Skip to main content

Week 9 [22.05-28.05.2017] - Let's teach kids to code

By
For some of us studying at PJATK was first time when we learned to code. Programming is not only about language we are coding in it’s mostly about logical thinking, we need to think what we want to do and then figure out how to do it. In this point of view we can see that programming is a way to start thinking more creatively. Nowadays there are more ways to learn how to code with Minecraft children can learn it with graphic interface linking blocks of actions together. So for more reasons why children should learn to code I invite you to watch the presentation.

https://www.ted.com/talks/mitch_resnick_let_s_teach_kids_to_code/

Questions:
What do you think about this idea?

Do you agree with Mitch about pros of learning to code?

Comments

Sylwia Pechcin said…
I've seen a lot of books with titles 'Programming for kids' or something like that. I think it's a great idea, but only if kid wants to learn it. Programming isn't such easy, especially at the beginning. A good idea would be to let parents and teachers observe kids at school and if someone would notice that kid is doing well with maths and logical thinking, they should propose learning to code. Otherwise it makes no sense, because you should understand it well to learn it.
I agree that learning to code makes people more creative and more logical thinking.
22 May 2017 at 19:58
Magdalena Popek said…
I believe teaching children to code is not only about coding. There are schools who teach children to code starting from 4/5 years olds. My friend asked me how is it possible if a child can't even read properly? But it's not about the coding yet, it's about thinking in a certain way. Because programming does not require solely 'producing code', but thinking logically. So first they teach children how to think and then teach them to code. In my opinion it is a perfect solution.
Some people say programming languages will be soon as important to know as natural foreign languages. And I totally agree with that as technology is becoming increasingly important. At the same time it's becoming increasingly dangerous, so that future generations should be more than just a typical user of the Internet knowing how to open Facebook.
25 May 2017 at 12:56
Unknown said…
Teaching kids is a challenge, because most of the kids don't like to study. And there are some alternative ways of teaching. By teaching kids to code we are not only teaching them programming, but thinking - they have to understand the problem, they have to thing about the best solution, they have to face the fact, that they don't know something, so they have to discover how to make it differently, find solution or just to learn something for this specific problem.
On the other hand, I know that there are kids, who will love it and there are kids who will hate it. I'm not sure if it is good idea to teach every kid something like this. I believe that you should show them, that there is something like that and willing ones should have got an opportunity to continue.
26 May 2017 at 09:09
Jagoda Bielawska said…
I think that is very good idea. Programming can teach you thinking logically and also creatively. I'm sure that learning how to code, brings only good for kids. Technology is becoming more and more important, so it is great to be familiar with it.
26 May 2017 at 09:20
Unknown said…
I totally agree with you!
In this field, coding is similar field to maths. I mean it's about a certain way of thinking. It's not only about making apps etc etc. That's why, I think 4-5 years old children are able to start coding. I'm sure it's possible and would improve lots of skills.
The same situation is with stacking Lego bricks. It develops a lot of different skills - even including patience training :D To be honest, I'm not patient, but stacking Lego helped me in improving it.

To sum up, I think teaching children to code is a perfect idea. Perhaps not everybody will like it, but I'm sure it helps in many different fields.
26 May 2017 at 17:02
Unknown said…
I totally agree with your opinion. Not every child is interested and has predisposition to Coding. If he/she achieves good results at school, then should be proposed to start journey with Coding, but only by fun, otherwise it could not succeed.
26 May 2017 at 17:04
Łukasz Stawiany said…
Yeah, it must be fun. We are talking about learning but of course we shouldn't interpret this as kind of learning we have in college. Kids should be learn in way to interest them in topic and make it fun, so I fully agree with you.
26 May 2017 at 17:52
Łukasz Stawiany said…
It should help them in many ways, because now methods of learning how to code, at least the way of the right thinking are much more adapted to younger people. With games like minecraft you can learn to "code" even no knowing that you do, so yeah now it's much better times to learn this than in the past when only you can do was reading a book a trying to learn from it.
26 May 2017 at 17:57
Łukasz Stawiany said…
Of course that not everybody will love it or like it. But with new really attractive ways of learning we should just try to interest them in it enough to just try it, because it can just help them in future.
26 May 2017 at 18:03
Łukasz Stawiany said…
Thanks for comment and that you agree with idea.
26 May 2017 at 18:03
Andrzej Gulak said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
27 May 2017 at 18:26
Andrzej Gulak said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
27 May 2017 at 18:26
Unknown said…
I think that teaching children programming for the sake of programming is bad. When used as (one of many) tools to build up their creativity and expand their imagination, that surely would be useful thing.
27 May 2017 at 18:45
Łukasz Stawiany said…
Yeah I totally agree with you, we can't force anyone to be programmer but we can try interest them in it and with these new methods we can learn them logical thinking in more attractive way then in normal math class.
28 May 2017 at 10:15
Łukasz Stawiany said…
Fully agree with you, thanks for comment.
28 May 2017 at 10:16
Unknown said…
In my opinion this is a great idea to teach children to program. Immediately reminded me of the company "Technology will save us" (https://www.techwillsaveus.com). That's true that technology surrounds us. I think it's a good idea to give children toys that will build themselves and program. In today's world, if we are able to program, we have many opportunities for development. More and more is needed as much as reading. I'm in the artistic-technical direction I mean graphic design and many times I would need coding skills otherwise, I must be very limited.
28 May 2017 at 11:54
Krzysztof Skorupka said…
I agree that teaching kids to code is a very good idea. There is still a lack of technically educated people and the present system of education often does not fully reflect the needs of the labour market. Of course, not every child will become a computer scientist or software developer, but I agree that learning to code is not only about writing code. Programming gives you a new perspective on the problems, teaches you how to approach them in a different ways and solve them effectively. However, I also believe that not everyone has natural predispositions for these things, so regarding teaching to code in schools, we can not push children too much to learn programming - above a certain level of advancement such courses should be optional.
28 May 2017 at 12:16
Unknown said…
I think that this is great idea, the sooner kids will start learning programming, the better for them. These days people have to know technology and at least a little bit programming, as more and more jobs are being replaced by robots, or technology improves all the time. Kids should learn this from the very beginning, as it improves their creativity, logical thinking and so on. In my opinion it is very beneficial. Not everybody has to be an IT specialist, but having a little technical knowledge base...I think it's very valuable.
28 May 2017 at 13:14
Łukasz Domeradzki said…
I have mixed feelings. I'd instead definitely recommend a good logical video game that can improve thinking in certain programming-like specific ways. Especially puzzle games achieve that in superior way.

I just can't imagine 5yo boy sitting in front of compiler and writing code. Sure it's useful skill to have, like many other ones, but after all I recall my childhood as rather relaxing period when I didn't have things to do, skills or any idea about adult world - I just wanted to have fun, and I want my children to also have fun, being a programmer myself.
28 May 2017 at 14:03
Michał Pycek said…
I think it is a great idea and it would have helped many of us programmers at the beginning of our journey. I think thatkids should be learning logical thinking and I have heard that they could do it for example by playing chess. I got to know that chess playing is not only a sport discipline but also it has been already granted permission to become a primary school subject. The kids who have the abilities to think logically quicker and to have analytical mind, become even more skilled, and the ones with troubles at least get to practice.
28 May 2017 at 14:43
Shashkov Oleksii said…
I think that teaching children programming is not just learning to write their code and to teach them more algorithmic thinking. But it would be a good idea only for those children who really want to become a programmer in the future but not for everyone. This decision shouldn't be like "programmers earn good money , work in the office, well my (child's name) will be a programmer" I think this is fundamentally not the right approach as in this case, the child suffers because he's doing what do not want, and Rynok Troyes because a lot of people , and really qualified specialists in one unit.
28 May 2017 at 15:20
Unknown said…
For the last several centuries, people relied on the written word to spread ideas. The ability to write was the ability to create change. Today, writing is not enough. To change behavior, it is crucial to leverage the digital medium.
Consider the Arab Spring. Social media enabled a revolutionary wave of protests and demonstrations that changed the course of the Middle East. Writing played a crucial role in exposing the injustices taking place in the region, but people also needed a way to organize and protest. An essay, no matter how well-write, couldn’t have brought about this change by itself.
We’re seeing all around us that programming is changing the world.
28 May 2017 at 15:31
Maciej Główka said…
I think it is a very good idea. I think it is clearly for most people, that there will be more and more technology that surrounds us. I don't mean, that everybody should be developer. In my opinion basic coding skills will help understand what's going on in a world for example 20 years forward.
28 May 2017 at 17:49
Wojtek Kania said…
I think this is good idea. But for me it shouldn't be compulsory. I think everyone at my age knows Logo Komeniusz. It was a turtle that drew lines. Child wrote commands like 'np 20' and turtle drew 20 pixels length line. It was like programming. But only a few kids like this. Programming is amazing, but in my opinion if it will be compulsory only a few kids will enjoy this.
28 May 2017 at 19:02
Kateryna Skachek said…
I think this is a very good idea. Even if the child will not be interested in programming, he will have basic knowledge, which in the world of computer technology is very useful for him.
28 May 2017 at 20:05
Unknown said…
Teaching kids programming is a great way to develop logical thinking. Of course, parents should show their children pros of programming and technologies because we are living in the technological era. But there is no need to force children to learn coding. It's just not for everyone. Some parents only think about high salaries and prefer to force children into programming even if they don't want to.
28 May 2017 at 20:34
Łukasz Grzybowski said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
28 May 2017 at 23:09
Łukasz Grzybowski said…
I think it is a good idea. Nowadays, we have a demand for people who can code, as we live in times where everything is automated by computers, and technology improves our life. If we teach our children how to code, we will have more experts in this area. It will also benefit them, because learning programming is like learning another language. This develops more connection between neurons in the brain which helps the cognitive development.
28 May 2017 at 23:11
Unknown said…
I think it is very crucial and beneficial (both to kids and society) to teach kids how to code. It improves logical reasoning, gives strong foundations for future IT oriented jobs and is just overall fun.
28 May 2017 at 23:21
Unknown said…
This program is quite cool for kids, of course it would be interesting and useful for both kids and parents. For me coding always sounded very hard, I tried it once and failed. but when i was a kid a enjoyed Ms Paint, could spend hours with it. Maybe parents should just watch attentively what their children are into, it should not be only coding or something else. Just the things they like. Then it will be success.
28 May 2017 at 23:26
Krzysztof Lichota said…
We talk about it all the time. I think we should teach kids how to code to improve their logical thinking. I think it would be really great for kids. We grew up in slightly different times but now I think this is obligatory for all of the children. Even if they don't want to work in IT it would help them with other stuff. Just logical thinking, which is very important. I don't think we should force kids to do it but show them that it also can be fun.
28 May 2017 at 23:29
Adam Paśniczek said…
I think it is good idea. This knowledge is more important than learning biology or chemistry. It seems to me that in the future coding will be well known at least in the basics. On the other hand kids should have a free hand to do what they want to, without being forced. Schools should create spaces for this kind of learning.
28 May 2017 at 23:38
Vyvyan said…
You are all talking about logical thinking, teaching, learning,demand for programmers and so on, yet you fail to realize that not every kid may want to "learn how to code". Why? because it is very often boring as hell, and does not produce enough visual award for a child to be interested in it and forcing our offspring to learn this might proove to have just the opposite effect to which we desire. Besides what we desire might be slightly different from the things our children may desire.
28 May 2017 at 23:41
Unknown said…
Well the best option to learn how to programming is write your own code and find solution in our problem. I have started to learn programming when i have to write program on GUI and TPO and noone cant help me thats why i used google to find how to solve that problem and now i think im quite good in this. Someone can tell us he dont have enough knowledge to start programming but i think its not a problem and you can find a lot of solution in internet. Teachers cant really learn you a lot of programming skill but he can create a way for you which you wawnt to learn.
29 May 2017 at 00:27
Jakub Mańkowski said…
As every idea for children if it works it is good. But it is not so easy to make children to like something - you can love football and your child after few tries may say it is stupid and that is not for him - instead of that he might start painting. All roads to be more creative are good to go but never a must, and not for every child.
29 May 2017 at 19:14
Bartosz Łyżwa said…
There is no golden middle in teaching children. In my opinion it depends if child is/would be interested in programming. I think graphical interfaces can increase attractiveness of programming for younger coleagues and it makes sense because usual programming would be boring for them - it's only my opinion.
30 May 2017 at 20:33
Krzysztof Maciaszek said…
I think that it is really a great idea, in fact Sweden recently introduced a program in which every kid in school will learn how to code.
The purpose of it is not to make everybody a programmer, but to learn how to think in different way.
I hope that similar program will be soon introduced in polish schools.
3 June 2017 at 16:55
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 12 (12.01-18.01.15) Are you an early bird or a night owl ?

By
Owls are nocturnal creatures. They’re wide awake at night and they sleep during the day. If this sounds like bliss to you, then, like about 20 percent of the population who find themselves most active at around 9 pm, you may fall into the same category as our feathered friend. Night owls often have difficulty waking up in the morning, and like to be up late at night.  Studies of animal behaviour indicate that being a night owl may actually be built into some people’s genes. This would explain why those late-to-bed, late-to-rise people find it so difficult to change their behaviour. The trouble for night owls is that they just have to be at places such as work and school far too early. This is when the alarm clock becomes the night owl’s most important survival tool. Experts say that one way for a night owl to beat their dependence on their alarm clocks is to sleep with the curtains open. The Theory is that if they do so, the morning sunlight will awaken them gently and natura...
59 comments
Read more

Week 4 [06-12.11.2017] This is what happens when you reply to spam email.

By
James Veitch is a British comedian. In today’s Ted Talk James with characteristic for himself a sense of humor shows how he deals with spam emails and why responding to junk messages may be sometimes dangerous. Questions: What do you think about James’s  way of dealing with spam? Why are junk messages legal, even though it sometimes may be a fraud? Dou you have a problem with spam? How do you deal with with it?
43 comments
Read more

Week 11 [03-09.06.2019] The problem with ecological cars emission in UK

By
The problem with ecological cars emission in UK Since the adoption of the European Emission Allowance Directive in the European Parliament, all car makers have tried to submit. Since 1992, the Euro I standard has been in force, which limited the emission of carbon monoxide to the atmosphere. The Euro VI standard currently applies, which limits the series of exhaust gases. These include: hydrocarbons, nitrogen and carbon oxides, and dust.   The most significant change was brought by the Euro IV standard. For the first time it introduced the limitation of nitrogen oxides, which are responsible for the harmful compounds of smog.   What is smog?   Smog consists of sulfur oxides, nitrogen and carbon. In addition, solid substances such as suspended dust (PM). Dust suspend in atmospheric aerosols may be in liquid and solid form. These can be particles of sea salt, clouds from the Sahara and artificial compounds made by people. These compounds...
32 comments
Read more