
Coding is the new cursive writing – and we have to embrace it - cdl
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/coding-is-the-new-cursive-writing-and-we-have-to-embrace-it/article35776671/
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taylodl
It was going well until the author implicitly conflated "learning to code"
with "learning HTML." This is the narrative that needs to be fixed.

There's three kinds of coding:

1\. Systems

2\. Applications

3\. Analytics/Problem-Solving

There's no need to teach everyone how to do systems or applications
programming. Zero. Zilch. Nada. What they _do_ need to learn is how to solve
problems, create graphs and charts, etc. That potentially involves learning
Python, R, Fortran, Matlab, spreadsheets, etc. Essentially we need to
introduce them to the idea that your computer is the best programmable
calculator ever created and that you can chuck your Texas Instruments
calculator and solve much more kinds of problems of much higher complexity.

Thing is schools have already started going down this path for document
creation. Kids today know all about word processors, presentation software,
image & video capture and manipulation, and so forth. Now we just need to
introduce them to another set of tools for STEM-related problem-solving and
then we're all set.

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netzone
It doesn't even have to go as far as writing code, which can be a real
bottleneck for some people.

Visual programming is getting larger by the day, and it's a much smaller step
for people to take.

It lets you focus more on the actual logic of the things, which is what I
think is most important when teaching programming.

There's no point in teaching people how to work with javascript libraries,
memory management or any kind of specific programming if that's not what
interests them.

It should be as much surface-programming as is possible, and still letting
them create cool stuff.

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Powerofmene
It is unlikely to go the way of cursive writing though given that cursive
writing is no longer taught in a large number of schools in the United States.

