My oldest son has always been great with anything electronic - games, videos, editing software, smartphones, computers, etc. So, we thought learning to program and code would be the logical next step for him. We decided to try out TeenCoder: Windows and Game Programming from Timberdoodle. It is an online self paced course written by exerperienced programmers who are also homeschool parents! Your online subscription is valid for 1 year after it is activated. If you need more time, you can add it for an additional fee. The 1 year subscription is currently selling for $140. There are also print copies available if you would prefer that format.
TeenCoder: Windows and Game Programming is not for the faint of heart! It is broken down as simply as coding can be by providing video teaching for each lesson along with text and quizzes. Students will also complete hands on projects with the Microsoft Visual C# 2010 software provided with the course. You can see the system requirements for that software at the bottom of this page.
This course is recommended for high school students in grades 9-12. I also looked over the course for myself and learned so much. I took a computer programming course in high school but technology has totally changed since my high school days. There are wonderful video tutorials available to walk you through getting started with the course.
The first semester of the course focuses on Windows programming and C# fundamentals. There are 17 chapters broken down into daily lessons - anywhere from 3-5 lessons so we completed a chapter per week. There is also a mid semester project where the student will complete a graphical chess game for two players. We are still working on the first semester currently but each chapter also ends with an activity to complete such as downloading software and creating basic program tasks.
Each lesson contains a video, text, and multiple choice quiz as shown on the screen below. There are also chapter exams after each of the chapters.
The second semester focuses on game programming using the C# programming language and the Microsoft XNA Game Studio. It is broken down into 16 chapters again with daily lessons ranging from 3-5 lessons with the same quizzes and exams as the first semester.
Students have their own log in information and will use their own email address for communication. As a student completes a task, he will receive an email letting him know. They also receive emails when a parent has graded any activities completed. The end of lesson quizzes are multiple choice questions and automaticallly graded. Students can also check their grades anytime under their own "My Grades" tab.
There is also a parent log in where the parent can find the course activities, teacher guides, and answer keys which I appreciated greatly as most of what I was looking at seemed foreign to me. With all the information provided, parents do not need to have any previous programming knowledge to teach these courses. Students will start from the beginning as well so they do not have to have any previous experience either. The teacher portal looks like the students except it includes a teacher guide and answer key.
Here is a video explaining a quick overview of how the online courses offered by Homeschool Programming work.
**I received a free copy of this product through Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
Students have their own log in information and will use their own email address for communication. As a student completes a task, he will receive an email letting him know. They also receive emails when a parent has graded any activities completed. The end of lesson quizzes are multiple choice questions and automaticallly graded. Students can also check their grades anytime under their own "My Grades" tab.
There is also a parent log in where the parent can find the course activities, teacher guides, and answer keys which I appreciated greatly as most of what I was looking at seemed foreign to me. With all the information provided, parents do not need to have any previous programming knowledge to teach these courses. Students will start from the beginning as well so they do not have to have any previous experience either. The teacher portal looks like the students except it includes a teacher guide and answer key.
Students will have earned 1 credit in computer or technical elective upon completion of this course. Our thoughts are that this course is professionally done and your student will learn a lot about the programming world. It is well worth the money for the knowledge you receive right from the comfort of your home. I love when companies provide simple solutions for subject areas that I have no idea how to teach!
Here is a video explaining a quick overview of how the online courses offered by Homeschool Programming work.
**I received a free copy of this product through Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
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