Remote Coding Clubs - What we've learned

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Vidcode has been running a Virtual Club every week, it’s been incredible! Check out the showcase of student work. Here are some tips and based practices based on what we’ve learned:

  • Remote teaching is an opportunity for students who learn different ways. Students can follow along with video tutorials live, or watch and go through tutorials at their own pace afterwards.
  • Using goals and milestones to keep students motivated is important
  • Give students a place to talk to each other - we have a live chat in our weekly 45-minute video calls and a few weeks in, students personalities really started to come through!
  • Celebrate student work! We have 5 minutes at the end where students send me links to their projects, and I open them up and talk about their code. It gives me a chance to use vocabulary in context, and gives them a chance to see and be inspired by other student work
  • Give prompts, but leave projects open for student creativity. For example: Code a meme showing a “Learning from home tip.” Students made projects incorporating Minecraft, sports, pugs!
  • Low floors / high ceilings: Provide additional material and a sandbox for students to complete on their own
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All educators are welcome to attend club sessions! We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 ET, just sign up here.

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As Leandra mentioned, we’ve learned a lot running our own remote coding clubs in addition to what we’ve learned over the years training educators virtually to launch their own Vidcode classes.

  1. Highly recommend having a “VJ”. This person arrives 15 mins early, lets people in, answers chat questions, logs the chat, and follows up on additional questions via email after the session.

  2. Assign homework and check on students progress via chat throughout the week

  3. If a student has gotten way ahead of the class, elect them to be the teacher’s assistant and field all questions from other students who are in earlier tutorials.

All of this combined creates a fun active environment where everyone can participate in ways they feel most comfortable.