Edhesive courses no longer free, apparently?

[Bristayl]

I went to sign up my kids for Edhesive's Intro to Computer Science class today, and was only given the option of paying for the homeschool classes, $125 for the Intro class, $150 for the AP class. When I asked whether the free versions were still available, this is the reply I received:

 

"Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, we are no longer offering the free demo versions of our courses. We have significantly improved and expanded our courses in the past few years, as well as adding new courses, and do not have the resources to keep the free demo courses up to date. Please do keep us in mind if you decide to go with full courses for your children."

 

Looks like I may have just missed the window of free Edhesive courses. Has anyone else been able to sign up a homeschool student for free for 2017-2018?

[Bristayl]

Assuming this is true, can any of you recommend other free courses for Python? My son has a little background in that he has done a Youth Digital Minecraft Modding course (which he says was not really coding) and has done some stuff with Alice and with LEGO Mindstorms.

 

 I am disappointed because I was planning for my son to take the Intro course this year and their AP course next year, since I had seen such rave reviews for Mrs. Dovi.

[MarkT]

https://edhesive.com/apcs

 

Course materials

Our full-year curriculum includes video lessons and interactive activities and assessments.

 

Student forum

Students interact with their peers (both locally and around the world), and our course instructor and teaching assistants in a moderated, online forum.

 

Assuming the instructor is good then $150 for the AP course is pretty darn cheap

Look for value not necessarily free.

 

https://edhesive.com/parents_homeschools 

[Bristayl]

That's a good point, although I could pay about the same for a DE class and not have to worry about the exam in order to get college credit. That's probably what I will end up doing for my son when he gets to 9th grade, but I still would like to do something for him this year (8th grade), as well as for my 11th grade daughter who doesn't necessarily need college credit for computer science. For her in particular, Python seems appropriate--the professor in whose biology research lab she is working teaching a bioinformatics class using Python (with Linux/Unix, which we don't have at this point, but that's a future issue.)

 

After searching past threads, I'm currently looking at the edX Python courses from MIT and Georgia Tech, as well as Codeacademy. I'll need to get my husband's input since he was a CS major.

[mirabillis]

It was free last year when we took it, but we opted for the homeschool teacher's package anyway $125 or $150. Well worth it and super cheap compared to other online provider classes. Highly, highly recommend it! It's really a steal!

[Bristayl]

Thanks, it does look good and well-organized.

[Roadrunner]

And they no longer provide teacher accounts for homeschool parents.

[Tranquility7]

I paid $125 last year for the Edhesive Intro class for my DS11. I liked that it was Python and didn't require any other software since all the coding is done online inside of apps. DS loved it, but honestly there was a lot less to it than I was hoping, and a bunch of things I'd consider kind of "silly", like creating music with programming or something like that. Anyway, DS loved it and did learn some things.

 

However...

 

We have now switched to a couple of *really excellent* Udemy classes. I used to be a programmer, but it has been a lonnnnnnng time. But I knew I didn't trust just "anyone" to teach my son (and me, since I've been learning along with him). I searched and read and researched and decided on a couple of courses that we have been quite happy with, AND we got them for only $10 or $15 each during a sale! Their sales happen often, and even if they aren't having a sale sometimes you can google around and find good coupons. Seriously, do not pay more than $20 for them, but know that they are worth thousands (I have learned SO MUCH MORE from them than the classes I took in the 90's that really did cost me thousands!).

 

Here are the classes we have tried out so far, with some notes:

1) Web Developer Bootcamp with Colt Steele.

This instructor is unbelievably good (he teaches development bootcamps irl and clearly knows that he is doing), and this is hands-down what I would recommend for a newbie programmer. He is extremely incremental, but keeps it fun and really teaches well, with just the right about of explanation and challenges for a newbie. It does not cover Python, but what it does cover is pretty impressive. Also, it has an active Q & A section with a TA who seems to promptly answer questions, which is SO helpful.

 

2) The Complete Python 3 Course, Beginner to Advanced with Joseph Delgadillo and Nick Gervais.

We started this course right after Edhesive ended. Edhesive was a decent intro for it (Edhesive's Intro class, IIRC, probably teaches what is in the first 4 or 5 sections of this Python course), but then this class moves pretty fast. We loved the instructor (Nick) and found the projects fun (the second project was an RPG script, which my son thought was the best thing ever), but his style is quite different than Colt's. We had to pause the video a LOT and make sure we were typing in everything he was typing in exactly right and following what he said to do. He doesn't explain as much, and his style is more about *modeling* how to program something. I actually really liked it a lot, and we did learn a ton, but once we got to Section 10: Web Development, we simply didn't have enough background knowledge and found that it was too fast for us. At that point, I switched us over to Colt's Web Dev class. Once we make some good headway with Colt (maybe even finish his class completely), we will jump back to Nick and finish out the course. We just needed something a bit slower for now.

 

3) Complete Python Masterclass with Tim Buchalka

Another **excellent** instructor who teaches this stuff professionally. I have watched about 10% of his class, and he is fabulous. However, he is kind of the opposite of Nick, giving a bit *too* much detail and explanation. We really do need that, just not yet. So I plan that we will take his course after finishing Colt's and Nick's. There is some duplication of this course with Nick's course, obviously, but I think his more extended explanations will be helpful, and review is always a good thing in my book.

 

4) The Complete Web Developer Course, 2.0 with Rob Percival

And another *excellent* web dev class. I actually started this one (watched 25% of it) between halting Nick's Python class and starting Colt's Web Dev class. I really like that towards the end of his class he teaches about using Python on the backend of Web dev, which combines the two technologies we started learning with Nick before getting a bit lost. That said, I switched us to Colt first, since I thought his explanations were a bit clearer and my son would do a better job with him for now.

 

Anyway, I hope that helps. I have been so pleasantly surprised with these courses and still can't believe how dirt cheap they were!

 

 

 

 

 

[Bristayl]

Thank you for those suggestions! I easily found some places with discount codes for $10-$15 per course. I'll have to have my husband look these over since he has a computer science background and I don't.

[Julie of KY]

I just had my computer programmer husband look at the web development course that is linked above. He thinks it looks very worthwhile and even if it's not, it's just a waste of $10.

[gardenmom5]

I paid $125 last year for the Edhesive Intro class for my DS11. I liked that it was Python and didn't require any other software since all the coding is done online inside of apps. DS loved it, but honestly there was a lot less to it than I was hoping, and a bunch of things I'd consider kind of "silly", like creating music with programming or something like that. Anyway, DS loved it and did learn some things.

 

However...

 

We have now switched to a couple of *really excellent* Udemy classes. I used to be a programmer, but it has been a lonnnnnnng time.

 

have you looked at khan academy's computer programing stuff?  https://www.khanacademy.org/computing is it worth anything?  or a complete waste of time?   (1ds really likes their math.)

 

  it's possible we may have finally found something my 12 yo is interested in (they're doing a simple weekly programing activity at church, taught by a current programmer.) - he's been incredibly difficult regarding anything to do with education to this point.

[mirabillis]

which of these do you recommend after AP Comp Sci-A with Edhesive?

 

 

 

 

Here are the classes we have tried out so far, with some notes:

1) Web Developer Bootcamp with Colt Steele.

This instructor is unbelievably good (he teaches development bootcamps irl and clearly knows that he is doing), and this is hands-down what I would recommend for a newbie programmer. He is extremely incremental, but keeps it fun and really teaches well, with just the right about of explanation and challenges for a newbie. It does not cover Python, but what it does cover is pretty impressive. Also, it has an active Q & A section with a TA who seems to promptly answer questions, which is SO helpful.

 

2) The Complete Python 3 Course, Beginner to Advanced with Joseph Delgadillo and Nick Gervais.

We started this course right after Edhesive ended. Edhesive was a decent intro for it (Edhesive's Intro class, IIRC, probably teaches what is in the first 4 or 5 sections of this Python course), but then this class moves pretty fast. We loved the instructor (Nick) and found the projects fun (the second project was an RPG script, which my son thought was the best thing ever), but his style is quite different than Colt's. We had to pause the video a LOT and make sure we were typing in everything he was typing in exactly right and following what he said to do. He doesn't explain as much, and his style is more about *modeling* how to program something. I actually really liked it a lot, and we did learn a ton, but once we got to Section 10: Web Development, we simply didn't have enough background knowledge and found that it was too fast for us. At that point, I switched us over to Colt's Web Dev class. Once we make some good headway with Colt (maybe even finish his class completely), we will jump back to Nick and finish out the course. We just needed something a bit slower for now.

 

3) Complete Python Masterclass with Tim Buchalka

Another **excellent** instructor who teaches this stuff professionally. I have watched about 10% of his class, and he is fabulous. However, he is kind of the opposite of Nick, giving a bit *too* much detail and explanation. We really do need that, just not yet. So I plan that we will take his course after finishing Colt's and Nick's. There is some duplication of this course with Nick's course, obviously, but I think his more extended explanations will be helpful, and review is always a good thing in my book.

 

4) The Complete Web Developer Course, 2.0 with Rob Percival

And another *excellent* web dev class. I actually started this one (watched 25% of it) between halting Nick's Python class and starting Colt's Web Dev class. I really like that towards the end of his class he teaches about using Python on the backend of Web dev, which combines the two technologies we started learning with Nick before getting a bit lost. That said, I switched us to Colt first, since I thought his explanations were a bit clearer and my son would do a better job with him for now.

 

Anyway, I hope that helps. I have been so pleasantly surprised with these courses and still can't believe how dirt cheap they were!

 

[Julie of KY]

If you do a search, there are some other people who have posted positive reviews of other courses through Udemy here on the WTM forums and there look to be hundreds of courses on that website that are cheap.

[RanchGirl]

I paid $125 last year for the Edhesive Intro class for my DS11. I liked that it was Python and didn't require any other software since all the coding is done online inside of apps. DS loved it, but honestly there was a lot less to it than I was hoping, and a bunch of things I'd consider kind of "silly", like creating music with programming or something like that. Anyway, DS loved it and did learn some things.

 

However...

 

We have now switched to a couple of *really excellent* Udemy classes. I used to be a programmer, but it has been a lonnnnnnng time. But I knew I didn't trust just "anyone" to teach my son (and me, since I've been learning along with him). I searched and read and researched and decided on a couple of courses that we have been quite happy with, AND we got them for only $10 or $15 each during a sale! Their sales happen often, and even if they aren't having a sale sometimes you can google around and find good coupons. Seriously, do not pay more than $20 for them, but know that they are worth thousands (I have learned SO MUCH MORE from them than the classes I took in the 90's that really did cost me thousands!).

 

Here are the classes we have tried out so far, with some notes:

1) Web Developer Bootcamp with Colt Steele.

This instructor is unbelievably good (he teaches development bootcamps irl and clearly knows that he is doing), and this is hands-down what I would recommend for a newbie programmer. He is extremely incremental, but keeps it fun and really teaches well, with just the right about of explanation and challenges for a newbie. It does not cover Python, but what it does cover is pretty impressive. Also, it has an active Q & A section with a TA who seems to promptly answer questions, which is SO helpful.

 

2) The Complete Python 3 Course, Beginner to Advanced with Joseph Delgadillo and Nick Gervais.

We started this course right after Edhesive ended. Edhesive was a decent intro for it (Edhesive's Intro class, IIRC, probably teaches what is in the first 4 or 5 sections of this Python course), but then this class moves pretty fast. We loved the instructor (Nick) and found the projects fun (the second project was an RPG script, which my son thought was the best thing ever), but his style is quite different than Colt's. We had to pause the video a LOT and make sure we were typing in everything he was typing in exactly right and following what he said to do. He doesn't explain as much, and his style is more about *modeling* how to program something. I actually really liked it a lot, and we did learn a ton, but once we got to Section 10: Web Development, we simply didn't have enough background knowledge and found that it was too fast for us. At that point, I switched us over to Colt's Web Dev class. Once we make some good headway with Colt (maybe even finish his class completely), we will jump back to Nick and finish out the course. We just needed something a bit slower for now.

 

3) Complete Python Masterclass with Tim Buchalka

Another **excellent** instructor who teaches this stuff professionally. I have watched about 10% of his class, and he is fabulous. However, he is kind of the opposite of Nick, giving a bit *too* much detail and explanation. We really do need that, just not yet. So I plan that we will take his course after finishing Colt's and Nick's. There is some duplication of this course with Nick's course, obviously, but I think his more extended explanations will be helpful, and review is always a good thing in my book.

 

4) The Complete Web Developer Course, 2.0 with Rob Percival

And another *excellent* web dev class. I actually started this one (watched 25% of it) between halting Nick's Python class and starting Colt's Web Dev class. I really like that towards the end of his class he teaches about using Python on the backend of Web dev, which combines the two technologies we started learning with Nick before getting a bit lost. That said, I switched us to Colt first, since I thought his explanations were a bit clearer and my son would do a better job with him for now.

 

Anyway, I hope that helps. I have been so pleasantly surprised with these courses and still can't believe how dirt cheap they were!

 

Thank you for sharing!  I have one son who is very interested in programming.  He is planning to take Edhesive's AP Computer Science A.  Where would that fit in with these?  Before/after/doesn't matter? 

Thanks!

 

[daijobu]

I think learning Python is good thing to take before AP CS A.  You can learn a bunch of the computer science concepts without all the heavy-handed OOP stuff you'll find in Java.  

 

That way, when you land in the AP course, your student will already be familiar with the programming concepts and now only need to learn the Java specific material.  

[Arcadia]

I went to sign up my kids for Edhesive's Intro to Computer Science class today, and was only given the option of paying for the homeschool classes, $125 for the Intro class, $150 for the AP class.

If you go to the non-homeschool link, click on enroll now and then click on student, it should still be free for self study.

https://edhesive.com/courses/apcs_java

 

ETA:

Emailed them about the section token issue. Reply from them say it is now $150 per token.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Arcadia

[Bristayl]

Since this thread was referenced recently, I thought I’d update that my son is currently taking the Edhesive Intro to CS Python course for $125 and is doing great. They've expanded it to a full year course by adding another six modules. I'm planning to have him take their AP Computer Science A class next year for 9th grade and pay the $150.

[mirabillis]

we paid $150 for the homeschool teacher option last year for AP-CS A and it was well worth it. $150 is a steal when you've got classes for upwards of $700-800 for homeschoolers!

[FriedClams]

Both of my kids are doing the AP Comp Sci Programming. It's been great and a steal at $150.