Our Take On Coding For Kids
iCAMP holds close it’s guiding principle of preparing children for the future while making learning fun. We feel especially passionate about equipping kids with the tools and skills they will most need to find future success. Coding is often referred to as the language of the future, and while this may be true, we believe that teaching children coding and programming skills will help them practice key competencies which will serve them for years to come and transcend well beyond these immediate industries.
Why Do Kids Need Coding?
To truly impact children, coding and programming instruction must reach further than simple skill-building. Fortunately, coding and programming are uniquely positioned to help children develop creativity, critical thinking, and growth mindset – crucial skills for future success. Developing the foundational technology skills needed to write code and create unique programming equips children with the confidence and resourcefulness they will need to take in new information, think creatively to solve problems, and implement solutions. As Louis Byrd writes in UX Magazine, “What is needed now more than ever is the ability to leverage technology to solve problems and the only way to do that is to understand how to define problems, communicate effectively, possess empathy, and to think creatively.”
Beyond Coding Skills
The coding and programming industries rely heavily on collaboration, as professional coders and developers build on each other’s work to foster continual growth and innovation. This spirit of collaboration must also play an integral role in coding education, in which children must also work together to find innovative ways to approach challenges and create truly new, unique projects. Giving children the collaborative experience of coding and programming will build their decision-making skills, boost their confidence, and teach them to communicate clearly and effectively.
Advantages Of Coding Education
Children who know how to code will develop a deeper understanding of the digital environments that are becoming more ubiquitous with each passing day. “Just being familiar with how code works would help them navigate this terrain, understand its limitations and determine whether those limits are there because the technology demands it — or simply because some company wants it that way” (Rushkoff, 2012). In other words, kids who are “code literate” tend to become more critically engaged and are better able to interact purposefully with technology. This new literacy is a fundamental skill which ensures kids become conscious creators rather than passive consumers.