Guide to Geekdom

Do you want to teach your kids how to use a computer, but don't know where to start? Do YOU want to learn the ins and outs of how to use a computer or make a website? Here is a good series of homeschooling books that are your "Guide to Geekdom." :o)

We received these as part of the Life In America curriculum (about $30 each). We have three books so far, the first three steps of the 8-Step "Guide to Geekdom." The workbooks appear to be numbered a little differently for the LIA program, because our 3rd step book is "Basic HTML." I was looking at it today, and it seems very easy to follow, and explains everything you need to know to write HTML code from scratch...not using a program that codes it for you. This way you can learn what all those symbols mean, and can make the website do what you want, or figure out why it's NOT doing what you want it to do. There are other HTML books that are equally easy, but this is made up with homeschoolers in mind, so the lessons are very straightforward and step-by-step with plenty of visual aids, and the author even anticipates some common errors, so she has what to do in case you have those problems. I think even the older generation, computer-fearful people might be able to follow these guides. ;o)

These are very, very basic workbooks, and if your kids have been playing around on the computer (like mine have), they might find them too simple. I am still using them with the younger kids, though, because this way they know the WHYs of what each thing does, rather than just pointing and clicking. Even though I have experience with HTML and website design, I find this helpful to see how things work from the code up.