Where do you look for free appointment scheduling software? For most people, the answer is simple: Google. Every day, thousands of people search Google for “free appointment scheduling software” and “acuity scheduling software” because they want to learn more about how to schedule appointments in their practices. While this is an intelligent thing to do, it can be a little overwhelming when trying to find the right acuity scheduling software. This is because there are hundreds of options on the market that claim they offer the best option which can make it nearly impossible to find the one that will work best for your business needs.
Have you ever wondered how and where to find and buy the best acuity scheduler software? I really hope that not because — as a popular app for scheduling accountants, Acuity Scheduling is one of the most important tools in your business. Accountants must track their time-tracking hours each day or risk losing money.
Blockly
Ages: 8+
Pricing: Free
Blockly teaches programming principles and introduces JavaScript using a block-based programming approach. It’s just like doing a puzzle, except you connect pieces of code and you don’t end up with any missing pieces under the couch.
Puzzle pieces will appear on the screen and the goal is to complete the “story” that makes up the software program by completing the puzzle. Each puzzle piece represents a block of code, which is similar to a paragraph in a story. Kids can drag-and-drop the puzzle pieces to create a sequence of code.
As long as your child can read, he or she can learn coding with Blockly. However, some of the games include using the number of degrees to define the direction an object moves and others concepts that may be difficult for really little kids despite it using a gamification approach and simple graphics.
Overall, Blockly is a simple, straightforward coding website for kids who don’t have any experience with coding. Its aim is to prepare kids to learn conventional text-based computer programming languages.
Code.org Studio
Ages: 4-14
Pricing: Free
Code.org is a non-profit organization that organizes the annual Hour of Code. In addition to providing curriculum to schools, they also host a coding website for kids with a series of four courses that teach computer science fundamentals. At the end of each course, students are able to create interactive games or stories for sharing online. Your child will get to see and be a part of the over 74 million projects showcased.
Each course is made up of a series of puzzles, videos, and activities that teach the principles behind computer science. Course 1 is made for early readers (age 4-6) and can be skipped if your child is already reading proficiently.
Later courses use a block-based approach for programming activities, but students can choose to see the text-based code that is generated. Taken together, this series of four courses make up a curriculum that has been organized for use in the classroom and is aligned with ISTE standards. Best of all, each of their courses is available at no cost.
Scratch
Ages: 8-16
Pricing: Free
Scratch is the platform we use for our elementary school coding program, so we obviously love it. It’s a free block coding website for kids, developed by the MIT Media Lab. Scratch is its own programming language and consists of graphical blocks that snap together.
In addition, Scratch has a large online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with people from all over the world. The Scratch platform is designed especially for kids ages 8 to 16. Younger children can also try ScratchJr, a simplified version of Scratch designed for ages 5 to 7.
We use Scratch in our coding curriculum because it’s the perfect way for younger kids to develop their problem-solving, communication, and reasoning skills. It doesn’t teach any real coding language, but it’s a stepping stone to computer programming and coding languages.
Solo Learn
Solo learn is a fantastic platform that teaches students from all skill levels how to code at no cost. Their coding website can be used to practice coding skills or the mobile app to learn fundamentals. One of their unique platform features known as the “Code Playground” lets people see code that others created for cool projects like mobile chat apps, ATM programs, and text animator programs.
This is one way to learn to write and read code from others and inspire to create personal code projects. They have millions of learners from all across the world, so no matter what part of the world you live in, your kids learn at their convenience. While other coding teaching platforms take on a more solo learning experience, Solo Learn (contrary to the name) has a crowd-learning feature to learn from others. To reinforce kids skills and ensure they retain what is learned, they can participate in coding exercises, quizzes, and tests.
To keep them motivated, children can earn trophies and points once you finish a certain level or course. Students get to choose which language to learn from with a wide selection of well-known languages like Java, Javascript, Python, SQL, and Ruby.
BYJU’S FutureSchool Summer Program
BYJU’S FutureSchool Summer Program, in partnership with NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, offers summer coding courses for children.
Younger students will get the opportunity to create space-based games and apps while enhancing their coding skills. The program offers two different courses that differ in length — a 6-week option and a 12-week option. There are different focuses on game development, app development, and space technology, so your child can choose which one they’re more interested in. The program runs all the way to August 31st, perfect for those looking to get a late start in the summer. If your kid has an interest in space and programming, this is the perfect opportunity for them.
Apart from the classes, students can also participate in webinars instructed by Scott Kelly. There they can learn about his career experiences and learn how to get to his position from the expert himself.
Codemoji
Codemoji offers a variety of online coding lessons for kids. It’s one of the best coding websites for younger kids and allows them to easily practice with their online text based editor.
Their Computer Science curriculum focuses on teaching kids web development and coding in an entertaining way. The main programming language used is Javascript, along with HTML and CSS. Children will be able to create a website and animations using the things they’ve learned.
Depending on the grade and skill level, the online classes will have different goals for the students. With a project-focused way of teaching, young students can put what they learned to the test, helping them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills and polishing the basics of what good coding is all about. All their online class teachers currently teach in school districts, so you can rest assured your child is getting taught by professionals.
Conclusion
Now that you gained access to the many tools of the Artificial Intellect, don’t let your time slip away from you. I am sure you can think of a dozen things you know how to do better than computers, but which you get done faster with their assistance. In many cases it’s not training, but simply remembering what’s already been taught to us that we tend to forget. For example, if you had a calendar on your phone or PC that could show or tell you what was going on at any given time and place, don’t you think it would save a huge amount of time?