Hi. Me again.
These past few months, I’ve been given the opportunity to use an online course called TeenCoder Java, by CompuScholar. If you know anything about me, I love any sort of computer coding, be it HTML, CSS, Java, or JS, so this was something that immediately piqued my interest. For those of you who don’t know, Java is a very powerful coding language that adds a good bit of meat to anything that you code. (Currently I can make things look pretty and do basic operations, but this is a whole lot more fun.)
CompuScholar’s course takes the form of online lessons hosted on the site of homeschool.compuscholar.com (that’s important in the world of computer and internet coding). Each lesson is made up of a video around five minutes long with engaging images and text, as well as an off-screen narrator, and a text version of the lesson that usually holds more information. This format helps the lessons cater to both the visual and auditory side of a student, ensuring that they get as much as possible out of each lesson. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy that kind of thorough education, because when I learn something, I benefit from a both kinds of input.
At the end of every lesson comes a test on the subjects discussed that day, usually only about five questions. Though this makes the tests faster and easier to get out of the way, keep in mind that this also makes it much easier to get worse scores. Get one wrong, and your percentage falls by 20%. Not to worry, though. Each test can be taken up to three times. After that, you can either move on to the next installment in the lessons, or do an activity, depending on what’s up next. Each activity comes with a set of instructions on the site and a version (again with more in-depth information) to be downloaded. At the end of each chapter is another, longer test, this one leaping up to twenty-five questions.
That’s the nitty gritty. Now on to the next thing I want to talk about: pros and cons.
Pro: CompuScholar’s course does a great job of providing an all around education in Java. Part of my personal belief is that it’s just as important to know things as it is to know where and how we found them out in the first place, and this Java course has impressed me by putting several lessons toward teaching its students the history of not only Java, but computers and computer coding in general. In fact, the first lesson is entirely on hardware.
Con: Users need to know that the course is made first for Windows, then for Mac. Other major operating systems such as Linux are not included in the instructions, but most commands should be the same, or should carry over with a little educated guessing. (Or Googling.)
Pro: This course requires very little prior knowledge of coding. Especially not Java. This is a plus for most of us out there, because if we knew Java, then we wouldn’t be interested in this course, would we?
Con: The course requires the installation of something called the Eclipse IDE. This is a workspace for the codes which you will be writing over the course of the year. Eclipse is made by the Eclipse Foundation, and is available on their site. Please note that CompuScholar wishes only to use a specific version of Eclipse (Kepler)to sync with its videos. While this isn’t necessarily a con to most people, I thought that I’d mention it because some people don’t like to download software over the web. That I know of, online is the only way to get it right now.
Pro: The lessons are very thorough. I can find no room for improvement. Teaching is done quickly and effectively, and leads to lots of classic homeschool rabbit trails. (I have personally googled info on numerous subjects– from the Linux operating system to Apple’s Chimes of Death.)
Con: Some problems I have found repeated on the same test. Either your kid gets both of these wrong, or he gets both of them right, or… Houston, we have a problem.
Pro: The background of the margin is green. I’m just kidding. (Obviously I am! If you like green, this is a serious pro!) What I meant to say is that a good secondary use for any course is for teaching your children how they are supposed to use this information to glorify God. CompuScholar has made sure that they also provide adequate food for that as well. An entire lesson is given to the subject of computer ethics and security. This can serve as the basis for discussions on how we use our technological tools, the many dangers of the internet to be on the lookout for, and why we as Christians should maintain these standards.
CompuScholar’s Teencoder: Java is available right here. I would seriously recommend the course for those who want an in-depth and immersive experience in the origins, history, and techniques of Sun Microsystems’ potent computer language. For any questions about the product, visit http://www.compuscholar.com/about/contact.php.
Thanks for listening to me. I know I’m not my mom, but I appreciate your patience with my still-developing writing style.
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