What do you know about coding? Tell The Sunday Times for a chance to win a £250 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

The Sunday Times have asked us to let Mumsnetters know that they’re running a Learn to Code series this weekend to coincide with the inclusion of coding in the national curriculum.

They told us: “With coding hitting the national curriculum this week, and our readers becoming more tech-savvy than ever, we will be demystifing computer programming in this weekend's edition of the paper. In partnership with Decoded, a company that specialises in digital training, the Learn to Code in a Day guide out this Sunday will take readers step-by-step through app-making.”.

“Editorial Director Eleanor Mills, who did Decoded's Code in a Day course herself, said: 'This is an exciting moment for us as we are the first British newspaper to offer a course like this. With five year-olds now learning computer programming in school, it is essential that adults keep up too.”

“If you’re nodding whilst reading the above then why not give it a go yourself? The easy guide will empower and equip you with the knowledge needed to tackle those potential conversations with your children over homework after school."

“Simply sign up to The Sunday Times for a £1 for 30-day trial and start learning now: thetim.es/1uD6qml”

So, what do you think about the addition of coding to the curriculum? Do you think it’s beneficial for children to learn this from a young age? Is this something you think you could get your head around when you were younger? Are there any other additions to the curriculum you feel are necessary for children to cope with today’s technologies?

Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Coding - an excellent thing, likely to be ruined by being forced onto teachers who have no idea and no interest.

I think it's a great idea in ks2 and beyond. We have an afterschool science club and the kids did coding and loved it. Personally I would like to understand computer more as I already feel like a dinosaur in comparison.

I taught myself BASIC with a book I got from the library. That sounds very 80's now. It would have been great to have taken this further at school.

I think teaching kids programming is a great idea.

I think its a great idea personally. I work in a very geeky tech environment full of men, I can't help but think that this is because they had an interested fostered when they were younger. It doesn't need to be complex, just early coding to explain that 'this is how you talk to computers' rather like learning basic Spanish or French really. Wish I'd had this opportunity. I had to learn basic at Uni which was far too late and I never really got the hang of it.

I remember doing the old DOS-based programming line by line when I was young (all that time ago) to write myself some "pick your own adventure" games. Now I help my DCs with Python and Scratch on the Raspberry Pi, or Minecraft.
I'm all for including coding in the curriculum, it'll help with accurate spelling (computers are sticklers for spelling), maths and logic, reasoning and creativity.
That's if it's done well by the right people...

I did a little at school - on the old BBC computers, where you could learn to draw a picture, or make a shooting Aliens game. Don't remember any of it now!

Brilliant that kids are finally getting to learn this at school - encouraging them to be producers and designers of digital stuff rather than just passive consumers can only be a good thing imo

I think it's a great idea, ds7 would love it.

He's totally into all things minecraft and think coding would help him start and do his own stuff.

I did a qualification in electrical engineering years ago and vaguely remember c++ but I think everything I know could be written on the back of a stamp!

Learning coding is a bit like learning a new language. I fully support it. It's a far better use of computing time than learning to use Word or Powerpoint.

But, given the UK's abysmal record for teaching foreign languages, I wonder just how well coding will be taught. Is this just a flash in the pan, with teachers expected to teach something that they don't know? Will they end up with one or two simple routines that the teacher has learned parrot-fashion, and teaches to the children without any genuine understanding? This is in no way a criticism of teachers, but s criticism of the system that expects teachers to be experts in everything, and teach every thing.

Coding is the perfect subject for a completely different model of teaching. Instead of top-down transferral of info from teacher to pupil, coding should be taught by peer-mentoring. I regularly hear my three dc, aged 7-14, teaching each other coding, using language in a completely different way, generally being non-dictatorial with each other (that's a novelty in itself!). Of course the 14yo is the leader, because he is both older, more experienced, and a coding geek, but each of the others has something to contribute.

Brilliant idea and I'll definitely be giving it a go. It's inevitable that my kids will ultimately be more tech-savvy one day but I want to keep as much as possible. This is a fab opportunity. DD starts Reception this week and I'm excited that she's going to learn such col stuff!

I think there should be more emphasis at junior/senior schools rather than infants. Ds2 has taught himself to code & would love more formal lessons/clubs but they're hard to find.

It's like anything, some will love it, some hate it - those who love it should be given the opportunities to pursue it.

Ds did a taster last year in year 5. Loved it and has spent the summer playing around with various things he found online. Also bought him the Carol Vorderman book. Told his year 6 teacher how much he was looking forward to more of the same this year and you could see the terror in her eyes! (I'd be the same in her situation as missed computers at school. Didn't touch / see one until I was 17.) Do wonder how well this'll be implemented through the schools.

I was lucky enough at the age of 12 (back in the 80s)to have a BBC Model B computer, on which I learned to code in BASIC - all from magazines and the manual that came with the computer. We had the same machines at school for a handful of computing lessons, which most of the class found incomprehensible and tedious, including me, as I was beyond that stage by then. Today we have access to an amazing range of websites, tutorials and forums which give up to date information about coding languages. If a child wants to learn to code, they are likely to get more relevant information from the Internet than they are from a teacher (no offence to teachers - it's very difficult to stay current in such a fast moving field when you have such a demanding job).

I have been an IT consultant for 20 years now, and I think it's at best bandwagonesque to add coding to the curriculum as a mandatory subject. It's just one of the skills needed to build and deliver an IT system, alongside technical architecture, business analysis, project management and so on. If we are intending to make education so vocational, then why not make IT lessons cover a range of skills so that children who aren't interested in coding per se can also be involved?

Wonderful idea. Computers are the future and knowledge of all things technological will soon be as essential as maths and science. The more they learn about this in school as part of the curriculum, the better prepared they are for employment and study as adults.

I think its an important skill for kids to learn, but, like others, I'd be interested to know more about the teaching. I'd be surprised if all primary schools have teachers who feel confident teaching coding.

What year will it is be introduced? In reception they are learning to read and write. I don't think it's appropriate then.
Year 1? Year 2 might be best.
Like the idea. But don't teachers have enough on their plates? Teachers will need to be well trained or else it will be some of the kids teaching them!!!!!

I'm a games programmer, got into it by accident, and it is my dream job! I'm all in favour of teaching coding in schools, I would have loved to learn to code before university. I think the logical thinking aspect, understanding vaguely how computers work, and that programming is an option are the most important aspects to cover early. I'm interested to know what the curriculum covers, in fact I'll go and look it up!

It sounds pretty good to me - covers logical thinking, safety online etc. www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study
They don't specify Scratch or Bee bot or whatever, but I assume that's the sort of thing they'll be using.

The last time I tried to learn about coding, I was 8 and my brother (who was doing software engineering at uni then) was teaching me how to write a program (in BBC Basic) to draw a shape and make it spin, move around and change colour. I so wanted it to grow legs and run around and I wanted to be an animator. However, he went back to uni and I stopped learning about coding and went back to using a pencil to draw. If I'd learned to code maybe i would have made it as an animator.

I'm all for 5 year olds learning to code, but what they learn will quickly go out of date. Id rather there were up to date coding GCSE options for children interested in such things (DD's school does offer a computwr GCSE but it doesn't include much in the way of up to date coding. More website design and using existing software, which seems a bit pointless.)

I don't consider myself old, but I had no idea what coding was! I thought it meant learning morse code or something? I really do need to get with it, don't I?

I know absolutely nothing about it but then I have to ask the children to change the Channel on the television and have not yet got used to the loss of video recorders. My dc's are very computer minded and it is the future so it is right that it is taught in schools.

although its a very good idea, the problem is which code do they learn, coding can be anything from flowcharting, through basic continuing to html then c++, SQL etc.

As far as I can see there is no exact standard for coding language. which out of the many programs out there will benefit our children and which will hinder them?

Isn't that something Davinchi did?

I think it is a good thing but would rather see it started in year 3 (age 7-8) as I think when children start school they should be concentrating on the basics of learning reading, writing and arithmetic.