<!–Uday Deb
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“Everybody should learn to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” – Steve Jobs
We live in an increasingly digitised, hyperconnected world. There is a digital revolution underway and everything around us is becoming technology-enabled: be it a game on your phone or food delivery from your favourite restaurant.
Our schools are a critical part of this revolution. Schools are slowly adopting multi-modal, hybrid learning through teacher tabs, smart TVs in classrooms and apps that ensure continuity of learning at home. The focus is on making learning engaging and meaningful through a range of audio-visual experiences. All this has been possible thanks to the integration of technology in pedagogy and curriculum.
Every day, there emerge new career opportunities based on analytical thinking, creative problem-solving and number crunching. Though children learn Science and Mathematics in school, is it truly enough to help them prepare for the future? How can we ensure that our children are ready to succeed in a world that is driven by technology?
Generation Alpha, or children who are born post-2010, have no choice but to be digitally savvy. Their world view and perspectives will after all increasingly be shaped by the prism of technology, irrespective of background, location or choice of profession. It has therefore become necessary to introduce them to Coding and Computational Skills early on. This can be effectively achieved by integrating Coding and Computational Skills as a subject in school, which then lays a strong foundation to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Why should children learn coding?
- Critical thinking: Coding enhances critical thinking among children as they learn to make an objective analysis while evaluating an error. The development of critical thinking skills can help students make proper judgments. Being a process of deep observation and analysis, critical thinking allows children to skillfully understand information that leads to disciplined action.
- Future-readiness: The evolving nature of work today means that future employees must be well-versed with digital skills and technologies. A strong foundation in coding can open up a world of diverse employment opportunities across industries, given how services and products are being increasingly digitised.
- Problem-solving skills: Coding provides children the opportunity to solve seemingly complex issues. It challenges and builds their ability to rationalise and has been known to develop cognitive capabilities.
- Nurtures creativity and a growth mindset: By nature, every child is curious. Coding for kids is a fundamentally creative process. Unlike the analog or offline world, where creativity is often a function of material aspects and tools, the only restriction in coding is a child’s imagination!
- Learning by doing: A child learns best by exploring and ‘doing’; and coding naturally promotes this.
Adopting a …….
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/coding-a-core-skill-for-generation-alpha/