Drones:

What is coding?

• Coding has 3 essential elements: understanding a goal/problem to solve, breaking down the tasks complexity into a series of simple instructions (algorithms), and an event that will trigger the code. Think of BeeBot:
  • You pick a target to arrive at (goal)
  • You press it's buttons to instruct it about the steps it will need (instructions / algorithm)
  • Then press it's 'Go' button (event).

Or, think of it in terms of cooking, and following a recipe:

• The target is to alleviate that gnawing feeling in your stomach. (goal)
• You work out what materials and procedures you'll need to cook some yummy mac & cheese (instructions)
• When the cooking routine is complete, you serve it up and —voila, not so hungry now.

Algorithms

• Private tech companies in the US (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon) have done a fantastic job of bringing the value of programming skills for young learners to the public attention. Through initiatives like the 'Hour of Code', over a million K-12 students in North America have been introduced to the concepts of controlling characters on screen through simple programming tools. Apple, with an interest in stocking their App Store with apps that leverage their ever more sophisticated hardware, have released coding apps, teacher resources, and curriculums marketed with slogans like, "Everyone Can Code".
• Never ones to allow market forces to dictate our realities, educators across the globe are paying careful attention. At this point, no province has a clearly articulated strategy for how to introduce this area of skill development into classrooms. Who will create the guide documents (unlikely to be a stand-alone curriculum) and define the training teachers will require? What standards (if any) will emerge around the technology to be mastered? How will these resources and programs be funded and presented to the public? When can we expect this program to see light of day? Why?

Thinking by Design

Coding is another example of learning experiences to engage students with design cycle thinking. Call it problem solving, or scientific method, or even the writing process; it amounts to pretty much the same thing. What makes a coding environment so effective as a learning platform is that it is very precise in what it requests and how it must be satisfied. You will KNOW that you know when your code works. "Simple as that!"

As an amateur coder with experience in several different languages—some of them quite sophisticated—my previous sentence scares me quite a bit. The brutal truth about most coding environments (tools for writing programs) is that there is little to no inherent scaffolding of the skills required for success within those tools. You have to read at a high level. Problem solve like an Calculus Whiz. Memorize syntax like a Linguistics Lunatic... you get the picture. Coding can be a brutal experience which I wouldn't wish it on any student (or adult) that wasn't completely prepared.

So, the challenge of introduce meaningful coding experiences to young children is a delicate one. But, good educators across the country are doing it.

In the media:

Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/3693932/teaching-coding-in-canadian-schools-how-do-the-provinces-measure-up/