Flying Monkey Tour 2017 – El Rancho Charter School – Coding and Video Game Design

My first stop was at El Rancho Charter School’s Coding and 3D Video Game Design course is lead Troy Coffey a veteran teacher who has been teaching video game and app development courses since 2007.  It was fun to sit in with 2 of his Coding and Video Game Design classes and to check out some of the games they had been working on.

Flying Monkey Tour – Coding and Video Game Design at El Rancho Charter School

Troy has a dark secret. Not only has he been teaching our Coding and 3D Video Game Design and App Development courses since 2007, he is also the winningest teacher of all time in the Future Game App Competition. OK, not really so dark and definitely not a secret. However, he did not win the first couple of years he taught the course, but now his students routinely place in the top 10 and bring home the gold.

Students show off their “Flying Monkey” game variants.

He is especially proud of his all women teams. For the past 3 years, his young women fueled teams have won the Women Designed Games Division.

STEM Education Teacher Troy Coffey of El Rancho Charter School with all of his award banners.

Now, I love Troy to death, but I think he is clearly tossing down the gauntlet to all the other coding and video game design teachers to come and get him.  I am not saying this is why the banners are all over the room…. just putting it out there that I know there are thousands of great student developers all over the states. I know this. I see who is on our systems. Heck I do over half of the teacher training.  I am just telling all our coding teachers to not be shy – get your students to package up their apps and games and submit. Everything they need to know is right in the course. It is a great experience for all and does not cost anything to do it.

The El Rancho Charter School students are truly lucky. Troy’s students always have fun, learn coding and produce great games. Being in his class, I can see how much he enjoys teaching.  He would be successful teaching any coding curriculum, we love the fact he keeps choosing to work with us. He has fun and you can see how much his students love him. As a parent, Troy is another great example of STEM education done right and the kind of teacher you hope your kid gets to know.

 

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