By Alex KourkeisPublished Apr 04, 2018 10:03:52What to expect from a coding workshop with your kidAt the end of the day, teaching coding to your kid is the same thing that every other parent is doing: taking a step back and reflecting on what’s worked for you and what you might be missing.
So here are a few tips that will help you and your child make the most of the experience.
Here are a couple of key takeaways:1.
Learn from the people you work with in the classroom.
You’re likely already familiar with the students in your class, and they’re likely also familiar with what you’re doing.
So when you’re introducing a new code class, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.2.
Understand the importance of collaboration.
You can’t really do this as a parent, so it’s up to you to decide what kind of collaboration you want your kid to have.
Here’s how: If you’re a full-time parent, choose a project that’s on your agenda and let your kids work on it.
If you work remotely, choose one that’s an opportunity for them to work together and get feedback.
If they’re on their own, choose projects where they have to solve problems themselves and not rely on you to help.3.
Learn to ask questions.
Asking questions will help them understand the code and how it works.
Ask questions when they’re in a rush, or when they need a refresher.
Ask about the limitations of the code.4.
Practice the problem.
By the end, they should be able to use the code to do something useful.
If the problem isn’t hard, they’ll know to keep working.5.
Ask your kid how they can help.
The first step in teaching coding is to get them to see it as a learning experience.
If that means a lesson on how to use a calculator, that’s great.
But don’t let them get frustrated.
Ask them to try to find ways to make things easier, so that you can help them when they have a problem.
For example, if they’re working on a recipe for a pasta sauce, ask them how to make it easier.
If you’re having trouble getting your kids involved, try asking them to help by doing tasks that they find useful.
For instance, if you’re working with your kids on a project, tell them to add text to an image to make a picture, or ask them to fill in a form for something.
For an iPad game, let your child help you create a character that moves or talks by adding text to the screen and drawing on the image.
You can find more resources on teaching coding at Code.org, and for more on teaching and learning, check out the video below from Coding Academy.