Specifically, I learned to program in elementary school (2nd generation programmer), but when I was in 6th grade my school system had its first programming class. Unfortunately, the teacher didn't know how to program so I taught everybody including him. (It was the 90s in a rural school system). Having to explain things to others made me a.) think about my own thought processes and b.) think about why I was taught/learning to do things the way I was. It made me aware of the meta aspect of programming: It isn't enough to know how to program: It's also necessary to be able to think about one's own process.
Specifically, I learned to program in elementary school (2nd generation programmer), but when I was in 6th grade my school system had its first programming class. Unfortunately, the teacher didn't know how to program so I taught everybody including him. (It was the 90s in a rural school system). Having to explain things to others made me a.) think about my own thought processes and b.) think about why I was taught/learning to do things the way I was. It made me aware of the meta aspect of programming: It isn't enough to know how to program: It's also necessary to be able to think about one's own process.