Does coding belong in math class? How about science? Or even language arts? The answer is a big YES! How do we bring coding into these other content areas? Here are TONS of great ideas.
Coding is the language of the future — and the present.
It empowers people to custom craft a website, create flashy animation and run machines.
It is and will be a vital, marketable skill to many jobs that haven’t yet been created but will exist for our students.
This language of the future is a foreign language to many of us.
It is to me. My grasp of coding includes the most basic concepts of HTML, which creates web content. I learned BASIC as a sixth and seventh grader and created some fun programs with a friend for our regional media fair.
Even though I’m not a master coder, I would like to be — and I’d like my students to be, too. That’s because coding gives you so much more than the ability to create a web page or to program software.
It promotes some of the skills and values that I want to see in my students — and in my own children.
6 reasons why you should teach coding.
1. It promotes complex thinking.
Writing code takes deep, involved thinking skills. There are so many moving parts. The terminology is vast.
When you have thousands of lines of code and you have to remember what you’ve written, where it is and how it affects what you’re doing now, it’s a mental exercise of organization and logic and creativity. Sounds like the kind of brain work that I want to promote.
2. It opens doors of possibility.
Can’t find the kind of website that does what you want to do? Make it.
They say “there’s an app for that” but you can’t find it in the App Store? Create it.
“It doesn’t exist yet” becomes less and less of an excuse for inaction when you know how to code — or at least how coding works.
You can create it yourself. Learn how to make it, and if you can’t figure it out, Google it. I created this site, Ditch That Textbook, not because I’m a super web developer. It was more because I had a problem I wanted to solve and was willing to create a solution and dig for answers to problems that popped up as I created it.
In this digital age, “I don’t know how” isn’t an excuse.
3. It breaks the “I can’t” barrier.
My students all too often fall into the “teacher-driven robot” mentality. They think only as far as necessary to complete an activity, pass a test or get a grade. Often, this mentality promotes an “I can’t” mindset. Coding blows the doors off the “I can’ts.”
Give students a doable coding assignment and let them complete it. Then they can.
Have them go to the next level. Then they really can.
Teach them how to wield this technological weapon at their disposal. Then there’s very little they can’t do.
It’s a total mentality shift.
4. It gives access to something that’s everywhere.
As we start to understand how coding works, we see the world in a different way. Looking at the URL of a webpage becomes a snapshot into how it works and how it was created.
A basic knowledge of the logic of coding is a key or access code of sorts. It gives you access to things you never could reach before. It allows you to tinker with the guts of a website (and learn how to fix it when it comes to a crashing halt!).
Code is everywhere. If something touches my day-to-day life in so many places, I want to have at least a basic grasp of it.
5. It demands attention to detail.
A single wrong letter can be the monkey wrench that grinds all the gears in your programming to a halt.
Use the wrong command in that software you’re writing? Better head back to the drawing board to work it out.
In these days, when text message abbreviations are popping up all over and atrocious spelling and grammar are all over Facebook, a little focus on details is needed. Thankfully, coding promotes it.
6. It forces you to make something.
Ours is a consumer society, especially when it comes to online information.
We read articles. We check out each other’s Facebook statuses. We listen to music and watch YouTube videos.
But we rarely contribute. It’s so easy for our students to do a Google search and find what they’re looking for (or a reasonable facsimile). Why would they make it themselves?
Because the world belongs to the makers.
Because the deeper learning comes from making rather than consuming.
Because if we were all consumers, nothing would ever get accomplished.
We need more makers. And coding is the language of making.
25 ways to get kids coding across the curriculum
How can we begin to get kids coding in all content areas like math, science, and even language arts?
In a #Ditchbook chat, moderated by Brain Aspinall and Karly Moura, educators shared their thoughts on computer science and how we can move past teaching it in isolation. They provided ideas and shared examples for bringing coding and computer science into ALL subject areas.
Also be sure to check out this Wakelet collection to see the whole discussion including lots of examples on how educators are celebrating the Hour of Code.
Related posts:
For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links:
Are you looking for quality, meaningful professional learning that both equips and inspires teachers?
Matt provides in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions that equip, inspire and encourage teachers to create change in their classrooms. Teachers leave with loads of resources. They participate. They laugh. They see tech use and teaching in a new light. Click the link below to contact us and learn how you can bring Matt to your school or district!
Is Matt presenting near you soon? Check out his upcoming live events!
