After School Coding Club in Queenstown Area

Location: Shotover Primary School

This website will be fully operational in 2026 (currently under construction)

Pilot programme Term 4, starting week two - Monday 13th Oct 3:30 to 4:30pm. This first session is FREE and open to all.

Continues on Monday 20th Oct 3:30 to 4:30pm onwards. Pay $10 per session or $60 for the rest of the term (8 sessions)

Please make payments prior to sessions - info re payments will be available after 13th October (PayPal and Bank transfer)

The last session for the term will run on Mon 8th Dec.

Note: If numbers require it, a second session will be created for 4.30 to 5.30pm

For more info contact Carl Pester

Phone: 022 408 5738

Details

    Who is it for? This coding class is an introductory class. It is targeted at Primary School students who have no experience at computer coding.
    It is designed to be a fun and engaging way to learn the basics of coding.
    What age group? If your child can read and follow the sample instructions below then they are able to participate in the class.
    Sample: "Create a project using only the 10 blocks shown here. Use them once, twice, or multiple times, but use each block at least once."
    Resources: Each child will need a chromebook or laptop with wifi access capability. It is highly recommended that they also have a mouse for their device. Most things can be done with a touch screen, but some will be more difficult and occasionally will not be possible without a mouse. You will be able to cope without a mouse for the first FREE session.
    What will the students be doing? Over the term we will explore two contexts. The first will be with “Scratch”, which is a fun drag ‘n drop way to understand coding logic. The second is with “Twinery”, which is an opportunity for students to create their own branching adventure story. It introduces them gently to some actual code and supports developing their understanding of logic.
    What will the students achieve by the end? The programme involves tasks and challenges for the students, which will be graded. The students and parents will be able to monitor their learning progress. The plan is to have checkpoints, levels and certificates from, for example, novice coder to advanced coder. The pilot programme will be used to develop this system.
    What if my child does not enjoy the current context? The structure is a self-paced programme with guidance from the tutor. Students will be introduced to each part of the programme in sequence, but students are free to explore however they wish. They may choose to skip a whole context and focus more deeply on a previous context that they are really enjoying. Students may also move ahead into contexts that the class has not yet been exposed to, provided they are happy to work along independently.
    Is this just one hour a week? The tutoring session is one hour, but once your child is registered for the term, they will have access to the course materials, which means they can continue at home, should they wish.
    Are parents welcome? Yes! In fact, some parental presence is encouraged. You can choose to just sit off to the side and do your own thing, you can actively wander and help the students, or you can sit down at your own device and participate yourself (no extra charge for parents).
    How much attention can you give my child during each session? As an experienced teacher, I find the answer to that question a little shocking. If you do the maths - for say 10 students and 60 minutes - that works out to a maximum of 6 minutes each! That is exactly why, in my teaching, I always strove to develop programmes that were transparent to the students, so that they could progress themselves and each other readily, without having to wait for me. Peer teaching is powerful and I encourage students to support each other in their learning. In fact, one of the best ways to learn is to teach.
    How long does this programme run? The pilot programme (term 4) is the first part of a large programme that covers many contexts and aspects of coding. For a student to go through and experience all the contexts could take three or four terms. At that point the programme will re-cycle. Each time through the cycle the student will further develop their understanding and skills within each context. Long term, regular club members may end up specialising in their preferred contexts.