![]() Because of this, for the younger students taking the class, a parent’s help is sometimes needed-and certainly helpful. It does necessitate the student’s ability to convey their challenge in words, though. But never fear, the built-in help option is fantastic. Inevitably though, kids who take the class will make mistakes or get stuck. There is a great supportive community in which to participate, for those who prefer a more social way of learning. Students can also upload their own tutorials to share ideas. I hope he takes the rest of the year to interact with the other students and share mods. Though it is billed as a year-long class, my son got through it in a few months, which is probably a good pace. He kept wanting to do just one more lesson. ![]() My son was so excited to just keep going and going in the class. It’s a very good idea to be at least familiar with computers to take these classes, but if you are already into Minecraft, that shouldn’t be a problem. The course starts out with some introductions and an easy walkthrough of how to install the Java software, as well as Gimp, the freely available Photoshop-esque program, which is needed to make Minecraft skins. It’s not easy to create hilarious videos that are chock full of information and instruction that will keep students entertained while they are learning real skills, such as programming in Java and using Gimp for graphics creation. He’s both knowledgeable and charismatic, and obviously knew what he was doing when he made the videos. Justin, the Youth Digital employee in the videos (and founder and CEO), packed the lessons with clear information, but delivered it in a very entertaining way, perfect for the intended age range. I watched a few of the videos myself, and I will admit to many a chuckle out loud as well. Inevitably, whenever my son was watching the video lessons, I would hear unbridled cackling laughter coming from the other room. Now that he’s done with the meat of the class, what do we think? Are we still happy with the experience? The answer is a resounding “yes!” Image: Youth Digital There are also some advanced topics to learn about designing mods in more depth. Though he’s completed all of the lessons, he still has the rest of the original 12-month period to access all of the instructional videos, as well as be able to upload his own mods or download those created by others. (Read our first impressions of the class after the first few lessons here.) He turned in his work for evaluation and got a thorough response. The company Youth Digital offers a variety of classes for kids aged 8 to 14 to teach different computer-related topics, such as mod design for Minecraft, app design, 3D printing, and 3D animation.Ī few weeks ago, my 10-year-old son finished the lessons in his Minecraft Mod Design 1 class from Youth Digital. Whether or not your kids want to become coders for a living, learning about and understanding the structure that goes into computer code is extremely helpful in navigating our Information Age and in developing logical mental pathways. ![]() If your kids have an interest in computers and you’re looking for a way for them to spend their time in front of the screen productively, I recommend some instruction in programming. ![]()
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