We don’t usually think about this but behind every webpage we visit, every videogame we play, and every app, platform, or software we use, there is a code. Coding, as defined by Common Sense Education, is the process of writing steps for a computer to follow in order to achieve a goal or perform a task. There are various programming or scripting languages through which coders can create commands intelligible for computers. The more complex a code is, the more complex its product will be. Because there are different levels of difficulty to coding, there is a low learning curve to start since beginners of all ages can learn to create simple codes easily. In fact many schools are including coding as a requirement in their curriculums.
Coding can be a very beneficial skill for kids to learn for many reasons. It explodes their creativity since it requires the kids to visualize the final product and write the code accordingly. It also demands them to think critically and solve problems along the process, which is valuable across different disciplines and may open up opportunities in computational careers. Coding is also an effective way for kids to gain a deeper understanding of technology and the growing demand and relevance of coding skills in today’s world. Overall, I believe that, either as a requirement or as an optative, coding should be offered in every school.
I Tried HTML Coding
I think that HTML is the perfect scripting language to learn when starting to code. I remember that, a couple of years ago, I started an HTML coding course in Codecademy, a free learning platform for coding. Although I don’t remember much since I lost interest after a couple of lessons, I can say that the most difficult part for me was learning the commands and the structure to follow when writing the code, otherwise it is pretty straight forward. I also realized that the most minimal error in a code can mess up the entire product. This made me think about coders that write hundreds or even thousands of lines of code. I can’t imagine how they feel when there are errors in their code that are difficult to pinpoint.
This week I decided to retake coding and create a simple HTML website as an experiment. Of course I had to refresh my memory by reviewing some HTML foundations. I wanted my website to resemble a back to school flier for students promoting my university’s bookstore, the Seton Hall University Bookstore. I used the Notepad app included in my computer to start writing the code. I guided myself using HTML5-Editor.net since I struggled with some specific commands especially those including color codes and embedded content. First, I gave my website a title: “Back To School”. Then, I added a heading number 1 (h1), which I changed from its default black color to blue. Below the heading, I added a short paragraph that included a hyperlink to the bookstore’s website. I then added bullet points to list some of the bookstore’s sections. Finally, I embedded an image from Flickr which shows the university’s campus.
Here is the final product:
Hey Felipe!
I do agree that coding can definitely explode a kid’s creativity, but I believe long exposure to screen has detrimental consequences long term. In high school, I took a coding course and don’t remember a thing. I encountered a couple of errors, and I got frustrated – half way through I clicked on the “help” button and everything I had done disappeared – I can only imagine how frustrating it is for someone who codes as their job to encounter any error.