What Exactly is Coding?
Coding in Schools
Popular opinion is clear: we need coding in our schools. It is seen as an essential skill for 21st century learners according to Marianne Stenger from InformED. Stenger also mentions that it allows students to gain a better understanding of technology and its impact on our world. Matthew Lynch from The Edvocate suggests that students will develop an appreciation for what can be built with technology after being introduced to coding.
Learning Resources narrows down the importance of coding to five reasons:
- Another language
- Fosters creativity
- Helps with math skills
- Improves writing academic performance
- Helps create confident problem solvers
While there is overwhelming support for teaching coding in schools, there is some resistance. Ben Tarnoff from The Guardian suggests there isn’t actually a need for more coders. Tarnoff also mentions that this increase in coders would force wages down for this profession and would create a source of cheap labor for the tech industry. Joe Morgan from Slate, a developer himself, does not support the teaching of coding. Instead, Morgan encourages teaching problem solving skills, celebrating creativity, and embracing curiosity. Although I can see Tarnoff and Morgan’s points, their thinking is in the minority.
Resources for Teachers
Take a look at a small sample of the many resources available to help get started introducing coding into your classroom!
- Get Started with Coding
- 9 Tips for Teaching Coding in the Classroom
- Best Apps & Websites for Learning Programming & Coding
- 7 Apps for Teaching Children Coding Skills
- Hour of Code
- Made with Code by Google
- 3 Steps to Becoming a Coding Teacher
No Coding For Me 😦
Personally, I have never had any formal coding instruction, and this week’s assignment was my first time ever experimenting with code. I really wish I would have had some exposure to coding prior to now because it really does feel like a whole new, unfamiliar world to me. But, by taking advantage of some of the resources above, I hope to change that!
Learning Like Lyman 
Great resources! I agree the authors that you cite that problem solving and creativity are important but I do not think that they are separate from coding. I just a great talk from a female game developer who said that she refused to choose between art and computer science when an undergrad and now, as a professor, is designing a program in which students can have both! There are so many amazing things you can do and coding is one vehicle to achieve them.
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