Coding is something that has always excited but eluded me. At about 13 I had some minor skill with HTML but had little knowledge that could be called proficient. The experience using Sketch Coding (something mentioned in a previous post) was excellent and definitely something that I would have enjoyed as a student. I am certain that I am not alone when I say that among my favourite days in elementary school were when we would go into the computer lab. Often this was to write essays but occasionally it would be for some interesting critical thinking about internet safety or using programs to learn about the digital world. I would have been all over this kind of programing at that age, especially if it meant I could start learning to code a videogame such as bellow.
I continually think that students are going to be interfacing with technology more and more. Their innate skills can only take them so far, so if they want to access all that is possible then they should learn how they can take the first steps at the very least. This begins, in my mind, with typing, but extends to the “behind-the-scenes” aspects such as code that generates their online experience. This is also tied easily to other parts of the curriculum. For example, we recently used block coding in science class to model the communication of disease using programable robots called Spheros. This excited me greatly. All cross curricular examples are incredibly exciting to me but when engaging with technology I think it will make information so much more demonstrable that it can change learning dramatically.
