TECHNOLOGY
Learning to code develops young minds Learning how to code from an early age will prepare the youth for the digital world of work and entertainment, writes Levi Letsoko
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rganisations offering extracurricular IT projects for school learners have succeeded in demystifying computer programming. From a distance, coding and robotics resemble rocket science. But when fused with fun and games, as well as the prospect of job security in the future, these subjects capture young learners’ interests. Former professional teacher John Naicker left the classroom to head up ed-tech start-up EDRO where he learned how to develop an effective learning programme. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Think Camp, an organisation that runs an online programme teaching children how to code.
FROM CODESPACE TO THE TECH INDUSTRY Codespace coding and software engineering courses form a pipeline from school into the workplace. “Learners who do our courses in school can move directly into completing our professional qualifications after they matriculate. Alternatively, our learners are first in line to apply to receive university scholarships to study Computer Science or IT at university through our Tech Leaders Scholarship programme,” says Emma Dicks, Codespace founder.
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“Our lessons are all run live and focus on giving children the skills and concepts needed to start creating their own apps, games and websites,” says Naicker. “Think Camp was founded to get kids to create digital products rather than merely consuming them. We strive to give them the skills, concepts and confidence needed to achieve that.” Naicker points out that it is important to teach coding using the same teaching formula and age-specific concepts as mathematics. Coding concepts can be taught successfully to learners from the age of nine and those who start early can gradually adopt more complex coding concepts as they grow older. Founder and director at Codespace Emma Dicks aims to revolutionise and transform education models to prepare young people for the 21st-century world of work through her educational institution. An advocate for an inclusive economy and tech industry, Dicks founded Codespace to make coding and software engineering lessons accessible. “I first started teaching girls how to code because I wanted young women to go into the workplace with a skill that would get them a ‘seat at the table’. I then realised that there was a massive gap in our education system and that young people simply do not have the skills that the industry needs,” she says. Dicks has been globally recognised for the work she has done through Codespace: she was listed as a candidate for Fortune’s
A SUPERPOWER Think Camp’s co-founder and CEO John Naicker says that learners who learn to code will be well equipped to solve digital problems and create digital products. “Code is the Swiss-army knife of digital skills; it allows you to approach any problem with an array of possible solutions. It really is a superpower that allows you to become an involved creator rather than a passive consumer.” Most Powerful Women and is a recipient of the Queen’s Young Leader award. Naicker’s Think Camp offers an online coding programme called RocketHour. The programme gives children the personal attention needed to guide them through the coding concepts. It is complemented by an interactive facility that ensures learners are constantly engaged. “The programme gives students both a highly structured learning experience and a supportive work environment. There is also a completely free one-on-one orientation session that ensures every new RocketHour participant is placed in the perfect class for their age, experience and ability,” explains Naicker. “The hour-long classes run as an online extramural, offering students a regular, weekly time slot that takes them from a coding newbie to coding ninja.” Naicker emphasises that organisations that aim to make coding lessons accessible must be careful of taking the wrong approach to teaching. He stresses that poor teaching methods can hamper the confidence of young learners and how they experience the subject.
DID YOU KNOW?
Government says that this year 200 schools will be piloting a draft coding and robotics curriculum from Grades R to 3, while 1 000 will be piloting the Grade 7 curriculum. Source: President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at the 2021 Virtual Basic Education Lekgotla
The South African Schools Collection 2021 2017
2021/04/16 10:19 AM
