CODERS OF THE FUTURE: It’s time to instil crucial skills in the next generation.

Enriching the next generation with essential skills.

READING, WRITING, MATHS … and now coding. In today’s digital world, everything related to technology requires some kind of code. So how do you get kids eagerly learning about loops, sequences and spatial visualisation?

Minecraft is a brilliant way of introducing logic, problem-solving and geometry within a game format, so much so that it was bought by Microsoft for $2.5 billion back in 2014. But there are many other ways to spark an interest in programming, both inside and out of the classroom.

Michelle Lissoos is the director of Think Ahead ( thinkahead.co.za), a company that offers coding courses to schools across the country as well as extramural clubs and holiday camps.

‘ There is a lot of hype about teaching our kids to code. Is this a fad or a critical skill? Our world is driven by technology. Code runs this technology. Teaching kids to code should go hand-in-hand with reading, writing, and arithmetic. It is our world and their future.’

Simply put, it’s no longer about code for coding’s sake.

‘Coding, and more importantly computational thinking, teaches students how to think, to solve problems, to persevere. It is definitely a necessary skill to master in today’s world.’

One brick at time...

‘Coding isn’t just for computer whizzes, it’s for everyone.’ – Mitchel Resnick, LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab.

Bits and Bricks is a cute online coding game by LEGO. Originally part of Hour of Code (a worldwide campaign to get kids into coding), the toy company has kept Bit the Bot’s adventure playable online, constantly releasing new levels.

But there’s more: LEGO Boost is a new programmable robot kit that contains 847 bricks (and more) for kids aged seven and up. It lets you build five different types of robots that vary in difficulty. All you need is a tablet, the accompanying Boost app and some patience.

Boost is not LEGO’S first STEM adventure – the company also makes a high-tech robot range called Mindstorm EV3. These LABVIEW kits come complete with programmable bricks, motors and sensors, and are somewhat more expensive, but are aimed at a 10+ audience.

AFRICA CODE WEEK

More than 1.8 million kids across Africa are now coding. More than 28 000 teachers have integrated ICT education into their curriculums within 36 African countries. Since its launch in 2015, Africa Code Week ( africacodeweek.org) has had the lofty goal of creating a meaningful difference to nearly 2 million students by 2020 … and it’s working. This incredible home- grown project, spearheaded by SAP, teaches kids who are 8–17 years old to program their own animations, while older learners (aged 18–24) are given a basic understanding of website architecture, teaching them how to develop a fully operational mobile-friendly website.

According to SAP’S MD, Cathy Smith, digital literacy will drive skills development within the continent: ‘Inspiring a new generation of African youth through digital skills development, and by empowering teachers and communities with digital teaching tools, we aim to accelerate digital literacy. For Africa to take its rightful place as a key player in the global economy, we must collectively drive digital skills development while placing a strong emphasis on encouraging female participation in an effort to bridge the gender gap.’

Girls participating in last year’s Africa Code Week? 46.5% – a massive step towards empowering women digitally.