The need for more computer programmers in the U.S. is very serious. People all throughout the country are taking steps, some more drastic than others, to catch up. Consider a recent article for the Tampa Bay Times titled “Proposal allowing computer coding as foreign language advances.”
Kristen M. Clark of the Tampa Bay Times writes, “A controversial idea to allow high school students to count computer coding classes toward foreign language credits cleared its second committee in the Florida Senate on Wednesday — but senators did not seek to resolve concerns it could impose an unfunded mandate on schools. Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, had previously said the Senate’s education budget committee would address the fiscal impact of his plan (SB 468), but that panel on Wednesday discussed nothing about the dollars that might be needed to fund it. Ring said after the meeting that he felt there were no financial impacts, because Senate committee staff didn’t note any when reviewing the bill. The analysis acknowledges, however: ‘The bill may have a minimal fiscal impact on school districts as they shift resources to offer more computer coding courses.’ Some senators previously worried that the bill would place a burden on schools — especially those with already strapped technology resources — by requiring them to have sufficient computers, software and specialized teachers to meet the demand of students who opt to learn coding in lieu of a foreign language. Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, said he voted against it again Wednesday because his concerns weren’t addressed. The rest of the Senate budget committee voted in favor of the bill. ‘All it takes is that one parent and it overburdens schools when they say, ‘I want my child to have computer coding,’ because now you have to figure out how to facilitate a teacher and space,’ Bullard said. ‘All of those have dollars attached, and none of those concerns were remedied.’”
When it comes to sustainable, customized coding education, you can’t go wrong with CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.
Our lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. Thus, the entire curriculum is customized. We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.