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Today, schools are introducing STEM education and robotics to children in ever-lower grades. In Beyond Coding, Marina Umaschi Bers lays out a pedagogical roadmap for teaching code that encompasses the cultivation of character along with technical knowledge and skills. Presenting code as a universal language, she shows how children discover new ways of thinking, relating, and behaving through creative coding activities. Today’s children will undoubtedly have the technical knowledge to change the world. But cultivating strength of character, socioeconomic maturity, and a moral compass alongside that knowledge, says Bers, is crucial.
Bers, a leading proponent of teaching computational thinking and coding as early as preschool and kindergarten, presents examples of children and teachers using the Scratch Jr. and Kibo robotics platforms to make explicit some of the positive values implicit in the process of learning computer science. If we are to do right by our children, our approach to coding must incorporate the elements of a moral education: the use of narrative to explore identity and values, the development of logical thinking to think critically and solve technical and ethical problems, and experiences in the community to enable personal relationships. Through learning the language of programming, says Bers, it is possible for diverse cultural and religious groups to find points of connection, put assumptions and stereotypes behind them, and work together toward a common goal.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 22, 2022 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780262368551
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780262368551
- File size: 1245 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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February 1, 2022
Many people espouse the view that learning how to code will ensure career success; Bers (child studies and human development, Tufts Univ.) takes a refreshingly different tack, arguing that learning how to code is a new kind of literacy, one that prepares young people to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and play well with others--even if they don't go into a tech-related profession. The programming languages that she has developed for younger children are intended to strengthen character, develop coding skills, and foster computational thinking. For each of the ideas that she explores in this book--the coding playground; coding as another language; coding as a colorful palette of virtues; coding as a bridge--she provides compelling examples from teacher and learner perspectives and powerful insights into how teachers can integrate values and virtues into teaching. Likening learning how to code to the stages of learning to read, Bers uses these phases to craft developmentally appropriate curricula, to pace and sequence learning activities, and to assess mastery. The book is filled with original ideas, apt metaphors, and international perspectives, as well as suggestions for further reading and useful resources (curricular units; positive technological development tools; assessments). VERDICT Fascinating reading for educators and educational researchers working in a variety of settings.--Elizabeth Connor
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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