It seems like everywhere you look, kids are obsessed with screens. From cell phones to tablets to laptops, it’s hard to get a child’s attention away from a digital device. While there are certainly negative aspects to this screen time obsession, there is one activity that can be productive and beneficial for kids – coding.

By enrolling them in coding camps for kids, you teach them without hassle. Kids can learn from a coding class, including problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration.

In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know, from what they’ll get to how to find the best coding camp for kids. So read on and get ready to send your child into the world of coding!

5 Perks of Sending Your Kids to a Coding Camp

In today’s world, being able to solve complex problems is essential. Some may argue that all children need to learn how to Google things. But, the reality is that learning a programming language gives children a significant advantage.

By enrolling your kids in online coding classes, they will:

1. Learn new skills. In a digital world, coding has become an essential skill. Coding will give kids a leg up in the job market and prepare them for the future at a young age.
2. Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Programming languages requires logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
3. Gain confidence and improve their social skills. Coding camps provide a supportive environment where kids can experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them.
4. Have the opportunity to meet other like-minded children. Coding camps are often full of younger students who are passionate about technology and computers.
5. Have fun. Most online classes are designed to be enjoyable for kids of all ages.

What to Consider When Choosing a Coding Camp for Your Kids

As the parent of a tech-savvy youngster, you may be considering enrolling them in a coding class this summer. But with so many choices available, how would you pick the right one?

Here are 6 essential factors to keep in mind:

Age and Skill Level

There’s a coding class available for children as young as five years old. But, if your child is on the older end, you’ll want to make sure it offers appropriate and achievable programs.

Not all coding camps are created equal. Some camps are designed for beginners. Others teach kids who already have some web development experience. It would help if you chose a camp that matches your child’s abilities.

Coding Camp Curriculum

Another critical factor is the curriculum. Make sure to look at the camp’s course offerings. Then, compare them to your child’s current skill level and goals.

If the camp is too easy, your child will be bored. If it is too difficult, they’ll be frustrated. It’s essential to look for a camp that offers a comprehensive curriculum covering computer programming basics.

Child’s Learning Style

Do they want to learn in a classroom setting or through coding websites?

Some kids learn best by doing, while others prefer to learn through listening and watching. If they are more visual learners, look for an online coding class that uses block-based coding languages. These languages use graphical blocks that snap together to create code, which can be easier for visual learners to understand.

Additionally, consider a camp that uses text-based languages like Python. These languages offer more flexibility and allow kids to try out different ways of solving problems.

With the right environment, any child can learn to code. It may be computer science or programming.

Schedule

Consider the schedule when enrolling your kids in the best online coding classes. Most camps meet during the summer or holidays when kids are out of school. But some computer coding camps meet during the school year, on weekends, or after school.

In a nutshell, consider what works best for your family before you enrol your kids in free and paid courses.

Language

Before you sign them up, consider the camp’s language.

Some camps teach coding using a specific coding language. Others use a more general-purpose programming language.

If your child has a preference, or if you have a specific language in mind that you’d like them to learn, be sure to check that the camp offers instruction in that language. Otherwise, they may not get the most out of the experience.

Budget

Lastly, consider your budget. Coding camps can range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Some offer free coding courses or discounts for early registration. That’s why check the camp’s website for details.

You may also want to consider whether you’re looking for a half-day or full-day personal and virtual coding lessons. Choose a camp that fits your budget and offers payment plans if necessary.

Wrap Up

Coding skills have become increasingly vital in a world dominated by technology. And while it might seem daunting for adults, coding can be a fun and rewarding experience for kids as well.

There are more ways for kids to learn how to code. There are paid and free coding classes, software applications, and even toys that can help kids learn the basics of coding. In short, there is no excuse not to give coding a try with so many resources available.

Discover how teachers can cultivate effective parental involvement to greatly improve the digital learning process.

  “Many teachers are parents, but all parents are teachers.” Whether you find it corny or clever, this common idiom is actually deeper than you think. The wordplay touches on this key idea that parents and teachers are bound by the desire to see their children receive a quality education. School closures these last few weeks have confined students to their homes and education to the online classroom, so where teacher presence falls short, parents can become your greatest allies in ensuring effective learning. This article will illustrate how even with their jobs and household tasks, parents can be made a key part of a learning process that better facilitates digital learning.

          Digital Learning- Rated PG 

Digital learning is frequently synonymised with distance learning, distance as in the student is far from the regular support and supervision offered by teachers during course completion. It revolves around the idea that students need to take responsibility for their own learning, but that is easier said than done. Students can be unwilling or unable to do this, and this marks a major limitation in the new normal of remote learning. So, to combat this, teachers can turn to parents to act as their bridge, providing the guidance, aid and supervision that can help students transition into becoming more independent learners able to receive a digital education.

Several studies link increased parental involvement with development in various learner profile attributes, improved academic performance, increased participation in extracurricular activities, and reduced behavioral problems. In fact, it is reported to have even more of a correlation than family income, and, most importantly, has been accredited with inculcating in children a positive outlook to learning. However, the major limitation to parental involvement is that parents have always struggled to allocate time away from work to participate in formal in-school parental involvement programmes. How many times has a student’s parent or parents been unable to attend a Parent Teacher Meeting? Also, if not made aware of the right and wrong way to intercede in the learning process, parents could become a hindrance rather than a help.

So how can teachers help parents overcome these hurdles and actually help their children during this unique time period and after? The key is building a virtual bridge between teachers and parents, and this bridge would have 3 pillars:

 Scheduling

Homework is not just a student problem anymore. Since covid-19 started we are all working from home, so it is important to consider that parents are still kept busy taking care of both job-related and household affairs. Therefore, by scheduling all assignments, zoom classes, syllabus portions etc. in the coming week or month, and making this schedule available to the parents, teachers ensure that parents can plan ahead and allocate time. For example, if a parent notes that an assignment deadline approaches in two weeks, they can start monitoring their child’s personal time management and progress in advance, rather than create last minute pressure.

Several TechTools can make scheduling more efficient, for example Google classroom or Toddle (an ib pyp and ib myp platform). Most online academic portals or school ERPs have built in calendars that can be used to schedule your online learning plans. Parents usually have a parent login ID and would be familiar with these sites thereby making them accessible and a viable scheduling option. However, in the interest of ease and accessibility, Google Calendar is a great option as it is specialised for easy scheduling and parents need nothing more than their regular email addresses to view a shared G-Calendar. Simple timetables for the week or task lists shared over message or email would also work just as well.

Communication 

The importance of communication between teachers and parents cannot be stressed enough. Providing guidance and information as well as listening to and addressing parent questions, concerns and suggestions are essential for cultivating parental involvement and will improve the asynchronous learning process. Teachers should remember to refrain from using pedagogical jargon that might confuse or exclude parents.

The TechTool you use to achieve effective communication depends on the type of communication channel you want to establish. For example, if you simply want to share information with the parents of a particular class then regular email will suffice. However, if you want to establish a direct dialogue in which you encourage parents to share feedback or pose questions then you would be better off making use of messaging applications like WhatsApp. When used for the quick and informal exchange of ideas and information, social media can actually be quite productive.

Online Resource Platform

Teachers need to be able to provide online resources to parents. For purely academic resources, parents should use the same online platform that the students are using, like a Google Classroom. This is because creating and maintaining another platform just for parents overcomplicates the learning process and risks the detrimental effects of App Overload that you can read about in this article.

However, there is much more to parental involvement than just academic supervision. By introducing physical education, social and emotional learning, creative expression and other progressive educational strategies to their child’s forced  “homeschooling”, parents can really fulfil the opportunity that they have to not only help their children cope with the current crisis, but further their holistic development as a whole.

There is also much to be said about how this type of parental involvement can go a long way into helping students cope with these trying times as well as improve relationships at home in the family.

Teachers have the power to change lives. Hence, the teaching profession is looked upon with great respect. Many individuals are taking an interest in becoming teachers and educators. This is especially because of the rise in the number of edtech and online teaching platforms that have opened avenues for professional growth for teachers. The demand for teachers is growing by the day. This is certainly good news for teachers and for those looking forward to a teaching career. But what exactly has led to this increasing demand in recent years? Here, we delve into the top 5 reasons why the demand for teachers in growing year on year:

1. Increasing Need for Personalised Attention

More and more schools are realising the drawbacks of high student-teacher ratio in a class. Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of students per teacher. A higher ratio implies that one teacher has a large number of students to cater to. A high student-teacher ratio is counterproductive as students need personalised attention. As a large number of schools are bracing up to meet this need, they are hiring more teachers to ensure students are given personalised attention.

1. Virtual Learning Post-Pandemic

The pandemic forced schools and teachers to go online at short notice. Even now, schools are unclear on whether physical classes will continue or online classes will become predominant. Most schools are conducting hybrid classes or are giving students the option of learning online or attend physical classes. This has led to a shortage of teachers to cater to both physical and virtual classes. As online learning is here to stay, more and more teachers will be required in the coming days.

1. Highly Competitive Environment

The current learning environment is highly competitive. As a result, parents are not shying away from giving multiple tuitions to their children, to supplement school education. There are classes for individual subjects, competitive exams, co-curricular activities, and so on. Some of these classes are being held the traditional way, while others are held online. Teachers are offering tuitions through online teaching apps as many parents prefer the online mode, which is time saving. The growing need for tuition classes has further contributed to the demand for teachers.

1. Shortage of Teachers

Statistics suggest that there is a great mismatch in the demand and supply of teachers. Both nationally and globally, schools are facing a shortage of teachers. There are several reasons for this, which include – retirement of old teachers, younger teachers moving on to alternate paths, growing population and the consequent increase in number of students, and so on. As the shortage is increasing, the demand for teachers is consequently increasing.

1. Rising Number of Schools and Edtech Platforms

A large number of schools and edtech platforms have come up in the recent past. This has sparked the need for educators that are versatile and well-versed with technology. Students want teachers who can teach them the tips and tricks to score well, ace competitive exams, learn new skills and so on. Teachers are now looked at as the new-age superstars who will lead their students to glory. This has naturally led to the growing demand for teachers to cater to a large number of students seeking individual attention.

The educational landscape is changing rapidly. The requirement for skilled and qualified teachers is now being felt more than ever. This is the right time for professional teachers to grow and for aspiring teachers to equip themselves with the right skills. There is an increasing emphasis on quality of education from both schools and parents, while teachers are driving the new wave of reform in education.