Computer science is one of the most interesting and important subjects middle school students can learn. It will help prepare them for their future careers especially if they intend to be a part of the booming information technology industry.
Below are some of the best computer science courses for middle school students:
With a deep emphasis on the techniques and ideas that can be applied in making any programming activities enjoyable, it's surely going to be all about fun and coding in this one-hour programming course. Focusing mainly on applications, students need not worry about specific languages and code syntax. After all, this course is about making coding fun for kids and they need not have any sort of background in programming. Moreover, this course is divided into four sections and covers games, apps, exercises, and a few other tons of fun activities. This is perfect in introducing your kids to coding before advancing them to the intricate aspects of it.
A good state of mind and persistence are essential in coding and programming since these subjects often drabble in problem-solving and trial and errors. Fortunately, this course is strictly designed to help students emotionally and mentally get through it all. Students will be taught and conditioned that there will be many failures, challenges, and hardships in solving problems, as well as creating something extraordinary and useful. They will also be taught how to counter difficult problems and show them that failure isn’t something to be sad about but something to take as a stepping stone for success.
In a total of 21 hours, this course is going to help students see the importance of all the concepts and ideas that they learn in school. This is done in a well-designed process where the said ideals and concepts that are often taught and demonstrated in schools are related and reflected in making Pixar movies. Students will then learn that such ideals are also used in making Pixar movies. Also, this course includes several activities, projects, videos, quizzes, and readings that have age-appropriate features. With this course, the students will realize and understand the importance of learning and knowing.
Language is very essential in the realm of coding and programming and in this one-hour course that’s more fitting for those aged six and above, students will be prepped in terms of giving clear instructions and having a common language. Things will be more interactive in this course given that all students will be tasked to partner up and interact with other students where they will be using hand gestures to give each other instructions. In this way, they will be able to “program” one another by giving multiple and advanced instructions once they finally understand the language.
This course is a mix of logic and artistry and is ideal for kids aged 11 years old and above. This one-hour course will teach them how to create webpages using CCS and HTML. They will be exposed to the basics of HTML, from lists, tables, and headings, and they will soon learn how to write CCS rules, as well as design pages. Besides, this can be an ideal course for the artistic and creative type given that they'll soon be asked to create their webpage and greeting cards which they can share with their families and friends.
These courses are so much fun and easy enough for middle school students to study on their own or with a little help from their parents or teachers. They’re also suited for their age and level. Above all, anybody can access these computer science courses for free!