“Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn.” -Stephen Hawking
The world is changing at a fast pace. Today every problem has a technology-dependent solution. And a major portion of this technology is in turn dependent on coding. From sending important office documents via email to instructing the lift which floor to stop at – coding engulfs our day to day ordinary lives. And this is just the beginning. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data analysis etc are all coding dependent – and these are in their infancies. Coding is here to stay. A student who learns to code today will gain hugely in the future.
What Actually Is Coding?
We generally think of coding as learning how to make computers do what we want. But in order to know what coding actually is, you have to understand the philosophy behind coding.
Coding is the process of solving a problem. Yes, coding is not just making computers listen to us. A programmer or a coder is the one who tries to solve a problem. Let’s talk about Charles Babbage here. He is known as the father of the computer. He was the first man (arguably) to come up with a machine that could solve problems involving polynomials. But why would Babbage make such a machine? At that time, people used to consult logarithmic tables while navigating through the sea. The problem was, these tables were filled with errors and were often difficult to reach a solution with. To solve this problem, Babbage decided to make his Difference Engine that could print these Logarithmic tables without any error.
In a more formal sense coding is the language that we use to ‘speak’ to the computer. As you might know, the variations of on and off states (1 and 0) are behind the working of the computer. We call this binary. It is not humanly possible to work with these on/off variations. So we use programming languages to trigger these on/off states. The process of using programming languages to make computer work is what we call coding.
Why Coding Is Important?
Computers are useless without programmes. Do you want to play songs? You have to use a programme that can read MP3 files. Do you want your Microwave Oven to alert you after the heating is done? You need to code that microwave oven. Coding is pervasive in our day to day lives.
As technology is advancing, the demand for coding is increasing. It is, therefore, a viable career option. We are finding out so many new applications of coding. Today Amazon is using robots in their warehouses. These robots need to be programmed. Elon Musk is all set to bring out self-driving cars – of course, coding is vital there. With the 5G Internet of Things revolution knocking at the door, not many days are left when our doors, windows, lights, refrigerators, fans – all become capable of being programmed so that they can serve us more efficiently. So the importance of coding is going to increase spectacularly. A person who won’t know how to code will not only miss out on best career opportunities but also find it hard to lead a smooth urban life.
Why Is It Necessary To Take Coding Courses From Childhood?
Anyone can learn coding at any age. However, today coding has advanced a lot. So you need to spend a lot of time learning about the basics of coding. Then a lot more to learn the advanced stuff. So the earlier one starts the more intensively she can learn and the quicker she can get a job in the coding world. So it is necessary to learn to code from childhood.
Another great reason to learn to code from childhood is the fact that our mind gets polluted with self-doubt as we grow up. Children won’t say ‘ It’s impossible to learn so many advanced things’ – they are not biased against themselves.
We enrol our children to the dance or music class to make them culturally inclined. Time has come when we start enrolling them to programming classes to make them technologically inclined.
Can A Child Learn How To Code?
Samaira Mehta is a 10-year-old coder. She has gained accolades from Google and Michelle Obama. In fact, she has developed a board game that teaches programming concepts. No Mehta is not a prodigy. There are many children out there who have proven that when it comes to coding age does not matter. Joshua Agboola, Tanmay Bakshi, Mahmoud Wael – search these names on Google and see how children are fearlessly embracing coding.
Coding is all about logic and thinking clearly. If your child can learn a language, she can very well learn how to code. An adult can get overwhelmed when he sees the world of programming. But children are not that biased. And they will have a lot of time to learn coding at their own pace.
Learning To Code With Online Coding Courses
Among all the other online courses, it is coding that one can learn entirely online. You can show the students practical examples of coding. From writing the syntax to compiling, from debugging to making it work as an application – you can show everything online. In fact, this is the only course that is best taught online – think about it. Even in real life, the teacher would still be using a computer to show you how to code.
There are many edutech platforms that offer coding courses. There are even applications that can show you how to code. Many of these are free. If you or your child want to learn to code much more intensively, there are paid coding courses available. Here are some of the online startups that are providing Live platforms and intuitive teaching methods to your child can leverage to learn to code –
- WhiteHat Jr
- Vedantu
- Camp K12
- Midchamp
- Educode
- Code Academy
- Tynker
- Code Combat
- Code Monster
- Codeakid
- Coding Ninjas Junior
The Future Belongs To Those Who Know How To Code
Technology is replacing traditional jobs. However, you cannot do anything about it. If you want your child to have a stable career in the future, do him a favour – enrol him into a coding class. A few years from now, day-to-day things will become programmable, we will be more dependent on apps, our computers will be far superior. The golden age of coding is yet to come. But when it comes, it will outshine other careers. Is your child ready to take that proverbial ‘one small step?’
India’s new-age edtech startups focusing on teaching Live coding and robotics to children have started changing the horizon of digital India. Like any website, quality content is going to make a huge difference to their reach as well in addition to other digital marketing tactics. Content writing services having expertise in the subject and backed by people with knowledge of coding will offer value like nothing to them. From creating enjoyable blogs for children, parents, teachers, and school authorities to developing case studies, eBooks, whitepapers and other marketing communication materials, a content writing company such as these will be the best for them for outsourcing content writing services. For full-service content support, write to [email protected].
