Coding for Kids? They will do it for the “Cookies”!
Coding is a techy term that simply means a way of communicating with computers. It’s what we use to develop and run websites, apps, games, and other computer based programs. Coding is one of many words from a newly developed language that is being used all around us as we move through our daily lives. If we were planning a trip to a foreign country for the first time, would we not expose ourselves to understanding the culture and language before we arrive? Wouldn’t we at least take interest in knowing what we would be eating, wearing, or doing in a new place? Of course we would. But here we are on the edge of a new world, in our own space, and we are turning a blind eye to the language and culture of our future. Just one decade ago, I was in elementary school, where we only had a class set of computers in a central location for the entire school to be scheduled by class to rotate in and out of periodically. Today, our nation is faced with technology forced remote work, school and collaborative events. If you do not have a computer, you are lost and out of touch with the world. Policy is changing to support economic development and computer programming is becoming a necessary element for us to thrive. Our educators have done a remarkable job of supporting our children during such a sudden shift in education during the Covid-19 pandemic. So now what? Do we go back and forget what we have learned. Do we throw the baby out with the bath water? Or…do we determine what went well, find out what we need to move forward, and embrace a new world and a new language to keep growing in an upward manner? Educators are in need of a recipe for success and I say we start with two of my favorite things…KIDS and COOKIES. Cookies are made with butter and love and if you can’t change the world with cookies, how can you change the world??? Who loves cookies??? Kids do and they are also our ticket to positive change for the future. Sounds like the best combo EVER to me. However, these cookies might be a little less sweet. Yes….”cookies” are another techy term from that new language we are trying to embrace. Kaspersky.com gives a great techy definition for the word “Cookies” stating that Cookies are text files with small pieces of data — like a username and password — that are used to identify your computer as you use a computer network. Specific cookies known as HTTP cookies are used to identify specific users and improve your web browsing experience.Data stored in a cookie is created by the server upon your connection. This data is labeled with an ID unique to you and your computer. When the cookie is exchanged between your computer and the network server, the server reads the ID and knows what information to specifically serve to you. Beanz a magazine for kids, code, and computer science gives a great reader friendly overview of how cookies work. Understanding coding, cookies, and computer programming as early as elementary school can prepare kids for the future, says Tynker, a coding for kids company. In a Tynker article entitled “10 Reasons Kids Should Learn Code” it is noted that 21st century coding for kids helps them develop academically, building perseverance and organization, skills that can translate into a career.
As an aspiring future elementary school educator and NC State STEM education student, I am eager to learn as much as I can about “coding for kids”. Even NAEYC supports precoding for our preschoolers and early childhood programs so it’s never too early to start. We have to stock our pantries with the ingredients we need to create the best goodies for our future leaders. Whether we are really baking cookies to eat or coding cookies to build our tech savvy future, the recipe is the same. All it takes is a little creativity, an open mindset, understanding of the basic concepts, and voila….the making of some pretty awesome treats!