Week 6- Coding

What are the compelling arguments both for and against computer coding in schools?
At least 1 listed resources and 1 other

This week we focused on the arguments for and against computer coding in schools. I don't have very much personal experience with coding being used in classrooms. My only experience is with Ozobots and in a very limited setting. I honestly was not very familiar with the technology so I wasn't the best person to be able to teach the kids the full scope of what Ozobot has to offer.

As I explored more about coding in education I learned a lot! According to an article by Liana Louwus (2015), an elementary school in Pheonix Arizona implemented a computer programming class in K-8 classes. I think this is wonderful but my first thought is where does the money come from to pay for a program like this. 

According to Matt Harrell, "computer science drives innovation in the U.S. economy society. Despite the growing demand for jobs in the field, it remains marginalized throughout the U.S. K-12 education system" (2015). Taking this into account this article focuses on the idea that with computer science being such an important field we need young people who are ready to work in computer science sector. One way to do this is to start them with coding and exploring computers early. The best time to start is when they are young and in early elementary school. 

There are many benefits for building computer skills in children including:

-Logical thinking

-Problem-solving

-Persistence

-Collaboration

-Communication

For this blog post, I also explored varying opinions when it came to teaching kids to code. An idea I found a lot was kids shouldn't be forced into computer science, there many be some who are not interested in it and by forcing them into something they don't want to do we are doing them a diservice. An article written by Michael Kasier-Nyman. I agree with this thought, but I think it is important to expose kids to a lot of different things to find out what they like. 

To get an idea of how coding can be used in the classroom I explored Tynker.com

This website is focused on different games that give kids a chance to practice their coding skills. It has games for kids grade Kindergarten to Sixth grade and older. The games range from ones about animals, space, cars, creating cities, birds. What I also like is that teachers can create a classroom and track students' progress. 

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Ozobots- It's Your Move. (2015, March 31). Retrieved February 23, 2020,  https://Ozobot- It's Your Move. (2015, March 31). Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_H8HXWFZ4

Loewus, L. (2015, August 27). Coding for Elementary Students: A Growing Trend?. Retrieved February23,2020,fromhttp://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2015/08/coding_for_elementary_students_a_growing_trend.html

Kaiser-Nyman, M. (2015, December 18). Why we Shouldn't Make Kids Learn to Code. Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.epicodus.com/blog/dont-make-kids-learn-to-code

(n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2020, from https://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/teacher