According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of the fastest-growing occupations are in computer science and related fields – expected to grow 53.4% by 2018. Still, according to a survey of over 1 million ACT test takers, over 90% of high school graduates are NOT interested in a career focused on science, math or technology.
“An understanding of coding can provide a strong foundation for many degrees and career paths, including computer science, where there are three times more computing jobs than graduates,” said Annabel Cellini, SVP of Strategic Marketing, Pearson Learning Solutions. “As part of Pearson’s commitment to the Hour of Code campaign and our mission to be Always Learning, we’re encouraging all of our employees to take part in coding activities for one hour during Computer Science Education Week.”
In this video, eight of Pearson’s computer programmers share their stories of knowing how to code and how that has led them to success and also their beliefs about why students should learn to code. Pearson agrees that the field of computer programming has been misunderstood and are excited to join with over 100 other organizations and Code.org to show how essential, yet fun coding can be.
Pearson is a Getting Smart Advocacy Partner.
L. Baker
I think learning how to code teaches kids about thinking critically, and the importance of process driven tasks. It also gives them a bit of confidence in having the ability to pick up tech-related subjects. These skills can help them later in life regardless of whether they become programmers in the professional sense.
In addition, there are several programming tech camps out there for kids that mix learning and fun. Placing our kids in environments like these not only gives them an introductory experience to learning how to code, but can also provide that needed setting for mentoring and teamwork. A great example of this is the Programming Academy at iD Tech Academies.
There are several others out there like this as well. Some of them are online only and after-school type programs. I think the real question here is not necessarily the validity of teaching kids how to code, but more so how do we create and then channel an enthusiasm for tech related learning. For in this day and age we can’t afford to ignore the strengths of computer literacy beyond the basics.