TealDeer Tech

The course materials published yesterday have been easy to get into. Can't wait to meet other interested folks and chat about them! Here's what the first week looks like: http://learn.media.mit.edu/lcl/weeks/week1/

Code.org has self-paced courses to teach coding to K-12 students, with a few different targeted age groups: https://studio.code.org/courses We appreciate Code.org's enthusiasm in making computer science (CS) education more readily accessible! They have done well to promote the discipline and get courses into more K-12 schools. A few notes we have from sampling their curricula (linked above) that may be useful to teachers and parents:... First, most CS concepts are communicated up-front via videos of famous people in tech (Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg). Left alone, most kids will quickly skip any videos of talking heads to start digging into the puzzles. If running a class, you may want to first get everyone's attention then play any videos on a projector first, then give them the OK to start. We write "puzzle" because the exercises usually have a clearly defined win condition, and the expectation is the student will code a specific solution that produces it. There isn't much room for creativity here, but without that structure Code.org couldn't offer its automated right/wrong feedback. For students to practice their Imagine, Design, Build, Reflect process (what MIT calls "creative computing"), a more open, sandbox-style programming environment such as Scratch is preferable. With Scratch, having a mentor around to answer questions and offer feedback is important. In contrast, the self-serve lessons that compose most of Code.org's courses are comparable to worksheets that drill a particular CS concept over and over again. Later problems build upon the insights gained from previous ones and they all have written hints for students feeling stuck. Scratch is 100% graphical, block-based coding and most of Code.org's lessons wisely use this proven approach. In Code.org's high-school Computer Science Principles course, they make an impressively smooth transition from drag-and-drop blocks, to editable blocks students can type values into, to free-form typing. Students can thankfully still switch between blocks and code if they wish. Both environments are good for different things, and we're always happy to have options. TealDeer's tutoring makes use of Scratch because of the freedom it allows and surprising depth it can go to in spite of looking like it's for younger children. For advanced students hitting the ceiling in Scratch, there's a similar environment called Snap! that enables them to dive deeper into CS (concepts usually taught at a college level) without picking up a drastically different language such as Scheme. Code.org: https://studio.code.org/courses/ Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/ Snap!: http://snap.berkeley.edu/ TealDeer offers private, 1-on-1 lessons in coding to ages 8+ in the Savannah, GA area. PM us or email [email protected] with any questions or to schedule a session!

Why learn to code with Scratch? It's easy to get started with, but the possibilities are endless. See for yourself: https://youtu.be/SoYFZC3ftD8

Learn to code: ages 8+ (for October 2017) 1-on-1 tutoring from professionals with industry experience. Each lesson teaches computer science fundamentals (such as iteration, logic, abstraction) that are practiced as students create projects they find interesting. Content is based on an AP course but suitable for ages 8 and up. We utilize the Scratch programming environment developed by MIT and enjoyed by over 12 million students worldwide. Skills developed are portable to othe...r programming languages. See our video "Why learn to code with Scratch?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoYFZC3ftD8 Sessions are usually 1-on-1 at $50/hour, but this October we're offering 20% off to new students - just mention our ad here! For small group discounts, please email us to discuss: [email protected] Have questions? Want to schedule a session? PM us, click Contact Us, or email us at [email protected] - we'll guide you through the rest.

Brought laptops and educational content to thousands of children via One Laptop Per Child and the Rwandan government's pilot deployment. First introduction to Scratch that would become the cornerstone of TealDeer's educational approach. From http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Rwanda: "After a successful pilot project conducted in 2010 in which 10,000 laptops were deployed to 10 schools, urban, semi-urban, and rural, the government of Rwanda aimed bigger and by 2011 accomplished a deployment and integration of 100,000 Laptops in more than 121 schools countrywide."

Past work with LittleBits - Savannah Chapter and Urban STEM Academy. The joy of teaching with them sparked the creation of TealDeer Tech. Thanks to founders Eric Sharpe and Patrick Bentley for organizing these events and inviting me to help.

Kids who code: 1-on-1 tutoring to learn programming fundamentals Students excited by computer and video games will LOVE learning how to create their own! There's no better way to get started with computer programming than our Full STEAM Ahead! tutoring service. It's designed to teach the fundamentals of programming while exploring the STEAM subjects: science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. It's not just educational - it's fun!... Our tutoring utilizes the Scratch programming environment developed by MIT and enjoyed by over 12 million young learners worldwide. Even young students will enjoy coding with Scratch as they snap together LEGO-like blocks that bring objects on the screen to life. With graphics and sound, Scratch is more engaging than the text-based programs used in traditional classes. See MIT's page at https://scratch.mit.edu/about for more details about Scratch. Full STEAM Ahead! is offered by TealDeer Tech in Savannah. Our founder has taught with Scratch since 2010, first volunteering with MIT's One Laptop Per Child initiative in Rwanda and later developing curricula for classrooms in Michigan and Georgia. Most recently, we worked with Savannah's UrbanSTEM Academy to deliver Scratch instruction at the Charles Ellis Montessori Academy. How to get started? Message us, or email us: [email protected] Full STEAM Ahead! tutoring sessions are usually one-on-one, at a rate of $50 for one hour or $80 for a block of two hours. Sessions are scheduled in advance and take place in a public space such as a library, cafe, or school (with its permission). If the student is unable to bring a laptop of their own, we suggest using a library computer. The tutor will have a laptop and can share it with the student, but this is less effective than two computers. If you have questions about our tutoring service or would like to schedule a session, please email [email protected]

Thanks to our friend at Jasmine Jade Fashion for the hand-crafted logo! Enjoy her other work at: Behance.net/JasmineJadeFashion