Coding and App Development

Introduction

With the increasing use of portable devices and the explosion of small, specialized programs (apps) the market for custom tools has never been greater - and so is the need for students to understand how these tools are created. Programming or coding is not reserved for the computer science major or the stereotypical geek. The ability to code and create software is within the reach of school-aged users, and will only get easier. Technology's purpose is to extend our capabilities and make complex tasks more efficient and easier. The process of programming is a good example of how tools are being developed to make the process more visual and manageable, reaching a wider range of programmers and a younger audience. Technology is making it easier to self-propagate, I guess.

Students can program for web-based tools, apps, or software. They can program to control robots or 3D printers. There are many different languages for programming, and the interfaces range from drag-and-drop puzzle pieces to text-based commands.

So in the context of literacy, there are a number of arguments one could make to justify the inclusion of programming and coding in education. From a media and critical literacy perspective, I would argue that students need to have a basic understanding of how digital tools are developed because of their influence in society. We rely, almost blindly, on programs to communicate, process, share, and produce in both our personal and professional lives. Without at least a basic understanding of their construction, then we are simply passive consumers who rely on the creative ideas of others.

There are courses in programming at the high school level, but the inclusion of building these digital tools can be justified in subject curriculum and ICT outcomes at any grade level. For example, many of us have created websites with students for curricular purposes, and that is a form of coding. In their infancy, websites were coded by hand in html code by a finite number of people that understood the process. In time, tools developed to allow a greater number of people to code using software editors or web-based generators, and now anyone can create a website.

I expect that the same transformation that happened with website coding will occur with the development of apps and software. Students, with minimal training, will be able to develop their own apps and software that meet a need in the classroom. When we consider the increasing use of technology, giving students the ability to fashion their own tools isn't just a MacGyvor skill - it's providing a skill that they take to any community or job.

Module Activity

You will create a digital object by programming it yourself. You have two choices, and you can submit either a link or screenshot to show it was completed. Regardless, write a paragraph with your submission that explains how coding could be integrated into an existing activity or lesson that you currently teach in your curriculum.

These activities are meant to give an appreciation to building blocks that go behind the digital tools that we and our students rely on. The ability to understand the language in detail is not necessary, but an appreciation for the possibilities should be a consideration when we define literacy in the digital age.

Choice One: Use Google for Education's Code with Google curriculum to try your hand at a coding activity. You can try Scratch, Grasshopper, or Android Studio. Choose an activity that challenges your level of coding.

Choice Two: Using MIT App inventor, create an application that you could use on your phone/tablet for educational purposes. This can be something simple that is based on one of the tutorials on the MIT App Inventor site.

... or Project Extension

Considering the emphasis that we place on portable devices and the explosion in apps, you can design your own application. You can choose the platform and focus of this app, and it certainly could lead into your larger overarching project if you want to beyond the basics. This could be a simple application for information purposes, or an interactive tool you create that relates to student engagement and classroom practice.