Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
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Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#2The video is worth watching.
I like this initiative. For some reason it brings up a lot of cynical responses, but if you really think about it, it's a pretty good thing to encourage young students to learn at least some coding.
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#3We need to push two major initiatives in education: the ability to code and the ability to manage finances.
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#4We need to push two major initiatives in education: the ability to code and the ability to manage finances.
Sounds like an idea for summer camp. Add how to cook, and you'll take care of 80% of adult life!
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#5Most challenges faced across the global are cultural and linguistic in nature. The heavy dependence on English is a huge barrier to most children and young adults out there. All my attempts to introduce young cousins and nephews to coding failed because they are at the stage where anything not in their own tongue is unfathomable. I looked into making a small ny-own-dialect-based mini language but it seemed that a better approach is to simply translate existing well designed and well maintained efforts such as Alice. Any idea on how to begin doing that or whether a similar translation project is underway?
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#6We need to push two major initiatives in education: the ability to code and the ability to manage finances.
Coding is probably the easier one to achieve. Very few people have an interest in making sure you never learn to code.
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#7We need to push two major initiatives in education: the ability to code and the ability to manage finances.
Sounds like an idea for summer camp. Add how to cook, and you'll take care of 80% of adult life!
Figure out how to train social skills too and you'll not only have 99% covered, you might even stand to be the next corporate giant. :)
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#8Most challenges faced across the global are cultural and linguistic in nature. The heavy dependence on English is a huge barrier to most children and young adults out there. All my attempts to introduce young cousins and nephews to coding failed because they are at the stage where anything not in their own tongue is unfathomable. I looked into making a small ny-own-dialect-based mini language but it seemed that a bet…
> All my attempts to introduce young cousins and nephews to coding failed because they are at the stage where anything not in their own tongue is unfathomable. I looked into making a small ny-own-dialect-based mini language but it seemed that a better approach is to simply translate existing well designed and well maintained efforts such as Alice.
If they are young, its the optimum time for language acquisition. So, it may be easier (and have more side benefits) to teach them English and then programming rather than creating a customized programming environment catering to their native language to use to teach them programming.
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#9We need to push two major initiatives in education: the ability to code and the ability to manage finances.
America has a problem where if students were taught about proper financial management and making proper financial decisions the college system would fall apart, because students are expected to commit to huge debts that are often very questionable decisions. The system relies on students never understanding the magnitude of the debt they're committing to, spend 10 minutes reading the personal finance subreddits and it's shocking to see the $200,000 commitments 18 year olds were allowed to make for fluff degrees.
England lacks proper financial education too, it wasn't until I was 18 that I found out how taxes worked, up until 18 I thought the taxes paid were flat rate (eg: 20% on everything or 40% on everything, vs. 20% on the first x...). Recently the company I work for offered me a pension plan, after talking to a financial advisor I discovered just how valuable starting a pension young is, up until that day I thought a pension shouldn't be a consideration when young. Super simple and super important things, completely ignored by education.
Thankfully for England there is a really great consumer rights person called Martin Lewis that does a bunch of consumer finance things and recently he's been pressuring the government to introduced compulsory financial education to schools and it very recently was confirmed there will now be compulsory financial education in British schools: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/family/2013/02/financi...
Re: Code.org – Dedicated to growing computer programming education
#10My grandfather took the time to teach me some BASIC back when I was around 7 years old, and it led to my career. I've been working at teaching programming to my kids as well, but the video here inspired me to give the same chance to other kids...
I contacted the principal at my kids elementary school and offered to use my expertise to help any way I could. We get so caught up in what we're doing, it's easy to forget that just a small bit of effort can have a significant impact on peoples lives.