Many people talk about CODING and why we need to teach our kids How to Code, but very few people can define what coding means and thus understand the real importance of it. Every time that I teach a class I always start by having my kids define what coding means to them and I get amazing responses; from ‘telling a computer what to do’ to ‘is what you use to make programs’ but this can even be more simple. Coding is simply ‘learning another language’
Wait…What? Yes! that’s the usual response that I get from my students when I tell them that CODING is nothing else than learning how to communicate with a computer in a more ‘basic’ language that can allow us to become content creators rather than just consumers. And the reason that I wanted to open this week’s Blog entry by sharing this experience, is that this way I can also explain a little better to you; mom or dad, how a simple line of text can nurture your child’s creative thoughts in so many different levels that go well beyond the technology to become a real-life skill and mindset that your child will need for his or her future. Coding means to learn how to prioritize and understand sequential thinking while also encouraging your child to break down problems.
Today, coding has become mainstream in terms of popular recognition, but guess what? Still, with all the programs and incentives that you can find in the market, there’s still a great shortage of new professionals, and high school graduates perusing jobs and careers related to Computer Science and S.T.E.M. So this means that even if we are all aware of the importance of learning to code, today it’s still very hard for companies to hire knowledgeable individuals in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; which, of course, all include as a main skill-set the ability to understand and write code.
Various sources predict that by 2026 careers related to computer science like Software Developer and Applications will have a 30.6% increase averaging annual wages of $100K+ Some other more progressive predictions say that kids today will make a future workforce for jobs that haven’t been created yet. Amazing titles and fields like ‘Genetic Counselor’ (Yes, this is real, go ahead and Google the term) will flood an evolving job marketplace all with the same underlying foundations of Computer Science and technology.
Aspen Meineke, mechanical engineer and after-school STEM program for middle-schoolers, was able to put this into better perspective on her ISTE19 TED where she explained why 65% of today’s kindergartners will work in jobs that don’t exist today, and how we should all help our students to ‘find their Spark’ with STEM-related fields that could allow us to narrow the gap for high demand CS (Computer Science) professionals and our society’s needs.
So why do we look so much into the future and why is this important today out of all days? It’s important because next week (December 7-13, 2020) we are all celebrating the importance of coding and Computer Science through the Hour of Code initiative which, for those of you who are not very familiar with the concept, is basically a celebration where kids from all over the world can learn how to code minigames designed for 60 minutes of self-paced learning. So if you ever wondered if your child would enjoy Coding, why not start here and then if ‘the spark ignites’ you can take it a little further by scheduling one of our FREE Minecraft and Roblox Classes from BRICKSandCODE.com
By the way, for all our LEGO fans, you can also schedule a FREE LEGO S.T.E.M Challenges class here
Want to share your thoughts about this article? Please do so by leaving your comments below! Help us spread the word to continue motivating kids in shaping our future through the power of S.T.E.M and Computer Science! ☺
Lina Correa
Mom & Bricks 4 Kidz Kendall Owner