What are they learning?

Kids are learning more than just coding. They’re devising solutions to problems, building games, and creating programs that do the routine and redundant work humans don’t want to do. There’s a lot kids have to learn to perform those tasks. Here’s a quick rundown of what they’re learning:

• Computational thinking: Computational thinking is the reasoning and planning you perform “in your head” when translating a problem and solution into a process that a computer can perform.
• Algorithmic thinking: Algorithmic thinking is mapping out an organized, efficient set of steps, which you can use and reuse to perform a task.
• Communicating in a foreign language: No, not an international language that’s native to a country or people on Earth. But they are learning to communicate in a language that’s not their native tongue — the language of computers. And they have to learn new words, new punctuation, and new rules for establishing successful communication.
• Patience and resilience: No matter what you’re making — a computer program, a musical performance, or a gourmet meal — patience is required to learn a new skill, and resilience is required to bounce back from challenges to master that skill.
• Creativity: Contrary to popular belief, coding is not the cold, calculating discipline you may think it is. From inventing novel solutions to a problem, to inventing new video games, creativity is inherent in the coding process.
• Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting, or debugging code, means tracing and retracing your steps — sometimes by isolating and testing smaller sections of code, sometimes by tracing through the syntax, and sometimes by testing sample data to example the output — to find and fix problems.

How are they learning?

Kids are coding on their tablets, laptops, and desktops, using a variety of widely available software tools, many of which are free! They are using books, online resources, and tutorials in web and video formats, and discussions with friends to guide them.

Unlike the early days of coding, many of the programming languages and environments kids are using are visual in nature. Many offer tile or block-based formats in which kids can drag and assemble code blocks together like interlocking puzzle pieces to create programs. This type of structure allows kids to tinker without worrying about spelling commands correctly, syntax (grammar), or punctuation. Modern, introductory languages often feature built-in “assets” such as character costumes and sound effects. And they usually provide some sort of error reporting to help kids in their debugging.

If you tried coding before the 21^st century, you probably learned text-based, also known as “line” coding; the new, visual ways of coding are most likely foreign to you. You may have used languages such as Basic, Pascal, COBOL, or FORTRAN. While these languages have mostly faded away in popularity, they were powerful tools and popular in their heyday. Other “older” languages you may have used which are still around today include C, Python, Visual Basic, Ruby, Lua, and R. If you had the opportunity to tackle some serious coding, you may have worked with C++, Java, or JavaScript — some of the past and current heavy hitters in the coding world. The main kid-friendly language of yesteryear was Logo, what you may recall as the “turtle” language. Invented by MIT professor Seymour Papert, Logo and its derivatives were popular in schools, and still exist in several modern incarnations today. “Turtle” languages were about as close as most kids got to non-text based coding prior to Y2K. Fortunately, the more kid-friendly coding environments now available provide a lower floor for entering easily into the world of programming.

Some purists are not fond of “kid” computer languages, especially those that are block-based, expressing concerns that this structure is not realistic, nor professional. They worry that these types of environments are not sufficiently authentic to lay proper foundations for future coding. However, research indicates that exploration in these languages still build the desired programming skills cultivated by working in more traditional, text-based, coding environments.

What does it mean down the road?

Your efforts in helping kids get started with coding lay the foundations for them to pursue more challenging programming activities in the future. You can help them build content skills, confidence, and the mindset required to succeed at coding. Whether they choose a career in computer science, or just dabble in writing small programs for various projects, your positive guidance and support contributes to developing an educated and confident young person. Who knows, you might even be responsible for cultivating the next Grace Hopper or Bill Gates!

Fear and loathing (of coding)

One of your biggest challenges in learning to code may be your own fear and self-doubt. Perhaps you think you’re “not smart enough.” Another challenge may be a genuine dislike or disinterest in code. Like any new endeavor, there is often a sense of concern that you won’t be capable of learning something new. Maybe you won’t like it. Maybe it’s too much work.

It may be worthwhile to note that a lot of other people who came before you shared the same fears (and loathing, of course) of coding. Like learning any new field — playing piano, ice-skating, speaking Mandarin, cooking, gardening, sewing — there is a learning curve in which the introductory phases are not especially fun or rewarding. But hopefully the experiences leading up to adulthood have shown you that, over time, sticking to the process of learning a new skill eventually results in elevated abilities and satisfaction in a job well done.

Computer programmers are not smarter than you are; they’ve just been at it longer! Like you, they started with introductory coding, building their skills a bit at a time, learning new programming languages and writing many programs until they built a solid base of coding knowledge and skills. Congratulations on taking the first step of learning to code and coaching the next generation to early successes in the world of computer science.

You may already know more than you think

If you’re panicking that you suddenly need a degree in computer science to learn coding to successfully help the kids in your life… don’t! You may already know more about coding and its underlying principles than you think. Just ask yourself a few questions:

• Are you good at learning new languages? Because coding uses its own languages featuring vocabulary, grammar, and syntax — you may find that learning to code is a snap!
• Are you good at planning and organizing? Because coding is about using concise, reusable instructions, start-to-finish — you may find that learning to code is familiar and easy!
• Are you confident about tinkering with your computer or mobile device to learn and use new features? Because coding is about commanding your technology devices to bend to your will — you may find that learning to code is easy and empowering!
• Are you excited by new challenges? Because coding energizes you to invent something tangible from nothing more than an idea in your head. You may find that learning to code is an exciting new adventure!

Sarah has taught hundreds of adults to code for the purpose of engaging the kids in their lives in coding. You can do it, too!

In the classroom

You can select a variety of coding experiences for a classroom setting depending on factors including grade level, available technology, and expected contact time. In the classroom setting — which is more formal than other settings — where you may meet with students multiple times over a quarter, semester, or full school year, you likely have time to work on developing both a breadth (covering many topics) and depth of programming skills among your students (providing students time to grow a greater complexity of skills within a topic of focus). You want to choose a programming environment, a curriculum, and appropriate technology tools for getting kids coding in your classroom.

Camp or after-school coach

With the increased attention on coding, more and more after-school programs and summer camps are popping up everywhere. If you’re an instructor in such a program, you have a unique role in helping the young coders in your charge. You probably don’t see the kids as consistently as a classroom teacher. And there may be greater variation in the experience and ability level of your kid community. But it’s also probable that you’re not locked into a highly structured curriculum.

Whatever the content and format of your workplace, remember to teach students first and coding second. Take time to learn each coder’s interests, experience, and programming goals. Ideally, take a few notes on each participant, update them following each coding session, and review them prior to your next meeting. Reminding yourself regularly of how each coder is progressing can help you to assist him in moving forward and reaching his goals.

As frequently as possible, communicate progress to your coder’s parent or guardian. Include samples of the work product, especially links to completed programs the coder’s family can view online!

Mentor

Mentors foster and grow coding abilities in youth through a variety of informal contexts. Perhaps you’re a parent, friend, or co-worker of someone with a child who wants to learn coding. Or perhaps you’re the teacher whom “everyone comes to see” when students need assistance on special projects they’re tackling. Maybe you’re a professional programmer who volunteers your time at Girl Scouts or Boys Scouts workshops. (Both groups have coding badges that kids can earn!) Mentors often work on an as-needed basis helping kids grow their coding skills or track down an extra-hard-to-find-bug. They typically maintain a long-term partnership with the kids they mentor, suggesting new projects, languages, and courses to pursue. As a mentor, you may also be asked to write letters of recommendation about the coders in your charge, attesting to their coding interests and abilities, to help them gain admittance to special programs in high school or university.