Coding key to decode complex knowledge systems
Besides the obvious benefit of opening up additional career options in the future, the real victory of coding is to spark children’s curiosity about their surroundings and bring about a change in the way they perceive, analyze and derive insights. conclusions about their varied experiences.
Modern learning is about equipping children with the right tools to design their paths and their future. Images, books, colors, stories, videos are all tools that can equip children to read and understand at their own pace. And Coding is one of those recent additions to the toolset.
We live in a world strewn with products that use code – our phones, banking systems, home gadgets, even homework and assignments delivered to a centrally accessible cloud are all concrete examples of how children today experience the code! Suffice it to say that code has thus become an enabler in today’s digital world. In such a scenario, the question must therefore shift from “Should my child learn to code?” to ‘How can she learn it better?’
All children, everywhere should be equipped with tools that will help them make sense of their world. And coding is one of the most powerful tools in their arsenal to achieve this goal. Besides the obvious benefit of opening up other career options in the future, coding the real victory is to arouse children’s curiosity about their environment. And by causing a change in the way they perceive, analyze and draw conclusions about their varied experiences. Yes, they can create cool tech projects, apps, and games using the programming languages and principles they are taught, but the journey from being overwhelmed by a seemingly unsolvable problem statement to breaking it down into its smaller components and then solving those smaller parts is the learning outcome that parents should focus on. Coding, as a discipline, is uniquely positioned to help children look beyond the obvious arguments and solutions and challenge them to subject information coming at them from all directions to the rigors of Socratic questioning, with its emphasis inherent on critical thinking, analysis and design. thinking. In a world riddled with misinformed opinions and misinformation, this is one of the most valuable skills a child can have. Fortunately, at this point, there is a lot of research that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that programming makes children better at processing information and solving problems. Once they’ve learned these skills, they can apply them to any area of study that inspires or excites them – whether it’s something as universe-defining as quantum physics or the science of esoteric fermentation or even something as convenient as online shopping to facilitate commerce.
These seismic shifts in the way children consume their learning are not just due to changes in curricula and programs over the years; they are a direct result of the emphasis on personalized learning paths that avoids the adoption of a one-size-fits-all approach to education in most modern classrooms. Qualified teachers don’t just encourage, they emphasize the learning-by-doing approach, using project work and the ongoing development of technology products like mobile apps, games and websites as a medium. effectively learn and retain concepts to reinforce their students’ learning. foundations. It is rewarding, indeed, when children learn to design solutions to the most difficult situations, based on the lessons learned from these experiences and developments.
Recently, a group of students, during one of our special sessions, were discussing the cultural nuances in the application of artificial intelligence. The conversation quickly turned into a heated debate about the ethics of machine learning and whether superintelligences should have legal/human rights! It was impossible for anyone to have written or prepared the direction the discussion ended up taking, which was the perfect example to highlight what was said earlier – the key to understanding the world is not to learn the answers, but to know what to question and how to question it.
Having seen firsthand the benefits our children have derived from knowing and applying the principles of coding, there is no doubt that coding, as a skill, means nothing if it ends up simply becoming a another way for children to regurgitate what has been drilled into their heads.
As caregivers and educators of the next generation, our joy should not come from new child-initiated apps or completed projects on time, but from an endless persistence of “but why from our children”. We can consider it a job well done when we have ignited the spark of reflection and questioning in each child’s mind.
