https://craftofcoding.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/forget-about-teaching-kids-to-code/ Skip to content The Craft of Coding Musings on programming Menu * Home * About * FAQ * IMAGE PROCESSING * LANGUAGES * Learning to Program * PRACNIQUES (programming case studies) * PROGRAMMING MATTER * Recursion * Usability, Design and Web * Useful snippets of code Forget about teaching kids to code 03/02/202203/02/2022 Some people think everyone should learn to code. I think not. Of course I know why people think elementary school children should learn to code - because they feel that coding is just as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. That computer science should be included in every school curriculum. But here's the thing, coding is just not that important. Math is important (although many curriculum's seem to have forgotten that) and I'm talking basic math here, like the ability to do the 12x table in your head. Reading is important, as it allows us to absorb an incredible amount of knowledge, and writing, well it allows us to express our ideas. Even having children spend time in the outdoors is important. But coding? Coding is just a way of building something. Let's forget that the term "code" really just means taking an existing algorithm, and implementing it in a programming language. It doesn't mean solving the problem, nor creating the algorithm. It is just coding. But maybe that's just part of the problem with how people misinterpret the act of writing programs. If we teach coding to kids, then what will we teach them? Some unrealistic ideas using some sort of ridiculous "toy" language? Will we teach them how to write programs to calculate Fibonacci, and solve math problems? Because the problems they solve can't be that challenging, largely because the students won't have the requisite problem solving skills. Now we hit the actual problem - coding is useless without the ability to solve problems, and I don't see anyone advocating for teaching problem solving skills (in any form). Coding is just a process, using a tool which converts an algorithm into something a machine understands. If it is not possible to solve a problem, then an algorithm cannot be derived. So it's pointless teaching students how to code existing algorithms, if they have no idea how to solve a problem. Here's an example of the Fibonacci algorithm implemented in Fortran: program fibonacci integer :: i, n, f1, f2, fib read(*,*) n f1 = 1 f2 = 1 do i = 3,n fib = f1 + f2 f1 = f2 f2 = fib end do write(*,'(i2, "th Fibonacci = ", i20)') n, fib end program fibonacci It's not that hard to code, especially because it has been solved already, but to do the algorithm justice the students have to understand what the problem is, why it is relevant, and how to go about solving it. The best way to do this is just provide them with a series of numbers, and have them create an algorithm to derive them: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, ... I bet there is many an undergrad CS student who doesn't really understand the algorithm they are trying to write a program for. They read the requirements once, and then begin to code. Code it seems is the only tool at their disposal. It's no different with people who have more experience. To some people AI will solve everything, not thinking once as to whether or not AI is even suitable to the task at hand. The other problem is that many of "systems" designed to help kids code are rubbish. They are toys, and nothing more, or they peddle the idea of "learning Swift and OO"... yikes! Ah, why exactly? So that can build the next great IOS app? Coding is not fun. Unlike writing, which can be a very creative endeavour, coding is not. Coding formulates algorithms into logical instructions for a machine. Sure, you can use it to build games, but not exciting games at the level children are coding. Yeah these games would have seemed fun as a kid in the 1980s (when we were coding them in BASIC), but now kids allude to a higher level of game sophistication. Besides, for someone to be successful at designing programs they have to enjoy it - and not every kid will (many won't). Don't even get me started on the inability of some elementary teachers to even teach coding. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that programming skills are important, but only in the right context, i.e. after we have underscored the importance of problem solving. Honestly, we would be better off getting the reading, writing and arithmetic stuff fixed before we shoot off on some pedagogical tangent (and yes you need all those skills to be a good programmer). Share this: * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Email * Facebook * Twitter * Like this: Like Loading... 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