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I'm very skeptical that we should be pushing masses of kids to learn to program, to the detriment of other subjects already being squeezed for classroom time. I

I'm very skeptical that we should be pushing masses of kids to learn to program, to the detriment of other subjects already being squeezed for classroom time. I love programming but I just don't see why everyone should be required to learn what is IMO a very fun but pretty niche skill. However, I do think there are a lot of adjacent skills that can be learned through the practice of programming which all kids should be taught (whether through learning to write code or repairing cars or through other pedagogic methods): - How to break down a complex process into a bunch of simpler steps - How to recognize abstract patterns and what variables might differ in various situations - How to use tangible evidence and your understanding of how a system works to 'debug' some phenomenon - How to "evaluate code in your head" - think through the implications of how a change to a system might work Programming is a specific skill useful in a bunch of situations, but not universally practical. Critical thinking is a universally useful skill adaptable to a wide number of situations. A citizen body better versed in critical thinking would (I propose) make our society function better.

noxToken 9y ago
I started volunteering this year to teach students to code. We're halfway through the year, and this couldn't be more apparent. Without a true interest in learning to program, these students won't remember 10% of what they've been taught at this time next year. Problem solving, troubleshooting, (as you've listed) or basic IT/computer literacy skills (why isn't my device connected to the Internet?) would take students much further. Don't get me wrong - a lot of people can get benefit from learning to write an automation script or small program of some sort to take care of an annoyance. Taking a programming course for one year in HS, and then forgetting about it for 3 years will put you marginally ahead of someone just starting. On that same token, I don't expect someone who took Cal II at university to derive/integrate a bunch of equations 3 years later. Programming isn't a muscle memory skills like riding a bicycle. It takes practice.
- raducu 9y ago
  I have three work colleagues who started teaching a "programming academy". They selected 18 people out of 80 applications. The last time I checked with them, just like I predicted, they expected 4-5 to actually finish the course. The selected people are not high school students pushed by their parents, most have a technical background and came knowing fully well that getting a programming job in the future will increase their salary dramatically.
LoSboccacc 9y ago
other critical things that miss from current curricula around the world: extracting information from data - evaluating information quality - vetting information for bias - generalizing patterns into paradigms - build value systems out of paradigms - create hierarchy of values - navigate one self trough the hierarchy toward the top

noxToken 9y ago

I started volunteering this year to teach students to code. We're halfway through the year, and this couldn't be more apparent. Without a true interest in learning to program, these students won't remember 10% of what they've been taught at this time next year. Problem solving, troubleshooting, (as you've listed) or basic IT/computer literacy skills (why isn't my device connected to the Internet?) would take students much further. Don't get me wrong - a lot of people can get benefit from learning to write an automation script or small program of some sort to take care of an annoyance. Taking a programming course for one year in HS, and then forgetting about it for 3 years will put you marginally ahead of someone just starting. On that same token, I don't expect someone who took Cal II at university to derive/integrate a bunch of equations 3 years later. Programming isn't a muscle memory skills like riding a bicycle. It takes practice.

raducu 9y ago
I have three work colleagues who started teaching a "programming academy". They selected 18 people out of 80 applications. The last time I checked with them, just like I predicted, they expected 4-5 to actually finish the course. The selected people are not high school students pushed by their parents, most have a technical background and came knowing fully well that getting a programming job in the future will increase their salary dramatically.

LoSboccacc 9y ago

other critical things that miss from current curricula around the world: extracting information from data - evaluating information quality - vetting information for bias - generalizing patterns into paradigms - build value systems out of paradigms - create hierarchy of values - navigate one self trough the hierarchy toward the top