Codeverse asks you to imagine a generation that not only appreciates the tech they use but also understands it and knows how to create a brighter future for the world with it.
So much of the world around us is reliant on the benefits of technology to solve complex problems. We use technology to wake us up in the morning, prepare our morning coffee, Google the weather, socialize on Facebook, work, entertain ourselves, and live our lives in the way we’re accustomed to.
That’s a lot of technology, and while we’re thankful for it when we remember to be thankful, how many of us really fully appreciate all that software developers do to make our lives run as smoothly as they do?
There’s so much more to technology than the IT team at work saving us from syntax errors or loops in bad code. Unless you have a job that centers around computer programming, you probably live most of your life blithely unaware of all the code that surrounds you.
Teaching our kids coding skills can change all that for them and their future. Imagine a world full of coders who understand and appreciate computer literacy and the way things work beyond what they see?
Imagine a world full of people who not only have an appetite for change but the ability to use coding instructions to facilitate that change? If you could make something easier for yourself or the people in your community, you’d do it. Teaching our kids to code from scratch gives them that ability, and it empowers them to be the change they want to see in the world.
So, how does teaching our kids how to code benefit the world?
When we talk about leaders, especially world leaders, we often think of power because to lead, power is inevitably involved. But, what kind of power will the leaders of the future be endowed with? What kind of critical thinking power and logic can coding give them? And what can they do with that power?
To quote the motivational speaker Tony Robbins, “Identify your problems, but give your power and energy to solutions.” Problems exist. They just do, but learning to find the problem and work towards a solution is what makes us successful at dealing with them. Coding is the creative solution to problems, and learning programming language teaches invaluable problem-solving skills.
Imagine a world of thinkers who could accept that they may have made a computer code error and who possess the patience to find the problem and think through the process of fixing it. Coding can teach anyone that, but imagine a generation that grew up knowing that mistakes happen but also that they have the power within themselves to put things right.
The power of positivity isn’t just a cool phrase from the WWE’s former tag team New Day. Positive thinking is the ability to persevere. Positive thinking isn’t about seeing a problem and giving up. Positive thinking is seeing a problem and feeling that rises in yourself that says, “I can do something about this.”
Positive thinking is good for our health, and endowing the upcoming generations with it can be the gift we give to the future.
Teaching our kids how to code in languages means that they learn that they don’t have to wait until they’re a grown-up to be part of something big. They don’t have to wait until they’re an adult to do something exciting and creative in order to see real results.
They learn that they can affect change in the world right now at whatever age they are. There’s power at this moment, and they don’t always have to wait for the next one to do something amazing.
A child can create art, games like Minecraft, program a robot, and more through coding right now, and seeing and sharing their creations can create pride in what they can accomplish. They learn that they have the power to be creative and solve their problems now. It’s confidence in the power of now.
When you get down to the absolutely purest language of any computer, you learn that computers, all computers, use binary. It’s kind of like if you could only answer every question with a “yes” or a “no”, but for a computer, the answer to every question is either a “1” or a “0”.
When you consider that information, it’s easy to see that there’s a lot of power in change. If the computer receives a “1” where there was once a “0”, it starts off completely different. That’s easy enough to accept. How much of our lives would change if we got a “yes” instead of a “no”? Or visa versa. Would we be in our current relationship? Would we be in our current careers? What would have changed?
When our children learn to code, they learn that small changes can make a big difference. What’s cool about that? Everything. When our children see that they can have an impact now and be a significant part of something bigger than themselves now, they’ll grow up with the confidence to continue to affect change for the betterment of the world around them.
Coding teaches problem-solving skills. Identifying a problem is often one of the biggest hurdles in solving the problem, and coding encourages that ability. Knowing that they can fix what’s wrong if they just breathe, retrace their steps a bit, and fix the errors, they find along the way can do a lot for helping a child think through other problems in life.
The world would greatly benefit from a population of thinkers. We’re all different. We’re all unique in how we are creative, how we are talented, and how we think. But, just being open to thinking through problems would push us away from constant emotional responses and allow for real, logical solutions to emerge through our differences.
Teaching kids how to code through programs that connect them to other children teaches them that sharing ideas and learning from others is an exciting way to do more. Collaborating on creativity leads to more creativity. Collaborating on problem-solving leads to more solutions than just what you could come up with on your own. Collaborating can change the world.
World leaders meet together to discuss ideas for how we can work together for the greater good. Imagine a world where that’s a concept we practice in all areas. Being open to the ideas of others, learning from the thinking process of others, and expressing your own thoughts and ideas to help others are all stepping stones for making the world a better, more cohesive place.
When a child learns algorithmic thinking, conditional statements, and computational thinking, they learn that coding is about creating. Whether they want to see the video game of their dreams come to the life on the smartphones, iPads, or tablets in front of them or animate their artwork to tell a story, they learn to take what they learn to new heights and possibilities.
Code is in the world around us every day, and it took a lot of creative thinking to make it our reality. The world still needs creative minds. Teaching our kids how to code can make sure that they have an appreciation for the technology and platforms in their lives as they grow, but it also gives them the resource to have a hand in the tech and create what they can dream of.
One of the longest periods of creativity in history was the Renaissance, and it was literally what separated the Middle Ages from modern history. If that’s not a testament to the power of creativity, you can also look at almost every major advancement since then, and it all comes back to creative minds tackling everyday problems to find solutions.
When we encourage our kids to learn code, we could be encouraging the generation of creators that can build a future that’s brighter than we can currently imagine.
There’s so much that kids can gain for themselves from learning to code, but what does it do for the world if they learn to code?
Teaching our younger kids or older kids how to code can be their key to power, and it can empower them. Then, finally, the world would have a generation with the power of positivity and creativity. Imagine the world they could build for themselves and the future.
Click here to book a free coding class for your kid today!
Sources:
Tony Robbins | Biography, Books, & Facts | britannica.com
Bits and binary - Introducing binary | GCSE Computer Science Revision
