Summary
To make an application or website, learning to code is of the utmost importance
Anyone can learn coding despite their academic stream
Children are innately curious and teaching them how to code at an early age can go a long way
Have you binged watch a series on Netflix lately? Have you used your microwave to heat up your frozen pizza? Have you connected with a friend living abroad via Google Meet? If the answer to all these questions is yes then you code on a daily basis. In order to control cycle times and water temperatures, your washer and dryer are likely loaded with computer chips and lines of code as well.
Programming can be found on the street, at work, and even at the grocery store. Every time you leave your front door or even when you're inside, you involuntarily participate in programming. Nowadays, the majority of traffic lights are miniature computers, and citywide traffic networks are also managed by computers. Even on elevators, which depend on processing units to direct them to the right floors, you can't avoid the code.
But what is coding? There are over 7,000 languages that we humans speak across the world, but do computers understand them? Not really. To communicate with a computer, one has to be able to speak in a language that they understand. There are over 300 such languages, collectively called Programming Languages. The ability to write down instructions in a language and manner that a computer can understand is called Coding. When we deliver instructions to the computer in a language it understands, we can make it perform a variety of functions - in other words, we can develop software, websites, applications, video games and so much more.
In the 21st century, coding is considered to be one of the most desired skills and has been one of the highest-paying jobs in the world. The ability to code was formerly thought to be only for computer geeks, but now it is considered either a must-have or a good-to-have for many a job role. And why only professionally, coding has transcended an Engineering education and is now a sought-after skill for children in primary school, as well.
Why Should Children Learn Coding?
Technology has almost taken over the world and there’s no turning back. In the foreseeable future, we’d see the youth of today developing and creating software which would become an essential part of our lives. But how would this be possible without basic knowledge? Coding is the basic knowledge required to both have diversified career opportunities as well as to create software applications.
There are several reasons why it's crucial to learn how to code, and why it should be taught in schools starting at a young age. Children are innately intellectually curious. It is also easier to teach them to think logically at a young age, because stronger foundations have already been laid. Coding is one of the fascinating things in the world, and parents may get their children interested in it at a young age by teaching them how to code through games. It has been seen that children's chances of success are higher the earlier they start learning to code. Besides the obvious career opportunities, Coding can have other benefits for children as well. These are:
Students learn to code through a primarily creative process that begins with nothing and results in something. A questioning approach is the first step toward creative thinking. Additionally, by learning to code, interested and imaginative children can develop into the next generation's original thinkers.
Children who learn to code are taught to fix mistakes as they happen and to attempt things again in new ways. In addition, learning to code gives children the perseverance and problem-solving skills they need to excel in life. Many other fields might benefit from this kind of problem-solving attitude.
Children who learn to code become more resilient in the face of failures. They discover that failure isn't always a negative thing and that it is often valuable since it provides a lesson. Coding enables students to attempt and try again until they succeed and get the desired result.
In the rapidly changing world that we live in, quite clearly learning to code is almost akin to a life skill - and more so for the generation that our children make up. No matter what area they choose to work in, whether it be technology, finance, retail, health, or another, an adult who learnt to code as a child will have an edge in life with many more career choices accessible in the future. Therefore, it has become an essential skill to learn in today’s times.
To celebrate World Youth Skills Day, The Telegraph Edugraph brings Skillfest 2022 to enable and empower the young students of Kolkata. The contest is open to students in standard VIII-XII. The last day to submit the entries is 13th July 2022.
Click on the link to apply: Skillfest 2022
Last updated on 06 Jul 2022
