Last week, I received an update from Code.org, the group behind this well-known video, encouraging kids to learn to code:
According to Hadi Partovi, Code.org’s founder, the organization has done a lot of good in the four months since its launch:
Thanks to your sharing & tweeting, 3.5 million kids tried learning to code online, 12,000 schools asked our help to teach computer science, and 25,000 software engineers volunteered too! We’ve connected thousands of schools with opportunities and helped set up hundreds of classes.
In a piece in The Atlantic from last year, Marvin described why it is so important for younger generations to learn this skill:
Thinking like a programmer is not only helpful to succeed in any technical career, it will also become integral to simply navigating our increasingly digital world. Code consists of languages that can be taught just as we already teach the “language” of math, the language of music, and the language of Spanish vocabulary and grammar. Students could decide whether or not they want to pursue greater fluency and expertise in coding (or Spanish), and (if nothing else) students would benefit from the distinct problem-solving framework of a coding mentality — which may be a more entrepreneurial mentality than memorizing the dates of famous battles in the Thirty Years War. It would help students to think critically — to analyze and solve problems.
Marvin argues that teaching programming in and out of the classroom can pay dividends far down the road, and ensure that America remains competitive in the global economy. Code.org is one of the organizations leading the way, and over 718,000 people have signed its petition, arguing that “Every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn to code.”
No doubt that number will continue to grow, as will the number of students who take a crack at developing this valuable skill set. Check out the site if you want to learn more.
Marvin Ammori 