This blog post has been flying around the SIGCSE and AP lists this past week, but I wanted to post a link to it again. This is a great post and one that we all need to read.
Everyone needs to understand how to write a bit of code. In order to truly create or innovate, everyone need the basic skill of code writing. If we are going to remain a nation of innovators, we need to teach kids how to “crank code” as these skills are often used to help cool ideas take root.
My sons are both in elementary school and are learning to write code in Scratch. They will transition to languages like Python and Java when they are ready, but they are already learning fundamental Computer Science concepts like decision-making, iteration, and list processing that will enable them to create and innovate later.
A+ Computer Science Blog – www.apluscompsci.com
Computer Science is COOL!
A co-worker of mine wrote a response to Rushkoff’s article which I posted as a guest post on my blog – http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alfredth/archive/2010/10/05/should-johnny-learn-to-program.aspx I’d be interested in what you and anyone else thinks of it. I’m still confused in my own mind about the issue right now.