Coding in the Classroom

Youtube video by Brian Aspinall

Coding. I remember first being introduced to coding in a high school computer class. Throughout the class, the teacher introduced us to the codes behind creating a basic webpage, but not in the way one would think. Instead of presenting and discussing the codes with us, the teacher left it up to us to find them. In every class, we were presented with another piece of information to add to our webpage and then turned us loose to search for the codes to use on Google. This may seem fun, but to me, any interest that I had at the beginning was gone by the end. Instead of viewing the class as fun and exciting, I came to see the class as another grade.  I did not care to further explore coding on my own. Instead, I chose to only find the codes I needed to get the grade I wanted. So once the class was over, I forgot everything I "learned" in the class. I could not tell you how to get on the webpage I created or what I even had on it. Not once have I even considered using what I learned in that computer class outside of the class itself.

Sadly this is a problem that students in school face today, especially when it comes to coding. All students care about is how do I get the grade I need to pass. They do not pay much mind to how the information can help them outside the class.

Whether we like it or not, coding is becoming an even more prominent feature in our everyday lives. Practically everything we encounter runs using codes; everything from phones to TVs to cars to even a coffee machine uses codes to function correctly. As a result, more and more jobs are becoming available that require the workers to be knowledgable of basic coding. So what does this mean for our students?

Photo retrieved from Flickr
Photo by San Jose Public Library 

It means that as teachers, we can no longer present coding in a fashion that only has students learning the material long enough to pass. Instead, we must use the lesson to spark an interest in students to where they want to learn. We must get students to where they not only want to become proficient in coding but that they enjoy coding as well. This need to spark students' interest comes with a question; how? How do we, as educators, start the spark that leads to a lifetime of learning how to code in students?

The answer to this question is simple; we must try to spark their interest in coding at a young age by presenting coding in a way that is fun and meaningful to them. Chontelle Bonfiglio states that "they[sick] key to developing a love of problem solving, logic, number sense, and digital literacy is to incorporate these skills needed to code into activities your kids already love!" (par. 4) By presenting elementary students with a game that promotes coding in a fun way, we as educators are showing students coding in a way that is exciting to them. From there, the excitement can be built upon with each grade.

However, one must be careful to promote learning without the fear of failure. According to Brookhouser and Megnin, "When there's no room for failure, there's no room for growth" (p. 62). So often, students see failure as a loss when instead, they should see failure as a way to learn from their mistakes. Once students experience this loss, most often, they write off the content and do not find a need or want to learn it anymore. That is when the learning becomes only about getting a good grade. It is the fear of failure that keeps students from fostering their interest and turning it into careers that benefit society. As educators, we must be careful not to dwell on the failures and instead use those failures as a chance to learn, to improve.

Photo retrieved from Pixabay

Games that promote coding can help with this fight against the fear of failure. When learning to code through games and fun activities, students do not dwell on their failures for long. Instead, they are bound to see the failures as a challenge to improve, a chance to do better. This need to improve, in turn, can push the students to continue learning in order to be the best. Thus their interest is sparked, and their determination guarantees to make it last a lifetime.

Brookhouser and Megin state that it is "our responsibility to light within our students a steady flame of interest and confidence in technology and the skills it teaches" (p. 69). So the question remains. How are you going to promote interest in coding in your classroom without the fear of failure?

References

Aspinall, B. (2017, September 15) 10 Reasons kids should learn to code [video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S95o5icpDu4

Bonfiglio, C. (2019) How to make coding fun! [blog post]. Retrieved from https://teachyourkidscode.com/how-to-make-coding-fun/

Brookhouser, K., & Megnin, R. (2016) Code in every class: How all educators can teach programming. EdTechTeam Press, CA: Irvine.