.
In addition to this time, live, with the instructor there will be time expected outside of the class for completing work. The website states that 1-2 hours per week should be allowed. I am going to assume that as the classes and courses progress, more time is needed. This first class, not much more time would be needed to complete the project. The project was very relevant to my children’s interests. They created a 6-9 frame comic panel story. The elements to choose from were pre-loaded or they had the option to upload some images of their own. I was surprised that the students were directed to search for images but not cautioned about copyright concerns or permissions to use the images of others. This is an area where your children can utilize their other interests. They love it when they can combine things in this way.
We weren’t the only family participating in the classes – be sure to read the other reviews by clicking the image below.
This is great! I can’t wait till my son is of age for the beginning level. He would love this type activity. Thank you for sharing!