This episode is real people designed and AI narrated.
In February two years ago, Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA (nowadays the top 3 most influential tech companies worldwide), believes coding languages are a thing of the past [1]. Why would he make such claims? Where do we stand today?
We will argue:
In a previous number, we addressed the difference between coding and programming [2]. We insist on it because it is key to avoid the panic of feeling like you need to be a tech expert to facilitate learning.
In short, coding is the part of programming that focuses on writing lines of code (instructions) to the computer. Programming is a larger process that involves more skills.
In that regard, Huang is partially right: many coding languages will disappear. So did many ancient spoken languages. Many software developers enjoy typing on a keyboard as a form of meditation. Nevertheless, very few people are able to sit all day long typing. Coding, as a medium and practice, is not inclusive enough for every learner. Eventually, the "languages of the so-called-elites" wear off and the masses get to use it. Digital literacy and deep understanding is synonymous with diversifying the media of access to digital skills.
After Huang's claims, the tech and EdTech world had a shiver: should our students still learn coding? Again, coding not necessarily, but any medium that helps with learning how to program, yes.
AI might accelerate and replace the coding process, but not the programming one. We still need problem-solvers, innovators with an understanding of human values and digital systems. Moreover, we still need a very diverse group of people to program our values into the AI tools we use and will.
Yes, the reality is every day a new initiative or company comes up with the most revolutionary idea. It can be overwhelming. Even though tech is there to stay in curricula, you have agency in how you approach it. Indeed, it comes down to your desire and capacity to grasp it, as well as you can.
You don't need to be a Python or React expert to teach computational thinking. Research shows that your existing teaching toolkit (curiosity, classroom management, and storytelling) are the exact skills needed to navigate the 'Hypes'. Sentance & Csizmadia [3] found that successful CS teachers often didn't start with high technical skills. Instead, they relied on general pedagogical knowledge (how to explain things, how to manage a class). It proves that being a "good teacher" is more important than being a "good coder". Yet, understanding fundamentals can provide the necessary confidence.
You might get webinars, training programs, guidelines, news feeds of all sorts. The program is already dense. We won't give you a set of instructions on the whats and hows. If you're reading this, we assume you're team "I am figuring it out, step by step", and that's enough to start building a steady base of knowledge. Truth is there is no time and I need to know it all. Hypes are hypes, fundamentals remain. Instead, here are a few questions that might support your journey:
Let us know by replying to this email which aspects of this topic you would like us to dive into.
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