We are excited to partner up with iD Tech this year and provide you with an exclusive promo code. We are also sharing our tips to help your kids succeed in technology. This post is sponsored by our friends from iD Tech, but all opinions are my own.
I remember hearing about Minecraft and Roblox programming camps and they really caught my attention. iD Tech has had camps in our city for years and I would always read about it. This year, my oldest daughter has shown the most interest in playing Roblox and has been asking me to start teaching her how to code again.
When she was really young, I would teach her basic concept block coding through websites I found. Last year, I started working with her on some basic JavaScript, but we found it was a bit above her level to do on her own.
I have been a teacher for more years than I have been a mother, so I know teaching your own kids any subject is much tougher than teaching students. That is why I am so excited for my daughter to start a Virtual Tech Camp with iD Tech! When I told her about it, she asked me about it every day and can’t wait to start.
With the new “2020 Work from Home” trend, we are all needing to adapt and what a great way for your kids to pick up a new hobby and interest that will really encourage conceptual thinking! This camp will help your kids get into a structured schedule, build new skills, bond with new friends and a teacher, and of course give them some focus and purpose, while teaching them how their games really work. Programming is also a huge creative outlet for kids!
iD Tech Camp Promo Code 2020
Be sure to sign up below and use our promo code to save $125 off your kids’ Virtual Tech Camps tuition. iD Tech offers Online Private Lessons, too, and your child can bring a sibling or friend for free. Both options are great for kids ages 7-19 years old. This is a great way to help you during this unstructured time right now while still practicing social distancing.
Our promo code is ENZA125. Sign up today!
Ways To Teach Your Kids to Program
Okay so you have signed up for camp and you now need new ways for them to learn. I decided to draft up some helpful tips that have helped me while teaching kids with zero programming knowledge who take my class. Try to remember these tips if you sign your kids up for iD Tech!
Don’t touch their mouse. Make sure your kids know this rule. They need to learn how to do stuff on their own. Even if you are trying to figure something out to help them, let them do the work. You can tell them exactly what you want them to try. For example, “Click and hold while dragging this piece to that one.” In the past I have told my students that nobody else is allowed to touch their mouse. This is the best way for them to learn or next time they are stuck they won’t know what to do. IF they do it, they will be more likely to remember.
Encourage them to take notes. Pen and paper notes are the most preferred type of notes when programming. Keep a notebook for each program language they learn. As they improve, they will go back and reference their notes. As an adult this is the best thing I could do. Especially when they eventually have to go back to a beginning concept, they will have something that they can easily reference.
Talk to the Toy Tip. When you have a programming idea and you are stuck on figuring it out, talking it out loud to someone usually turns on a light-bulb and allows them to answer their own question. What you do is place a tiny toy (like a rubber duck) near their computer, and before they ask a question to their instructor, have them ask the toy/duck. It also allows them to word their answers a little better. There are times when a student would raise their hand and wait a while for me to get to them, then they start to answer their own question with “never mind, I figured it out!”
Benefits of iD Tech Camps
Get started with Virtual Tech Camps from iD Tech and get structured, week-long sessions available now in multiple time zones for 5 consecutive days with a max to only 5 students per class! Use our unique code to save $125 off your camp for your kids and inspire them to get started and begin to learn to program and code on their own.
They have so much curriculum to choose from. What caught our interest the most was the Roblox and Minecraft themed classes. When my daughter found out that she will be able to learn how to create a game and learn how to monetize it to earn Roblox she was so excited. Now she gets to learn how to be the developer.
There are tons of programming languages available which include Python, Java, Minecraft, Roblox, AI, Unreal Engine, Adobe, 3D modeling, and more. Don’t worry if you don’t know what they mean. My daughter is signing up for something I have never tried before.
Don’t forget to use our promo code. I noticed the first set of dates were already booked and seats are limited.