We're about to dive into one of our favorite weeks of the year: Computer Science Education Week. Spurred by the team at code.org, the annual CS Ed Week initiatives help raise awareness on the importance of coding education and show both students and teachers how easy it is to get started with coding. Built on the premise of just one hour of code being transformational for students, both formal and informal coding lessons have helped children of all ages learn about the enjoyable aspects of computer science as well as how these skills can help drive future STEM success. If you're looking for Hour of Code activities, there are tons on the code.org site and in other places. But, if you're looking for tips on getting started, here are some of the best coding languages to focus on.
Teaching JavaScript Code
If you browse through this post, you may quickly notice that these are all what we'd consider advanced programming languages. Not to scare you off, but that is true. To be clear, however, in teaching coding from a young age using block-based languages, like Scratch or Blockly, students will start to think like programmers. And, this is what will help them progress and apply that knowledge when using more complex languages. Programmers (and even non-computer science professionals) use these coding languages every day. Since it's CS Ed Week, it's a good time to remember that it's not just programmers who need these skills. Professionals in many industries routinely need at least basic coding skills. While these professionals use the powerful languages as opposed to beginner ones, building that foundation is still critical for kids. They can, however, try some of those powerful text coding languages in school—starting with JavaScript.
Why teach JavaScript this CS Ed Week?
As of 2020, JavaScript was at the top of the list of the most common programming languages in the world. Among other things, programmers rely on JavaScript to manage the behavior of the millions of different web pages that exist. With JavaScript code, developers can create some of the most common but important elements we see on the Internet. These include animations, graphics, interactive maps, and buttons that bring us to other web pages. Despite its power and perceived complexity, learning JavaScript is actually pretty easy, according to those who have done it. In fact, someone with no prior coding knowledge could pick up the premise and begin utilizing it almost immediately. Since it's part, in one way or another, of most web browsers, this makes JavaScript one of the most popular and useful languages to know.
The benefits of knowing JavaScript.
For developers in today's computer science landscape, it's nearly impossible to not use JavaScript. While they'll all use it in different ways, almost 75 percent rely on it for one thing or another. This is largely because of the interactivity users crave and expect from websites they use for work or for enjoyment. Even some of the most common social media sites, like Facebook and YouTube, feature foundational elements of JavaScript. JavaScript code enables developers to create interactive pages and display content in a truly dynamic way. It's also often referred to as a front-end language and it works across all major browsers. Plus, though it's completely text-based, it's easy for newcomers to learn the flexible syntax. If you're looking for a STEM tool for teaching JavaScript, our top suggestion is the Wonder Workshop Cue Robot.
Swift During CS Ed Week
Swift is one of the newer programming languages that's impacted the computer science world. Developed just in 2014 by the Apple team, Swift is open-source and easy to learn. It also doesn't require that newcomers have a bunch of previous programming skills in order to get started. There are tons of tutorials available, though they can be time consuming to get through. Since Swift has quickly become a commonly used programming language in the real world, however, it's worth exposing students to in upper elementary, middle, or high school. Using tools like the Root Robot, micro:bit V2, or Tello EDU drone, students can explore what Swift coding really involves.
Swift programming uses.
Developers commonly use Swift to build iOS apps, giving students real-world exposure to how it affects everyday experiences. It's related more to mobile apps as opposed to desktop platforms. This is important since our lives now routinely involve using and relying on the apps we have on our phones. As you might guess, Swift is a good language to introduce during CS Ed Week and exploring it can help students gain an understanding of what it's like to build iOS apps, specifically. Though it's powerful in the right circumstances, there are still bugs being worked out since Swift is still pretty new. For example, students might realize that it doesn't easily integrate with third-party tools or earlier iOS versions.
Benefits of learning Swift coding.
Of course, if we're talking about it being worth exploring in Hour of Code activities, there must be some authentic benefits to learning how to code in Swift. We mentioned that it's easy to learn the Swift language, but why is this? Largely, it's because you don't need a lot of code to build programs and the syntax is clean. Since Swift is a text-based language, however, students would definitely benefit from previous coding experiences. But, it's also faster than many other comparable languages and it's open-source. With so many relevant uses today, Swift is definitely something teachers could work into CS Ed Week lesson plans.
How to Learn Python Coding
Python is one of the most commonly talked about coding languages and for good reason. Like JavaScript, it has a number of real-world uses and its commonality in the computer science world has led to it being one of the most popular coding languages to learn. Again, Python is a text-based language, so students would likely need some guidance and experience with more simplistic programming beforehand. (We're definitely focusing on some more advanced languages this week but here's more on the best coding languages for beginners. With only a little bit of prior text coding experience (or none if students are really ambitious), they can pick up the premise and learn Python due, in large part, to its readability.
What makes Python valuable?
Python is an open-source language with an extensive amount of community support and free to access. It integrates easily with web services and is often used for machine learning, giving it immediate relevance to computer scientists. Specifically, programmers use Python to develop both 2D imaging and 3D animation solutions as well as computer applications and video games, which is a great way to make connections during CS Ed Week. Some of the most popular social media sites, like YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram utilize Python code as well. Though it has its intricacies, those new to Python are often able to learn them and quickly become productive. All it takes is a little bit of persistence, willingness to solve problems, and some outside-the-box thinking.
CS Ed Week Opportunities.
In the classroom, students could potentially enroll in a Python course for beginners, collaborate to program online, or try one of the Python-compatible robotics tools. Since Python is rising in popularity among programmers, CS Ed Week experiences, in particular, can be valuable for students. Plus, since Python tutorials are so reputable, it could at least be an opportunity to expose students to the language. Python is a scripted language, meaning it's very flexible, easy to read, and intuitive. It's definitely best to have some text coding experience, though, since the code is a bit more complex than the basics but the best way to learn Python is to just get started. Among the tools students can use to explore Python are the Edison Robot, Tello EDU drone, Marty the Robot, and Finch Robot 2.0.
Learning C and C++
Next on the list, we have a couple of languages that many be familiar to seasoned coding enthusiasts. C is one of the oldest and most popular programming languages around. It's associated with a process called scripting system applications, which is used in crucial software tools like Windows and Linux. C++ is often used for general-purpose programming and highlights imperative, object-oriented, and generic programming features. It also provides coders with low-level memory manipulation. Originally, C++ was more for programming within large systems, so it features pretty advanced flexibility, efficiency, and performance. Aside from these, C++ is a useful language to know for people who build software infrastructure, desktop applications, and servers.
The C and C++ difference.
C actually serves as the basis for a few different programming languages, including C#, Java, and JavaScript. It's a compiled language and developers routinely utilize compilers from many different platforms to make the code very transportable. In reality, C++ is actually just an enhanced version of the C programming language. Both of these languages are considered to be high-performance and they're also commonly used to power servers, video games, and online platforms. In terms of experiences, C++ is actually considered a bit easier to use and could be appropriate for beginner text programmers to try during CS Ed Week. C is a little more complex and typically best for those with intermediate to advanced programming experience.
C, C++, and CS Ed Week.
For students hoping to one day use C or C++ in a career, they'd benefit from having an understanding of computer functions and resources. Since both have applications on mobile, desktop, and embedded platforms, they're two of the most widely used programming languages. Also, C++, in particular, provides programmers with much greater control than other coding languages. While it can be challenging to pick up the concepts, once students have an understanding of them, there are a whole lot of possibilities. Finally, one of the best STEM solutions to use in teaching these languages is the line of uKITs from UBTECH Education.
HTML and CSS
HTML is one of the more basic forms of coding. At the same time, it's extremely important in a ton of different modern industries. Beyond computer science, it won't take long for a job seeker to come across a posting in which there's a reference to HTML skills being desirable. For those who grew up in the MySpace generation, HTML code may seem familiar. Depending on how you approach it, some of the work can be done for you but, in any case, there are tons of applications for HTML code in all types of professions from content creation to marketing and web development. HTML stands for hypertext markup language and, along with CSS (cascading style sheets), contributes to the core elements of many web pages. Essentially, web pages need HTML code for structure and CSS code for visuals.
When to use HTML and CSS.
It often seems that learning HTML and CSS isn't painted in as exciting of a light as learning other languages, like Python and Javascript. They're incredibly useful for tons of different professionals, however, despite perhaps many of them not previously realizing how essential they are in building websites. Combined, HTML and CSS are two huge frameworks for building the sites we use every day. They also help developers or even content creators optimize web pages and browsing experiences for users. In understanding HTML and CSS, programmers are able to create more unique websites and they also tend to have an easier time learning additional coding languages in the future.
Getting started with HTML and CSS.
When it comes to how to learn HTML and CSS, it's a bit of a different experience than we'd typically recommend and different from learning the other languages we've mentioned. It's a text-based language but there aren't really options for incorporating tangible devices, like robots. There are, however, websites through which students could access interactive training courses. This allows them to see examples of using HTML code and then try creating some themselves. It typically takes a few months (depending on experience) to fully start to understand how to use HTML and CSS but, once there, it could open up a lot of possibilities.
We hope that everyone has a fantastic Computer Science Education Week and that all students get to take part in some fun Hour of Code activities! If you have any questions about where to start or what coding tools to use, please feel free to reach out. For the latest EdTech, STEM, and 21st century education news, follow Eduporium on Twitter and Instagram. Like us on Facebook, too, or sign up for our newsletter for our latest product announcements and offerings. If you have an idea for the next Eduporium Weekly theme, send us a message on any of our social media accounts or comment below.
