Why Learning Coding Young Matters
Learning Strategy for K-12 from QD Learning
Core Benefit of Learning Coding
Practice “computational thinking”. But why do we care about this skill?
- we can learn how to be precise with our language
- we can base our decisions on data
- we can use a systematic way of thinking to recognize patterns and trends
- we can break down larger problems into smaller chunks that can be more easily solved
- And this skill can be used almost anywhere and is important for any career.
Why do we need to learn in early age?
- Commit all the learning to the procedural memory so problem solving will be a natural reflex rather than a conscious task (requires working with declarative memory).
Macro Environment
CEO, Governors join to push computer science to congress. Federal government is currently not investing in enhancing the computer science education. The important facts we should keep in mind:
- 11% of all job openings and 16% of all new wages in the Unite States are in computing fields.
- An estimated 500,000 unfilled American jobs require some level of computer-science competency.
What actions can we take?
Expose your child to coding and see them thrive
A. Self-paced Learning
- Try some activities without using a computer, Computer Science without a computer
- For K-6, try block-based programming (Code.org, Scratch, Kodable)
- For 7 and up, try text-based programming (codecademy, treehouse, Khan Academy, MIT App inventor)
B. Instructor-guided Learning (This approach will generally be better since students can stay on track, get constant guidance and feedback and most importantly, student can collaborate with peers to work on projects together)
- Find out if your school’s after-school program offers any programming class
- Third-party learning center (P.S. We will be launching programming classes in 2016–2017 school year).
Sources:
1. What is computational thinking and why should we care, ROBOTC
http://www.robotc.net/blog/2015/09/30/computational-thinking/
2. Center of Computational Thinking, Carnegie Mellon
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~CompThink/
3. Forget foreign languages and music. Teach our kids to code, Wired
http://www.wired.com/2013/09/ap_code/
4. CEO, Governor join to push computer science to congress, Education News
http://www.educationnews.org/technology/ceos-governors-join-to-push-computer-science-to-congress/
QD Learning
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