Teaching Children to Code: Overview
Teaching children to code has become increasingly important in today's technology-driven society, where computer skills are integral to many careers, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Coding, or computer programming, involves writing instructions in specialized programming languages that dictate how software functions. Despite the growing demand for coding skills, many American primary and secondary schools do not include coding in their curricula, prompting various organizations to advocate for its inclusion. Proponents argue that coding education equips children for future careers and enhances their understanding of the technology they engage with daily.
Global examples, such as the UK's mandatory coding curriculum starting in primary school and Estonia's comprehensive coding instruction from preschool onward, showcase successful initiatives aimed at integrating coding into early education. In the U.S., organizations like Code.org strive to promote coding in classrooms and extracurricular programs, with a focus on increasing diversity in the tech field by encouraging underrepresented groups to participate. However, some educators express concern that introducing coding could detract from traditional subjects, especially in resource-limited schools already struggling to provide adequate literacy education. The debate continues on how best to balance coding education with foundational academic skills in an evolving educational landscape.
Teaching Children to Code: Overview
Introduction
As computer technology has become a key component of most Americans' daily lives, pervading nearly all areas of society, the field—like many within the broad category of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)—has experienced a corresponding increase in available jobs. While the field of computer technology encompasses a wide range of careers, each with its own bevy of essential skills, many such positions rely on or at least demand a rudimentary knowledge of coding. Also known as "computer programming," coding is the process of writing instructions for a computer using a specialized programming language. As both an essential skill in a growing field and a means of understanding how modern computer programs, video games, and smartphone apps function, coding is widely considered a skill of significant value; however, it is rarely taught in American primary and secondary schools.
In light of employment projections made by authorities such as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as the practical benefits of coding skills, various organizations in the United States have spearheaded efforts to teach children to code, largely through attempts to add coding to school curricula. Proponents of such efforts argue that coding is an essential skill in the twenty-first century that should therefore be taught alongside traditional subjects such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Such individuals and organizations believe that a knowledge of coding will better equip children to succeed in the technology-based world of the future and prepare them for potential careers in computer science. However, some educators and organizations argue that this emphasis on coding comes at the expense of more traditional yet nonetheless essential academic subjects. As many school districts already struggle to provide an adequate education to their students because of budgetary restrictions and limited resources, they argue, adding coding to a school's curriculum could further stress an already overtaxed educational system.
Understanding the Discussion
Code.org: One of the predominant organizations leading efforts to teach coding to children.
Coding: The process of writing a computer program.
Computer program: A set of instructions carried out by a computer.
Programming language: The specialized language in which a computer program is written, such as Java, C#, and Visual Basic.
STEM: A collective term for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
History
Coding has been an essential skill in the field of computer technology since the very inception of computers. While elements such as a motherboard, a power supply, and a hard drive make up the hardware of a computer, its functions are controlled by software, most notably programs. Computer programs are sets of instructions that tell a computer or similar device, such as a smartphone, to perform specific tasks; they may be as simple as instructions telling a computer to display the phrase "Hello, world!" or as complex as a video game or a piece of graphic design software. Such programs are written in specialized languages known as "programming languages," which use specific terms and defined command structures to instruct the computer to perform tasks. Among the popular programming languages used in the early twenty-first century are Java, Ruby, C++, and Python. The many different languages available to programmers have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the language a programmer uses may vary based on the type of program being written.
By the early twenty-first century, the end products of coding had become common and often essential parts of daily life in the United States. Few Americans have not used a computer program, played a video game, or operated a smartphone app at some point in their lives; even among older Americans, the segment of the population slowest to adopt digital technology, more than 80 percent had smartphones and 59 percent were using the Internet by 2014, according to a Pew Research Center study. However, knowledge of how such programs function remains largely confined to those experienced in programming. Although basic coding is included in computer curricula in some public schools, and on rare occasions is taught in mathematics classes, the subject remains largely absent from primary and secondary school curricula. At the same time, the prevalence of and development of new uses for computer technology in the early twenty-first century has resulted in an increased demand for workers skilled in coding, a demand that some organizations, including the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, suggest will continue to increase over time. In an attempt to address the perceived shortage of skilled coders, as well as to improve overall computer literacy, various organizations worldwide have set in motion efforts to introduce coding to children as young as five, in the hope that providing early instruction in coding will render it a core skill and also provide children with future career opportunities and a better understanding of the technology they use every day.
Efforts to teach children to code have been implemented in various countries. Beginning in the fall of 2014, the United Kingdom mandated that all children learn coding as part of a newly designed computing curriculum that begins at the primary school level. Divided into three stages based on grade level, the hands-on curriculum teaches children how to complete practical tasks such as creating algorithms and writing programs of varying complexity using multiple programming languages. Another country in which the issue of teaching children to code has come to the forefront is Estonia, which in 2012 launched a pilot program in select schools in which children, from first grade up, were taught to code. The program was later expanded to teach coding at all educational levels, starting with introductions to technology as early as preschool.
Teaching Children to Code Today
In the United States, a number of educational and technology-focused organizations have spearheaded initiatives to bring coding into American classrooms. The subject was already being taught in some public school districts; however, as curricula vary among states and districts, there is no consistent emphasis on programming, or even computer science in general, in public schools. In light of this, nonprofit organizations such as Code.org seek to introduce coding to children at an early age by encouraging schools to include it in the curriculum. In addition to the various career and educational benefits of coding, many organizations are concerned with the lack of gender and racial diversity in the field of computer technology. As such, some organizations especially seek to encourage girls and children who belong to racial or ethnic minority groups to enter the field; the organization Black Girls Code, for instance, focuses on teaching computer skills to African American girls and young women in particular. Although introducing coding to school curricula is the primary goal of many proponents of teaching children to code, organizations have also established extracurricular programs, including classes and coding events, to promote the cause and teach children who do not yet have the opportunity to learn coding in school.
While the concept of teaching children to code has earned the support of numerous educators, nonprofits, and technology companies, some individuals and organizations have opposed such efforts on the grounds that a heavy emphasis on coding and other computer skills comes at the expense of skills traditionally taught in schools, such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Such critics often argue that this is particularly a concern in school districts with limited budgets and other resources, where teachers may already struggle to teach basic literacy skills. Other groups, including the Computer Science Teachers Association, have also expressed concerns that the educational programs in place may not provide an adequate coding education for individuals who seek to pursue careers in the field.
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