4 Reasons Why I Got Involved With the Hour of Code Movement
Coding will significantly shape the landscape of education. Efforts such as the “Hour of Code” have spearheaded an interest in the science of software, a subject that will eventually become an essential part of every student’s education. Here are four reasons why you should be a part of the movement.
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4 Reasons to be a part of the “Hour of Code” Movement
- Code will become a core skill
Students learn science to better understand the world in which we live. Today’s world happens to be highly dependent on the science of software. From mobile phones to electricity and traffic infrastructure, software controls all of it. If anyone wants to learn how our world operates today, they must study software. Teaching people to code will address the shortage of professional programmers and stimulate creativity and problem solving skills. - Code is easy to learn
There have been a lot of changes in the industry. Some of us may remember how time consuming and complicated programming once was; learning how to code 10 to 15 years ago required a lot more training. However, thanks to the advancement in developer tools, coding is much easier. Integrated Development Environments (IDE) has allowed developers to write and test their code almost instantly and has made rapid software development become a reality. - Teaching code is fun
When I began teaching code, I didn’t have any formal teaching experience. But because of the abundance of coding material available on the Internet, I realized enough resources were available for me to coach others. I created my Hour of Code courses using material available on the web in addition to instructional videos. The process was more fun and less time consuming than I had thought. - More people need to understand the importance of code
Many people have yet to recognize how important it is for students to learn coding. I grew up in Hong Kong and was one of the few students who had the opportunity to learn code in high school. Despite China’s amazing economic growth in the last 20 years, many parents and students fail to see the importance of learning software. My goal is to help spread the message about coding in China through the free courses that I offer.
I encourage you to take part in the Hour of Code movement. If you don’t know how to code, start by taking some free courses online. If you are a professional developer, take the time to teach someone. If you are a teacher, see if you can find ways to incorporate coding into your curriculum.
Remember, coding is a team sport. While lots of individual coding practice is necessary to become skillful, most developers will agree that teamwork is the most important component. So for this summer, find a couple of friends and a coach to start your own coding project.
