Tech Teacher : Guest Blogger Grace Kwee on Coding in the Classroom

Are you hesitant to jump on the coding bandwagon? That’s understandable. Writing code for computer programs seems to be a great skill for aspiring computer programmers, but what about the rest of your students? Well, I’ll tell you why coding proves to be valuable for all students.

Students can feel successful in designing their own computer programs, but when there’s an error,students have to find the mistake in the code and fix it, which contributes to further success. In short, coding encourages students to think, troubleshoot, and persevere, all of which are important life skills. As far as social development goes, you’d think coding would discourage communication, but that’s far from the truth. Seymour Papert, MIT mathematician, computer scientist, and educator, points out that in technology-rich classrooms, there’s actually more socialization going on, and technology often contributes to greater interaction among students and instructors.

Are you convinced enough to try coding in your classroom? Check out these coding resources to start your students in taking small steps toward learning important life skills!