If you have a child at school these days (or are one) chances are you have heard the term coding being thrown around.
This is likely something that confuses you unless you have a background in technology or IT.
Coding can sound quite daunting when you think of the mysterious figure in a hoodie hacking away at a computer in a dark room on a green screen.
In reality coding is very different to this and a basic understanding of what coding is rather simple to grasp.
Computers are a powerful tool that have become part of day-to-day life.
They have many uses but at this point cannot think for themselves.
This is where coding comes in
At its core coding is all about telling the computers what to do: providing this direction.
When we use terms like coding, what we are referring to is a set of instructions that create a useful outcome or application. A great example of this is the instructions required to make toast.
Cooking and recipes in general have a lot in common with coding. As with cooking, we may do things slightly differently to get to the same or similar outcome.
An example of doing things differently is the variety of coding languages.
While all languages share some commonalities, they are all different.
When we “write” code we are doing it in one such particular language.
This has evolved over time and these days the languages and techniques have expanded to match the technologies available.
Without coding there would be no apps, no smart phones, no websites and frankly no internet in general.
It is a fundamental of modern living and this the the reason we are seeing it grow in prominence in our schools.
While not everyone requires this skill to live and work today, it is becoming more prominent all of the time.
For those who learn to code and choose not to use it for work, the knowledge with assist in the development of other thinking skills.
Coding is not as scary as it sounds and if they try, everyone can code.
