Project Based Learning
In our classrooms, students learn entirely through creating projects. Projects allow students to work on their critical thinking and problem solving skills while simultaneously picking up the hard skills of coding.
Students create games in Scratch, progress to websites in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, as well as work in many other tools and languages depending on what keeps them both engaged and challenged. They create projects not by using tutorials, but rather by learning to think critically and create their own solutions to problems.
In addition to students being able to construct their own knowledge, project based curriculum also allows students to work at their own pace. It is the job of our facilitators to make sure that students find projects that are both engaging and challenging at the same time.
Challenge Projects
Given this type of curriculum, students spend time working by themselves on their own projects, what we call 'Challenge Projects', and also get the opportunity to complete 'Creative Projects' with their friends who might not necessarily be at the same level.Challenge ProjectsChallenge Projects are at the core of the The Coding Space education. Projects are fun and engaging games, websites, or apps that students are challenged to figure out how to build.
Unlike virtually all other coding curriculums, The Coding Space doesn’t have follow-along tutorials. In fact, Challenge Projects are “un-tutorials.” They are similar to tutorials in that they guide students in building something, except at The Coding Space we don’t include any of the actual instructions on how to do anything. Challenge Projects list the high-level tasks students need to complete the project, but leave out how to do them. Students figure out the rest via tinkering, Googling, asking a friend, and iterating towards a solution, all while developing deep insights and intuition of high-level concepts.
Creative Projects
After a number of Challenge Projects, students are given the opportunity to participate in Creative Projects. These are open-ended projects that allow students to combine various skills learned throughout a sequence of Challenge Projects.
Students are encouraged to pair up for Creative Projects, even with students not necessarily at their same level. This provides an authentic team setting for students to collaborate and pair-program on real software projects of their creation.
There’s also time in each class for students to present their Creative Projects to the class, giving them the chance to develop public speaking and pitching skills..
Expert Mentorship
Fostering non-cognitive skills, like grit and intellectual self-confidence is a delicate balance of targeted encouragement and tough love.
Our teachers are highly trained mentors that are skilled in knowing exactly how much help to give a student, when, and how often. Rather than simply giving hints or answers, The Coding Space instructors draw ideas from students through leading questions and modeling strategies on how they could find answers for themselves. Would Google be helpful in this scenario? What keywords would you use?
In our classrooms, students learn entirely through creating projects. Projects allow students to work on their critical thinking and problem solving skills while simultaneously picking up the hard skills of coding.
Students create games in Scratch, progress to websites in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, as well as work in many other tools and languages depending on what keeps them both engaged and challenged. They create projects not by using tutorials, but rather by learning to think critically and create their own solutions to problems.
In addition to students being able to construct their own knowledge, project based curriculum also allows students to work at their own pace. It is the job of our facilitators to make sure that students find projects that are both engaging and challenging at the same time.
Challenge Projects
Given this type of curriculum, students spend time working by themselves on their own projects, what we call 'Challenge Projects', and also get the opportunity to complete 'Creative Projects' with their friends who might not necessarily be at the same level.Challenge ProjectsChallenge Projects are at the core of the The Coding Space education. Projects are fun and engaging games, websites, or apps that students are challenged to figure out how to build.
Unlike virtually all other coding curriculums, The Coding Space doesn’t have follow-along tutorials. In fact, Challenge Projects are “un-tutorials.” They are similar to tutorials in that they guide students in building something, except at The Coding Space we don’t include any of the actual instructions on how to do anything. Challenge Projects list the high-level tasks students need to complete the project, but leave out how to do them. Students figure out the rest via tinkering, Googling, asking a friend, and iterating towards a solution, all while developing deep insights and intuition of high-level concepts.
Creative Projects
After a number of Challenge Projects, students are given the opportunity to participate in Creative Projects. These are open-ended projects that allow students to combine various skills learned throughout a sequence of Challenge Projects.
Students are encouraged to pair up for Creative Projects, even with students not necessarily at their same level. This provides an authentic team setting for students to collaborate and pair-program on real software projects of their creation.
There’s also time in each class for students to present their Creative Projects to the class, giving them the chance to develop public speaking and pitching skills..
Expert Mentorship
Fostering non-cognitive skills, like grit and intellectual self-confidence is a delicate balance of targeted encouragement and tough love.
Our teachers are highly trained mentors that are skilled in knowing exactly how much help to give a student, when, and how often. Rather than simply giving hints or answers, The Coding Space instructors draw ideas from students through leading questions and modeling strategies on how they could find answers for themselves. Would Google be helpful in this scenario? What keywords would you use?