The emerging educational implications in apps may be that teachers need to brush off our thinking caps and learn to code. No longer will schools offer IT classes, and students choose the programming course as an option. Coding may become ubiquitous in all classrooms for teachers and students.
The natural progression for app technology in education is that teachers create their own apps directly related to the teaching and learning in their own classrooms. In order to create specific apps related to the learning that is happening in a specific classroom teachers are going to need to learn code. Apps that are specifically created by a teacher for their specific classroom setting will be a powerful tool for teaching and learning.
Continuing the progression, students should learn to code. Preparing students for the tech-heavy job futures is an essential part of our jobs. When students learn to code they can create their own apps related to the learning curriculum. Learning then becomes real to the student, they are using an app they have created rather than one created by a third party. Students are actively involved in the learning process, where teacher and learner are creating new understanding together. Learning is relevant, real and current.
Teachers and students creating and writing their own apps as a would result in a significant education implications. It may result in the students becoming more proficient programmers and innovators that the teachers. That would be a good thing.
Thank you so much for this information and discussing this topic. I too feel that coding is an essential skill of the future. With it we can be more informed about how the internet, programs, apps and technology in general functions. I think that Gabe Newell (in the video on the Coding curriculum link) hit the nail on the head when he said that coders will be the wizards of the future! This is something that we can all do, even if it is through small steps. Something as easy as Scratch can be a students portal into a new world. The assignment this week re-lit my coding fire! Thanks again!
Couldn’t agree more with Ryan. I heard that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were going around promoting the idea that programming needed to be taught in schools. They actually made a video about it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmM_xDzy2nU
I really enjoy that video, particularly because it distinguishes between what people usually think of as programming (writing complex computer code) v. programming in a more every day sense (making Excel perform a calculation, creating a form that will allow you to capture specific data, etc…). The way that you have to think to be able to leverage information in our day and age, which is essential, is what is at the root of teaching people who to ‘code’ or program. Definitely think we should all be thinking in that way.
I love this video! I actually came across it while doing my research. I guess I should have added it! Thanks for the link!
As Alexander mentioned, coding can involve some relatively modest tasks that give us more tools to perform our daily functions. I think that the major hurdle in introducing students to coding is the lack of knowledge among teachers. Most educators are intimidated by the stereotype of the genius coders who seem to have lines of code oozing out of their fingertips as fast as they can talk. Computer programming is viewed as a specialty only reserved for whizzes. Yet, we teach kids hoe to play basketball without expecting them to become pro players, and we teach kids to write without expecting them to become Nobel laureates in literature. Knowledge of computer programming certainly exist on a continuum, and I agree that schools should make greater efforts to introduce students to it. A simple and rewarding way to introduce kids to coding is to use HTLM to create simple web pages.
“W3schools” ( http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp ) is a great resource to get started.
I think you are right about teachers being intimidated by coding – I certainly am! Hopefully, we can start breaking down this barrier by introducing students to coding through interactive apps and games.
Thanks for this link!
Thank you for this site.
I taught myself Html a while back, but have always been confused by CSS. I have also been interested in exploring how to create my own app, so I love code avengers. I used scratch a while back and had fun with it. I think understanding basic coding is an essential skill for educators and in the world of instructional design I am noticing more and more jobs are requesting coding skills. Got any sites for Html5?
Unfortunately teaching adults communication skills there is no time allotted to coding as I guess the general feeling is that if adults want to learn it, they will find a way. When I teach low literacy, it is hard enough to teach them basic culturally relevant thinking skills and how to do simple numeracy, that I don’t know if there is time to teach coding, or how we would even go about it. Coding may be an important 21st century skill, but I often wonder a) what skills or learning might have to be sacrificed if we teach coding, b) by teaching kids coding, will there be an even greater educational and knowledge divide between those who have access to tech and those who don’t and how will the unfortunates be able to catch up. Also should coding necessarily be taught to everyone as it might not be relevant in their lives. Many of my students now who don’t have access or have never learned computers are already highly disadvantaged and struggle to catch up on the basic skills to be competitive in the labour market. How necessary is coding for those who will work in retail or cleaning.
Hi Naomi,
I just did a quick search for ‘HTML5 tutorial’ and came up with a number of sites such as these:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_intro.asp
http://www.html-5-tutorial.com/
Apparently, even though HTML5 and CSS3 haven’t really caught on yet, they are already talking about HTML6 and CSS4!
As for your other concerns:
a) I do not really believe that anything will be ‘sacrificed’ by teaching coding. I understand that there is not time to teach everything but I think coding could reinforce and enhance skills in math and problem-solving that many students now struggle with. I truly believe that exposure to coding will also inspire many students to devote their own time to developing these skills.
b) It may not be necessary or possible for many students to learn coding but I don’t think it is ever a waste to learn something – especially something that plays such an important role in our day to day lives. You never know when or where a skill may come in handy but you know it definitely will not if it hasn’t been learned. Those who are in retail or cleaning may be able to advance further or faster in their jobs, or even get a better job.