CREATIVE CODING FOR KIDS Teaching kids the joy of coding computers by helping them write their own custom computer game! A Seattle summer camp for ages 9-11, with ages 8 & 12 accepted by permission. Available Dates July 22-26, 2013 August 12-16, 2013 There are two sessions offered: Morning or Afternoon. Session Times Pricing Morning Mon- Fri 9:30am - 12:30pm $300 for the week Afternoon Mon- Fri 1:30pm - 4:30pm $300 for the week Location Good Shepherd Center, (Wallingford@46th) 4649 Sunnyside Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 Space is limited! Email today to reserve your spot and lock in pricing. Please indicate your first and second choices for class sessions. To reserve or check availability, email eric@creativecoding4kids.com See below for additional information & FAQ s
All about this Class WHY IT EXISTS: My daughter Kate is really creative, and also loves computer games. So, at her request, I recently started teaching her how to code. Now she is starting to create her own games, flash animations, and interactive stories. I did a lot of research and decided on using a wonderful tool called Scratch, developed at M.I.T. for just this purpose. I like almost everything about it, and can help Kate avoid its minor traps. Bottom line: She is having a great time and learning a lot. So I thought, since I love teaching and there are probably a lot of other kids who would enjoy this, why not do this properly? Rent a space, some equipment, and offer a class? I asked my friends if they were interested in having me teach their kids. They were indeed. In fact their kids started telling their friends at soccer practice about how they were going to learn to make computer games, and they all wanted to join in the fun. So, here we are. If you want your kids to learn how to code, I ll teach them. And they ll have fun! ABOUT THE TEACHER Eric Fredrickson Geek Cred: I am a proud full- time dad, and part- time business startup consultant. Among other things, I co- founded Postcardly.com In my previous career I was a computer geek, Software Developer, I.T. Supervisor, and Oracle Database Developer at T- Mobile and Tenzing Communications. Obviously, Kate gets her good looks from her mom. I was also, in my younger days, a Sr. Computer Trainer at the University of Michigan. I developed and taught classes in computer literacy to incoming freshmen and MBA students. (yes, there really was a time when most college students needed to be taught how to use a computer. Yes I am that old.)
WHY TEACH THIS CLASS? Teaching has always been a passion of mine. I've taught corporate training sessions, led business seminars, taught adults to use computers, and taught theatre camps for kids. I've noticed that when I teach in large rooms, people tend to stand up at the end and clap a lot. My friends and family keep telling me I need to do more teaching. I'm starting to think they may be right. So here we are. ASSISTANT TEACHER. The assistant teacher will be a well- qualified parent who will be trained in coding with Scratch. They will receive $100 off their child's fee. We already have some incredibly well- qualified assistant teachers lining up. Contact me if you are interested to discuss your qualifications. (also see assistant teacher in the FAQ s below) Of course, any parent is welcome to drop in and quietly observe at any time. Coding creatively is fun An alpha version of my game Lunar Lander The kids will be creating their own customized version of this basic, classic game. Code that controls the victory display. So simple, a kid can do it (step by step, with guidance and encouragement, of course!) MAKING IT FUN Let s face it, kids love computer games. I have found that the most highly engaging way for anyone to learn programming, is to have them write a game. A game that they can play as they create it, then enhance and extend it into something uniquely their own. It s like having a pet that you made yourself, that doesn t need to be fed and doesn t make poop. We ll be using Scratch, the highly- regarded M.I.T.- developed tool that is designed specifically for introducing kids to coding. It s easy enough for an 8- year old to get
instant results, yet capable enough to grow with them as they gain skills. Using Scratch, kids can start with very small simple steps and gradually grow into coding fairly sophisticated animations, games, and interactive stories. CORE PRINCIPLES What I really like about Scratch as a former I.T. Professional is that while the kids are playing with the tool, being creative, they re also learning fundamental object- oriented programming concepts, structures and methods that are applicable to almost any modern computing language, from Python to Ruby to Java to whatever new language will be popular when they re older. The syntax is not important because that ll change. It s the basic concepts that matter. Scratch is good at reducing syntax- based barriers to learning. WHAT WILL WE DO? In this camp, we ll start off fairly structured, with everybody getting an introduction to the basic concepts of object- oriented programming, using a few basic shapes and methods. The kids will learn how to make them move and interact together, as we each make the same simple game. Then, the kids will be encouraged and supported as they extend, enhance, and grow the game into something uniquely their own. Of course some kids will get it quickly, be rebels and start writing something totally different. And that s OK. We will encourage and support such creative shenanigans. THE TAKE-AWAY It s my goal to get the kids excited about programming, confident in their ability to succeed by trial- and- error, and ready to continue learning on their own after camp is over. Gentle support and encouragement is the key. Once they ve caught the bug, they ll find that the more time they put into it, the more fun they ll have. In 1 week, we will just scratch the surface, (see what I did there) but I will show them how to learn on their own, so they can continue to grow their pet project and take it as far as they want to go. All the while, they ll be building thinking and logic skills which will be applicable to virtually any future computer language they may choose to learn. AGE RANGE: MORE DETAILS Optimal ages for this program are 9 through 11. We accept ages 8 through 12 with permission. EQUIPMENT: All equipment provided. Each child will have their own computer.
STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO: Maximum of 6:1 MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 12 students. ADDITIONAL ADULTS: There will be at least two adults with the kids at all times. My assistant teacher will be a qualified parent who will be trained in coding with Scratch. (see assistant teacher in the FAQ s below). Any parent is welcome to drop in and observe at any time. ANY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE? YES. One parent per session can receive $100 off for their participation as a parent assistant. See Parent Participation, in the FAQ s below. CHECK AVAILABILITY Email eric@creativecoding4kids.com to check availability. RESERVATIONS Now being accepted. Email eric@creativecoding4kids.com to register. First come first serve. Latecomers will be waitlisted if all classes are full. PAYMENT INFO No deposit necessary, but the camp fee must be paid within 3 days of making the reservation. You may pay by check or credit card (PayPal link will be sent with reservation confirmation). FAQ S Location? We will be meeting in a classroom at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. (at 46th St) It s a wonderful, beautiful facility with high ceilings, big windows, and plenty of parking. Address: Room 221, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N Seattle, WA 98103 Parent Participation? YES. There is an opportunity for one parent per session to be an assistant teacher. You will get a $100 discount and probably have a lot of fun. Email me at eric@creativecoding4kids.com if you are interested, to discuss your qualifications. I want to help. Do I need Coding experience? It s more important to have teaching experience. Scratch is easy enough for kids, remember? As long as you re generally
computer savvy, I can give you a big head start in one evening of 1- on- 1 training, plus some pretty fun homework. Then you ll roam around the room, helping kids discover their own solutions to the easy problems and passing the hard ones to me. If you re already a teacher it will be a treat to only have to worry about half of a class of 12. Email to discuss details. Can I visit/drop by? Of course, any time! So long as they don t disrupt the class, parents are welcome to observe. Extended care? Not at this time. Can they take their work home? Of course! I will email your child s code file to you at the end of the week. Scratch is free, easy to install, and runs on PC, Mac, or Linux, so your child can continue to work with their program (or start new ones) at home. Is there a Waiver? Yes, there is a waiver, but not a scary one. Coding is not a contact sport! There will be a standard liability waiver form. Will the kids take Breaks? YES this is important. We will take brief regular breaks so the kids can run around a bit away from a screen. We ll also teach healthy habits like near- far focus and look- away for the eyes. We will take every opportunity to take our breaks outside (on the wonderful Good Shepherd grounds) if the weather is good. Food? Please send your child with a water bottle and a substantial snack. Busy thinkers get hungry and thirsty! I've decided to let the parents manage their own kids' snacks because of potential allergy issues. And please, no nuts of any kind or in any form. also see Allergy info below. Allergy info: We will be a nut- free classroom. Allergy information forms will be sent in your confirmation packet, along with the emergency contact and waiver forms. You all know the drill: Everything will need to be filled out, and all parents will be informed of prohibited items and reminded a few days before the class. Please be considerate of other children's health needs and safety. Keep the peanut butter and other typical hazards at home. Can my child attend both sessions? Sure! Since some parents expressed concern about too much screen time in one day, I split up the sessions. However I originally planned this as a full day thing so we could cover more ground. If your child is particularly interested, then yes, they can attend both and progress more quickly more advanced, independent projects. Is this the first year you re offering this class? Yes, it s a new project, and is evolving in real time, based on feedback from my customers. Why not offer it for less? I d love to, but I won t compromise on quality, and I am adamant about the benefit of small class sizes (12 max), and low student- teacher ratios (6:1). I also have to rent computers for each student. Taken together, that means I have
to charge $50 to $100 more than competitive education- focused camps elsewhere that accept more students per teacher. Is this a non-profit? No, it s for profit, although with such small class sizes and high fixed expenses, you might be surprised at how little I m paying myself. This is what an MBA student might call a classic passion project. I need to be fair to my family, but it s not about the money. It s about teaching my daughter and a bunch of her friends and peers how fun and creative coding can be. I hope you ll join us. It ll be fun. Additional Questions? Please email me. Eric Fredrickson eric@creativecoding4kids.com V. 11