Get serious if you promote coding

Grandma and Porter exploring iteration at the Apple genius bar.

We are in the midst of the “Hour of Code”. Schools have made this a popular annual event pointing to the vocational opportunities for programmers and to the potential benefits of “computational thinking”. Both outcomes have potential benefits to learners.

Here is the issue. All of the attention and energy associated with the “Hour of Code” seems to dissipate quickly without much actually having been accomplished. Those adults who find this cause justified need to look beyond “the hour” to invest time and resources into real change. My concern is that ed tech folks find satisfaction at this level and do little to move this cause forward. There is too much focus on elementary school experiences and not enough on resource commitments in the upper grades.

A plan for real change

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