Important: This is a 30 minutes sample session for students and parents to see if the tutoring program is the right fit for them. During this session, the instructor will ask the student questions about their previous experience with coding and Roblox Studio to find a good starting point for the lesson. Parents and students are welcome to ask questions about the tutoring program during the 30 minutes. At the end of the session, the instructor will discuss next steps if they would like to continue with full tutoring sessions.
About Game Design With Roblox Program
Roblox gives students an entry point into game design and coding that is fun and prepares them for more advanced creation both in Roblox Studio and beyond. The Lua coding language used in Roblox Studio is also one of the more user-friendly scripting languages. It is easy for beginners to start with and can help advanced users grow in their understanding of coding and object-oriented programming.
In our Roblox tutoring program, students receive 1 on 1 instruction from expert instructor Shawn Walk, a veteran of teaching Roblox Studio and making coding/game design concepts understandable for kids. Instruction is also tailored to a student’s previous experience.
Students typically meet 1x per week for an hour with the instructor online via the Zoom platform.The pace of the instruction is based of what is comfortable for the student. If a student wants to take more time with a concept, the instructor will review until the student is ready to move on. If a student is picking up concepts quickly, the instructor will move at a faster pace to keep the student engaged.
Students learn to build games from start to finish. Through the tutoring sessions, students are able to build and code entire video games that they can publish for others to play.
After each tutoring session, parents receive a short summary of what the student worked on in the class.
Cost: This 30 minutes sample session is $15. If a family decides to move forward with tutoring, the cost is $75 per hour session. Discount available if siblings would like to take the tutoring together.
Technology Requirements:
A Roblox account is required for this program. An account is free and can be setup at https://www.roblox.com/.
Students must download the Roblox Studio program to their Mac or PC to be able to create their games. This program is free and can be downloaded at https://www.roblox.com/create.
It’s more than just coding and game design.
While students learn how to create games and code in Roblox Studio, we also help students improve in the critical-future ready skills below. Lessons are integrated with the curriculum to help students apply these skills in coding and game design.
- Creativity (Ex. Divergent Thinking)
- Problem Solving (Ex. Computational Thinking)
- Collaboration
- Empathy For Others (Ex. Human-Centered Design)
- Communication (Ex. Presenting Work)
- Adaptability
- Perseverance (Ex. Growth Mindset)
- Self-Directed Learning
About The Instructor
Shawn D. Walk has been an educator for over 20 years. He was a 4th/5th grade teacher for 11 years at an elementary school north of Pittsburgh. During his time at that school, he focused on project-based learning and engaging students with real-world tasks that allowed them to see how what they were learning is used in the real world. Shawn also developed several robotics and coding programs during his time as a teacher.
About 7 years ago, he started a company in Pittsburgh that partnered with schools to offer coding, Minecraft, and other creative classes. The company was one of the first organizations in the Pittsburgh region to use Minecraft to create engaging programs for students. He now hopes to take this type of fun and creative learning beyond the Pittsburgh region to students all over the world.
Shawn has an active Pennsylvania Teaching Certification and a Masters Degree in education.
All Create2Discover instructors are required to complete a background check conducted by Checkr, a nationally recognized and trusted provider of background screening services. A copy of this background check can be obtained prior to tutoring by request.
Thank you Shawn! :)
