21st Century Skills

One of the 21st century skills students work on in programming is self-regulation. The independent completion of the assignment requires good planning. Critical and creative thinking are also skills that are stimulated during programming. Does the program work well? Can the programming code be improved? Any solution a student devises to a problem requires creativity.

Problem-solving way of thinking

Moreover, because programming starts with a problem for which a solution has to be devised and programs often do not work in one go, students are continuously engaged in problem solving. Sometimes they do this unplugged, but often they use a computer (or tablet). Computational thinking, solving a problem with the help of a computer, is therefore also a skill that is developed when learning to program. Check out online coding classes for kids in Pune.

Together you are stronger

In addition, when students program with a computer, they immediately work on their basic ICT skills. Because how do you actually control such a computer? Communication and cooperation in programming is of course also very important. You often program in a group and good communication is essential in order to come to a solution together.

Programming teaches you more than controlling a robot

Although students work on almost all 21st century skills identified by SLO when learning to code, they are not only useful in programming. Problem-solving thinking is also important, for example, in arithmetic, mathematics, physics, biology, technology and visual arts.

Logical reasoning and pattern recognition are also skills that are useful and necessary not only in different school subjects, but also in everyday life.

Being able to think like a programmer is valuable to every student

By introducing students to programming, you give them the opportunity to develop skills that they can use not only in school, but also in further education and employment. Learning to think like a programmer is therefore certainly not only valuable for technical education and professions. Even if a student does not want to go into technology, it is a great advantage if he can come to different solutions in a logical way. Learning to program is therefore valuable for every student.

Do you have specific questions about robotics and programming? Please contact us. Our robotics experts are here for you!

Example? From the groceries I do at WholeFoods, the headlines I read in The Washington Post, the new leather couch in our living room I'm writing this blog on right now, and Prime's TV shows, to the weather forecast told by electronic assistant Alexa on us Countertop: Behind all these things is one man, Jeff Bezos. The richest guy in the world and boss of tech giant Amazon, umbrella of many companies . He knows more about me than my own mother.

Manipulated

How Bezos knows all this? Data structures, algorithms, functionalities: all a matter of code. I'm not against that progress by the way, I just like to know how I'm being manipulated. And as a journalist, I also owe that to society. Amazon and other tech companies are now more powerful than countries, and politicians understand very little of what is happening there .

Learn to program and you are ready for the job market. Jobs are there for the taking in the tech sector and you can easily earn a ton a year. In 100 days I learned the three basic languages ​​of programming: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. I sniffed through Python, struggled through almost 500 assignments… I was sometimes swearing or with closing eyelids behind the laptop, but it was also fun. I built my first app. Finally read the biography on Steve Jobs. And the more I learned, the more I realized how wide the offer is and how little I know about it. Fortunately, the coding clique turned out to be a warm community, with forums where experienced developers are happy to help the greens move forward. Get more about coding and robotics for kids

So whether you are looking for a new job or just want to keep participating in society. Go crazy this year and invest in a coding course. You really don't have to become a whiz kid.

This is how you learn to program

There are several roads that lead to Rome and so it is with programming. The offer is huge. Therefore, first determine why you want to learn it and what you want to learn.

STEP 1: Choose a language

There are different coding languages ​​and new ones are added all the time, but it's not that one is better than the other. It is mainly about which one best suits your needs. The five most popular coding languages ​​at the moment:

- HTML & CSS. Form the basis of the internet and are often offered together. With HTML you can build websites, with CSS you determine the styling. If you don't know where to start programming, this is a good place to start.

- JavaScript. Where HTML is the foundation, JavaScript goes further. This programming language gives extra functionality to websites.

- Python . Currently the most widely used programming language for data analysis in Silicon Valley, at Google, Uber and Tesla, among others. Praised for its simplicity.

Java. A popular programming language for computer games, among others. For example, Minecraft is written in Java.

STEP 2: choose your pace

Now determine how quickly you want to learn how to program. An intensive twelve-week course under supervision, for example, or rather at your own leisure? Often, entry-level online training courses are free. A selection from the offer:

- Code conquest . A good platform for the starter with a lot of information on where to start. (English, free)

- freeCodeCamp . An ideal platform to learn to write code through exercises. You do this on your own. Offers seven courses and at the end of each course you will receive a certificate.

A computer is a similar programming tool, such as a carpenter's ax and the easel. The most important thing is the development of knowledge and skills, and you will be able to create practically on any machine. This means that there is not much difference in learning to code. Of course, choosing a language for writing programs can play a decisive role when a young man begins to present himself as a promising specialist. But it will be a little later.

For example, if we consider web programming (where to start is also a question) then there is a minimal set of front and back technologies without which full web application development is impossible at any work site. And the extensive set of programs is beyond the reach of the beginner's programmer and he is not the one who basically can start programming. You can also find online coding classes for kids

Classics of programming recommend laying the foundation in three directions:

A strongly typed language - such as C / C ++.

Entirely OOP-oriented language, traditionally considered JAVA.
A scripting language with a choice of classics like shell, sed, awk or Perl or something new. If you want to spend less time and effort learning, PHP does.

Of course, today when new technologies emerge almost every day, it is unlikely that anyone will follow the precepts of the experienced on how to start programming. Probably a more pertinent answer to this question will be, what needs to be done to start programming in at least one language? But the recommendations obtained are only suitable for the development of primary skills and nothing more. In real life, any popular programming language, or rather its study, can be compared to studying, for example, Russian in high school. The analogy is incomplete, but indicative enough to understand what is at stake. You have to start with the simplest - learning the "alphabet" of programming, and then.

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Either way, a potential employer either pays well to an experienced programmer, or pays little, but doesn't require any special skills. Therefore, coming back to the question "how to start programming", you have to answer something like this: with the accumulation of experience. And this means that it is always necessary to write applets anytime, anywhere, like an artist who wants to improve his skills and draw anything that caught his eye. Exercise leads to excellence, and even for excellence, many are willing to pay good money. For example, now even the early sketches of famous artists cost a lot of money.

The last item to mention here is the need to create so that it can be narrated or written later. In other words, we are talking about creating the programmer's portfolio, where the source code will be presented - from the very first creations to all the advanced achievements in this area. With such support, conversations with potential employers will be shorter and the need for a resume may even disappear on its own - job offers will simply start to come.

Tip 2: Google is your best friend
On our website you will find a lot of manuals and example projects. Although our range of instructions continues to grow, you will still need more information. There are numerous Dutch and English websites and forums on these topics. There is therefore a very good chance that someone else already has an answer for your question.

Tip 3: It is also useful for children to understand the basics
You probably want to start programming because you want to make something cool like a robot. That is of course a nice project, but it is also very big. It is important to master the basics before continuing. Otherwise you will run into things you cannot do yet, which is very discouraging. Take it step by step, start small and keep expanding. That way you never skip important steps in the learning process.

Tip 4: Go to a CoderDojo
There are dozens of CoderDojos in the India . At a CoderDojo, children between 7 and 17 years old can learn to program. The CodeDojos are organized on a voluntary basis and are generally completely free to attend. In principle, the CoderDojos are opened at least once a month. Get more online coding classes for kids

What can you expect from CoderDojo?
At CoderDojo you can learn everything about programming. Think of websites, games, apps or even robots!

Gaming
Gaming is of course a big part in the life of a developer. Not only building games, but also playing games is part of CoderDojo!

Technology
In addition to digital projects, you can also get started at CoderDojo with, for example, Arduino to build your own devices.

Make friends
The atmosphere at CoderDojo is very open and everyone is welcome! This way you can quickly get to know other children who are also learning to program.

Pizza
Devel Open and pizza go hand in hand. That is why we sometimes practice this by ordering pizza together in the evening!

Are you stuck with your project?
Are you working on a project yourself and are you struggling to resolve it? Then come to a CoderDojo, here are undoubtedly people who can help you further.

Tip 5: Play with the example code
If you found a sample code online, you probably read it first. This is not enough to really understand the code. If you really want to learn to code, you have to tinker with the code. The programs generally contain instructions and notes so that you know what the code does. However, reading is not the same as understanding, and actually trying to write the code yourself. We therefore always recommend not to copy and paste an example code, but to retype it. This is how you learn to program the fastest as a child.

Tip 6: Take a break if you can't figure it out
If you are going to debug (Detecting and fixing bugs / errors in the code) you can quickly get irritated. Debugging can take a long time if you have large code. There is also no assurance that the problem will be solved. To prevent this, it is best to do something else. If you come back later with a fresh perspective, you will probably be able to find the problem faster and easier. So if help isn't available through any of the above tips, take a break. This way you can clear your mind and come back later.

Programming fun for children?

Children can certainly learn to program in a fun way. Most programming languages ​​are accessible for free, so you don't have to make an investment before you get started. Do you really enjoy programming in Scratch and have you already mastered it? Then we recommend purchasing a Micro: bit, Arduino or Raspberry Pi. It is more fun to be able to see the result of your work in real life instead of from your computer screen.

Generation Z

Generation Z grows up with robots. It will soon be the most natural thing in the world for them. Today's children are already used to their parents communicating through their gadgets and 'controlling' devices with hand gestures. This teaches our children that you can interact with devices in many different ways. As a result, they have a completely different perception of technology. Technology is self-evident for many children, but they do not always understand how the software works. That is why it is very important for them to learn to code, in order to get better opportunities on the labor market. Fortunately, there are more and more toys that can help children with this, at school such as with the bee-bots, but also at home and in different price ranges and for different ages.

There is also a drawback to these technological developments. This creates challenges around the physical condition of the children and also problems with fine motor skills - simply because they no longer learn how to use colored pencils or how to play with blocks.

Why is coding important for children's development?

As I described, you cannot do without technology in the future. For example, a study by ING recently estimated that 35% of all jobs have a chance of becoming automated and disappearing. In some sectors it will be a true battlefield. A study by Oxford University estimates that the probability of shop assistants being replaced by technology within 10 years is 92%. However, that does not mean that there will be no more work for our children. Many new jobs will be created for which programming and ICT knowledge will be crucial. New jobs that were not even available a decade ago. Think of a 3D printer design specialist, a drone dispatcher or a neuro-implant technician. That is why it is important that children come into contact with this at an early stage.

Being able to use apps and other technologies is one thing, it is also nice to understand how it works. So that you are not only busy with using it passively, but can also use it actively. A bit, sign in a piece of code, consists of 8 1s or 0s. Together they give a certain meaning. When coding, you write a lot of those 1's and 0's in a row. I don't know if it is a coincidence, but Co de caterpillar also has 8 elements that you can add or not to give the caterpillar an assignment. In this way they learn to code and program at a young age. Not so much with bits and bytes, after all, they have to learn to write first. But the way of logical thinking that is behind it. It is a completely different way of reasoning.

Steve Jobs said it in clear terms: "Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer ... because it teaches you how to think." Joek van Montfort actually puts it even better and says: “Programming, the art of converting your imagination into something crystal clear, is extremely useful to introduce at primary school. It is an additional form of expression that stimulates language and thinking. It not only encourages trial and error, but also the will to improve trials until the mission is accomplished. ” After all, the usefulness of programming is not only in the end result such as the app, website or other application.

By learning to code, your child learns skills that they can greatly benefit from in many other professions. Think of skills such as:

• Creative and logical thinking
• Spatial awareness
• Problem solving ability
• Structuring
• Collaborate

Neelie Kroes is the European Commissioner for ICT and Telecom and, among other things, initiator of the European Code Week. In this video she explains why learning to code is important, but also fun and exciting. “The programming itself is fun and exciting, but that is nothing compared to what you can ultimately do with it. Learning to program is like becoming a secret agent. You will be able to understand things that many others don't even know exist. ” She also strongly emphasizes that coding is not only for boys, which is still often thought, but certainly also for girls.

Coding / programming toys for toddlers

Co-De-Rups Fisher Price

With Co-de-Rups, the little ones learn to program in a playful way. Co-de-Caterpillar is one of Fisher-Price's newer educational toys and 2016 Toy of the Year winner. This toy goes beyond learning ABCs and 1-2-3s: it teaches kids independently to think. It fosters 21st century skills such as curiosity, experimentation and problem solving in ways that children have not yet known. Your little one will discover new possibilities in a playful way. They learn cause and effect. Stimulates the eagerness to learn, now and later.

Younger children will have a lot of fun switching the segments and discovering that the caterpillar will move differently. Older children will experiment to find out how they can control the caterpillar's behavior themselves. That requires trying, observing and thinking carefully about what each segment contributes to the movement of the caterpillar.

Co-de-Rups stimulates abstract and technical reasoning skills. It teaches a child to make assumptions about the function of the different segments and to see through experimentation whether the assumption was correct or not. Then the child can use the acquired knowledge to manipulate the behavior of the caterpillar - in fact, program it.

Experimentation often involves trial and error, so it can also lead to frustration when things don't go as planned. Especially with younger children, some guidance from a parent will occasionally be necessary. These toys are also likely to promote causal reasoning in other areas. Especially children who like to understand technical matters will have a lot of fun with Co-de-Rups - even after 5 years.

Penguin stones

These penguins teach children to indicate direction, the directions, find the same and opposite, finish rows and give directions by means of arrows. In short, a lot of possibilities to get started with these nice stones. They are made from a natural resin / stone mix and are therefore ideal for indoor and outdoor use. After all, learning with penguins in nature is much more fun or how about freezing them in water and then thawing them again?

Codi, My robodino - VTech

Get to know different music styles, feelings and characters together with Codi, my robodino from vTech. Place the spines on Codi's back and see what happens! The set contains 3 spines per category; music style, feeling and character. Each color has its own shape so you can only place it in 1 place. This makes it possible to make 27 different combinations. Press the dino dance button to watch Codi dance. After playing, store the spines in the dino egg! A kind of first form of programming for children, but with sound.