That is the point: to teach problem solving skills. Programming practice buttresses mental modeling techniques and helps one imagine realistic solutions to tech

That is the point: to teach problem solving skills. Programming practice buttresses mental modeling techniques and helps one imagine realistic solutions to technical problems. There is another goal though, and it mimics writing. If only the 'elite' know how to write, then history will be written by the powerful. If everyone knows how to program, this increasingly popular communication medium will be less under the control of a biased few.