As a computer science major that never had even a minimal exposure to coding prior to college, I am definitely excited to see the country beginning to embrace the study with open arms. There is no doubt in my mind that studying computers helps develop problem solving skills and ‘algorithmic thinking’, but I feel that calling coding the new literacy is going a bit too far. Coding is not the same as reading or even doing math problems, and there’s no reason to believe it should replace them. Without those fundamental skills it would be impossible to code and effectively develop computer programs. I can guarantee no one is writing the next great app without the skills to read Stack Overflow or Rails documentation. That being said, there is nothing to suggest that computer science should not be considered on par with sciences like physics or chemistry. Each of these skills teaches a unique way of thinking and provide students a way to develop a deeper understanding of the world we all live in.
I think that over time computer science will become a requirement to some extent, but I think this will take phasing in. One of the biggest challenges with teaching computer science is that we still don’t know how exactly to teach it, and there is a significant vacuum of computer science teachers, especially at the high school level. Unfortunately, I feel it may be a generational progression to all American students learning computer science to some extent. At the moment there are just too many positions for computer scientists to fill, and most of likely pay better than a teacher’s salary. However, I think over time as more and more people are exposed to the field, there will be a larger body of qualified computer science teachers.
I do feel that anyone can learn to program. Surely some will be more adept to it than others, but is this not true of every other subject taught in our schools? There truly is not any intellectual skill required for coding and computer science that cannot be developed. I feel that more than just coding should be taught. In many ways coding is just a trade that would be developed with a handbook. The real work and mental challenge of computer science comes from the theory and the practices to best utilize coding. If America is truly invested in developing a new generation of coders and innovators, this will be a necessarily component of the curriculum.
timpusaterisite 