Coding and Your Child's Future

Wondering what jobs will be the fastest growing in the US by 2020?? If you guessed jobs in computer science, you are correct! These jobs are growing two times as fast as the national average for job growth. By 2020, there will be 14 million jobs but only 400,000 computer science students.  So how can you get your kids involved in coding at an early age? Participate in “Hour of the Code.” Seek computer science tutoring.  Build confidence in girls in math and science as in 2013, only 19% of girls took the computer science AP exam.  When it comes to choosing a college major only .03% of girl select computer science.  Also, ask your high school counselors what the prerequisites are for Computer Science AP. Even some middle schools offer classes in coding… Culver City Middle School… Go PanthersJ!

Below are some great resources to help your kids with coding at home!

Hour of Code and Beyond at http://www.code.org

CSUunplugged at http://csunplugged.org/

15+ Ways of Teaching Every Student to code

 http://www.edutopia.org/blog/15-ways-teaching-students-coding-vicki-davis

Teaching Kids to Code, an EdSurge guide

https://www.edsurge.com/guide/teaching-kids-to-code

Harvard’s Scratch Curriculum Guide

http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/scratch-curriculum-guide

For more educational blogs visit our website at http://www.beachcitiestutoring.com

Computer Science Education Week- Dec 8-14!

Get ready for Computer Science Week! A special focus on this week is go get students to participate in Hour of Code. This is a one hour introduction to computer science and programming meant to teach students the basics. Many of our Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach students already have access to computer programming classes as electives but the Hour of Code is a basic introduction that students of many different ages can enjoy.

http://www.hourofcode.org  features online tutorials, videos and curriculum for classrooms. STEM education nurtures problem solving skills and creativity which the Common Core Curriculum highly encourages. Hour of Code is meant for K-12. Hope you will take advantage of it and visit their site for more info.

On a personal note, for many of my students last year at RUHS their favorite period of the day was computer programming. It offered a creative outlet and taught them skills they will use in their future jobs. They actually felt a real world connection to their learning which unfortunately not all students do feel in many of their academic core classes.