CodeSpark - the Foos for the Win!! – codeSpark Academy Kids Coding Review

I used the Foos from CodeSpark to introduce my 1st & 2nd graders to coding. It was very engaging for students with the variety of characters, the "star" based feedback for performance and self pace. I used it in a paired programming delivery first than allowed students to work independently with frequent teacher check in as a station. When students were ready and moved on to independent work/play in the Foos... I found that there would often play through as far as they could go and disregard the number of "stars" they earned to reflect mastery of a level. I would simply tell them they would need to go back through and work each level until they did master (earn all 3 stars) for each level before they could move on. I feel that the Foos is a great start... engagement is instantaneous. I am looking forward to projected updates for the Fall. It was really easy to set up to create student friendly logins. I really like the dashboard but I know I am not using it to it's full potential but it certainly meets my needs for my afterschool code club. I still have a lot to test in the CodeSpark family of products as I work through more of the resources they have available. I hope that the latest PD offerings will help me to integrate more of the products and levels with more of my student population.
Review by EdTechSmith on codeSpark Academy Kids Coding.