Coding is a way of understanding the computer language with the help of a series of inputs and outputs. In simple words, coding is defined as a set of Step-by-Step instructions that we provide to the computer to perform a particular task. With the help of coding, the students will gain insight into the inner workings of the technology and determine how that can be used to solve a particular problem.
How Coding is Beneficial for the Kids?
Coding enables young minds to enter into the realm of 21st-century modern technology and gives them the power to create interactive apps & games. Given below are some of the points which tells how much coding is beneficial for kids
1. Promotes Computational Thinking
With the help of coding, the students will learn valuable skills of computational thinking which consists of a mechanism to logically break down complex problems into simple and manageable bits and develop the steps to solve them.
2. Turns Ideas into Reality
The students who engage in STEM education have tons of innovative ideas. With the help of learning to code, the students can bring life to these innovative ideas by creating an app that will be helpful for many people. Thus coding bridges the gap between an innovative idea and its execution.
3. Learns Logical Thinking
While writing a code the students need to formulate a step-by-step procedure to produce the desired result. This involves making the use of logical statements and sentences as a part of coding to get the desired result. Thus, In order to create these logical statements, the student has to learn about logical thinking which is a valuable skill.
4. Builds Resilience
While coding sometimes the code does not give the desired results as expected by the student. Thus, the student analyses the entire code to find out what went wrong and keep modifying the code until it works perfectly and gives the desired outcome. This builds resilience in students and they develop a never-give-up attitude and learn from their mistakes.
5. Witness Maths in Action
The coding provides a chance for students to get a practical understanding of mathematics as its statements usually involve math expressions that must be resolved in order to move forward in the program. With the help of coding the student will develop Math skills and also learns about the real-world applications of Mathematical concepts.
6. Teaches Critical Thinking SKill
The student who learns to code will develop critical thinking skills and become good decision-makers. It happens because while writing a code a student has to go through the following steps
- Analyze the problem
- Gather Data & Information about the problem
- Based on the data think of possible solutions for the problem
If one solution doesn’t work then students use critical thinking (make decisions based on logic and reason) about what went wrong and try out another solution until they receive the desired output.
7. Develop Algorithmic Thinking
The best way to learn Algorithmic thinking is to learn to code. The usage of algorithms in coding is very essential as it adds efficiency to coding.
If the student understands how algorithms work then he can predict the outcomes. Instead of thinking about a new strategy of doing a well-defined thing, with the help of algorithmic thinking the students can use a tried-and-true approach to get the desired result.
In algorithmic thinking, everything is based on IF-THEN-ELSE process where IF(Conditional Expression), THEN(Consequent), ELSE(Alternative)
What is the Most Suitable Age for Kids to Start Coding?
The government understands the importance of coding and its usefulness for our young generation thus in the New Education Policy 2020, coding is added for the students from Class 6th onwards. The young kids possess good grasping power thus it is advisable to give exposure to coding from an early age so that they will develop a strong foundation about it. Early the young minds learn about the art of coding the better it is for them.
How Coding is an integral part of STEM Education?
The coding shares a common link with all the 4 STEM education domains which are needed to understand computer science. With the help of coding, the students will learn and develop Maths skills and learn about the inner workings of Technology.
“21st century STEM is a key learning area where Code is its Literature, logic is its grammar with various programming languages.”
-Utkarsh Tiwari, Program Manager at Tinkerly (IIT Delhi Alumni)
Many STEM programs involve coding as a part of their curriculum. Some of the STEM projects involve coding projects which consist of solving them using coding skills and testing the desired outcomes.
The coding skills are useful for Data analysts to analyze data and solve a problem, the engineers use coding to test the product and overcome technical issues then in many STEM careers there is a need for coding skills.
Conclusion
So far we have discussed the benefits offered by coding to the young minds and understand how coding is an integral part of STEM Education. In the second part of this blog, we are going to discuss how your kids can begin their journey of learning about the coding concepts with the help of using block-based visual programming language like Scratch and will discuss various things related to coding.
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