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EdTech Tools for the Classroom

Posted on July 16, 2019September 20, 2022 by user

In today’s digital age, an increasing number of schools are recognizing the value of introducing non-traditional learning tools in the classroom – namely, digital and “educational technology” (EdTech) tools. This list includes online learning platforms, mobile devices, web services, even AR (augmented reality)/VR (virtual reality), and more!

Introducing EdTech in the classroom doesn’t mean relying on technology to teach a lesson for you. Rather, it is incorporating them in such a way that allows you to deliver lessons that enhance student learning and engagement. EdTech also helps students foster valuable, career-ready digital skills, all while learning at school. Embracing technology as a learning tool opens up a vast array of possibilities, especially when teaching curriculum and organizing classroom activities. For example, some students may struggle with the traditional, lecture-based classroom structure. Still, technology offers various approaches to teaching course material and helps to create more fun, dynamic, and social learning environment.

Let’s look at a few popular examples of EdTech tools used in the classroom.

Gamifying Student Learning

Gamification uses game design and mechanics to promote student engagement and participation.

EdTech tools like Classcraft, GradeCraft, and Rezzly transform your lesson material into a class-wide adventure game. Your students can create their characters and work with their classmates to complete quests! Instead of earning grades such as “A” or “C,” students can earn experience points and badges to level up. Instead of traditional assignments, teachers can transform classroom tasks into “quests” that help students gain experience points and badges.

Using gamification EdTech software means that set-up, management, and assessment are taken care of for you. As a result, you can avoid the headache of creating every element you would need for gamifying your classrooms, such as quests, rewards, challenges, leveling, and progress-tracking.

Game-based Learning

Not to be used with gamification, game-based learning uses games as a direct source of learning material. We recommend embracing games as an EdTech tool by using them as a direct source of course material.

Tools such as Kahoot, Quizizz, and Socrative allow teachers to create interactive trivia games to reinforce or revise course material. After making a game, teachers can use quizzes as a classroom activity by displaying the game questions on a display. Students can use any device to “sign in” to the game to choose their answer and compete against their classmates.

Teachers will visualize, display, and track analytics in real-time, such as the number of participants, high score, question time, and live progress. In addition to trivia games, many game-based EdTech tools also allow teachers to create interactive questionnaires, discussions, and surveys.

Creation and Collaboration

Brainstorming, collaboration, and communication can all be made more accessible with tools such as Padlet and Buncee. These EdTech tools are like virtual “bulletin boards” where students can create various projects, such as a storyboard, mindmap, flowchart, bulletin board, scrapbook, newspaper, discussion forum, and more! Additionally, students can add text, multimedia (e.g., videos, images, music, etc.) and invite others to collaborate on a project together.

Other ideas include hosting a live collaboration lesson where students can add their comments to your board in real-time or brainstorming ideas for a group project together.

Implementing EdTech tools in the classroom helps increase students’ digital literacy and fosters valuable digital skills like computational thinking. These tools help them prepare for the future and are all high in demand in today’s job market.

Integrating technology into the classroom can impact student learning in many ways. Echoed wholeheartedly in this article by Top Hat, this sentiment argues that technology has its limits. However, integrating it into the classroom increases learning outcomes, student engagement opens up education beyond the confines of a classroom. It offers many ways for students to interact with course material.

If you’d like to find out more about non-traditional learning tools, you can email us at info@bsd.education.

Four Ways To Integrate Technology Learning at Your School

Posted on April 6, 2019September 20, 2022 by user

Many schools recognize that bringing technology education into their offering is vital to ensuring the future success of their students. However, the practicalities of this can be challenging. We hear common challenges: too much curriculum to get through, staff finding it difficult to integrate technology, and too expensive resources.

Fortunately, there is more than one way to integrate technology learning into school life. Regardless of how challenges may appear initially, you will find a way. Every school is unique with different objectives and challenges and, for this reason, we have outlined four approaches to integration that might work for you.

As a focused course

Technology is often taught as a stand-alone subject like computer science. However, technology integration works best where a school can or has already carved out time, in a computing class or STEM class, with the goal of teaching technology. This approach ensures that students get the opportunity to focus purely on their digital skills.

Our TechReady courses are in this space, which focuses on bridging the gap between age-appropriate learning and developments in the real world, such as AI and big data.

Integrated into other subjects

Teachers that integrate technology can help make learning in other subjects more ‘real-world relevant.’ It also helps to bring subjects together to create exciting cross-curricular learning opportunities. Many schools do not have time to teach technology as a stand-alone subject, enabling integration without finding lots of additional hours. It also allows you to align vital skills with the interests of your students.

Think about small or large-scale technology projects and bring in different approaches depending on your teaching topic. For example, why not get your students to create a blog instead of writing their next story in their textbook. Another option is using data visualization to demonstrate migration trends over time in geography.

At BSD, we have curated TechConnected projects that can be brought into any core subject. We focus on enhancing what is already happening in the classroom. This enables you to integrate technology into teaching almost as usual and introduces an activity that combines subject and technology learning. Through this approach, the subject becomes the context. The projects create a more engaging way for students to either learn the concepts of the subject or become a content vessel to present and reinforce what they are learning in the class.

After school activities

For those of you who do not have time to integrate technology learning during the school day, consider running an after-school activity focused on technology. In one of our previous issues, we explored why enrichment programs are so powerful and the benefits they offer students. Integrating in this way is an excellent starting point that the curriculum can build upon.

Out-of-school learning should be more open and exploratory, so we designed our Technovators program for after-school activities to focus on students working with technology more creatively.

Do all three

Technology in the real world touches everything and impacts everyone. It cannot be isolated to one area or a group of self-selecting people. In an ideal world, the school environment must reflect this. We advocate for infusing technology learning across everything so that students can make connections, follow their interests and understand the application of technology. We believe this helps students to build solutions across contexts. You, as a teacher, can help enable this. Regular exposure to technology is the best way to prepare students for using technology in their futures.

However, it is also clear that implementation across everything can rarely be the first step. Instead, start with what best fits your school’s model and build from there. For more information about any of our curriculum offerings, contact us here.

Ways to Use Technology In Your Subjects: History

Posted on March 23, 2019April 26, 2023 by user

Continuing with our series of Reasons for Bringing Technology Learning into Subject Areas, today we look at how the right infusion of technology can transform student learning in any History class.

When students study history the typical end product is too often something static such as a diorama or poster. Despite schools recent embrace of technology, this too often ends up as internet research, video watching in history class.

However, the right infusion of technology can transform the existing curriculum of any history class into an active learning experience that exposes students to the real-world application of technology in different contexts and scenarios.

When properly incorporated into history class, technology can empower learners to understand concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequences, similarity, difference and significance.

These critical thinking skills can then be applied to frame historically valid questions and create structured accounts including written narrative

Here are 3 examples of how technology can enhance history class:

Curiosity – Active Artifacts

With BSD’s TechConnected curriculum, students can forgo writing yet another research report and instead create their own interactive, virtual museum!

Students can select and research an artifact then, use the design thinking process to draw connections to the people who used them. Students can then visualize the relationships and dependencies between their artifact and the time period, linking online content and resources.

The project will culminate with students showcasing their Artifact research through a real web page they will individually build from scratch using HTML and CSS.

Adapted from Haverford Ancient Egypt Project

Creativity – Interactive Timelines

Historical events rarely unfold in linear progressions. Big or small, the overwhelming majority of milestones throughout history are caused by a combination of direct and indirect actions taken by a slew of actors.

Yet, more often than not history is taught in the classroom as one event after the next. One solution is too use technology to better understand the complexity of historical events with an interactive timeline where students can visualize the interconnections within the time period.

Approaching history as a vibrant web of actors and actions can help students make connections, draw contrast and analyze trends that have directly influenced the world we live in today.

Adapted from Book of BSD – Timeline Builder (History) Project

Critical Thinking – Separating Fact from Fiction

Understanding the difference between objective (cited) and subjective (uncited) research has always been a core piece of history class. While Student’s today have instant access to unlimited research and resource at their fingertips, it has also brought about an influx of bad information.

At it’s best, this material can be viewed as subjective opinions but more and more we see the dissemination of misinformation for malicious intentions. One strategy we’ve found effective for reinforcing research best practices is to have students create their own digital scavenger hunt games.

This fun approach empowers students to compare and contrast information, ask perspective questions, weigh evidence, develop insight into the complexity of different factors and better Understand the wider world.

Adapted from Book of BSD – Fact or Opinion Scavenger Hunt Project

Professional Development: 5 Tips for Tech Ed Educators

Posted on March 17, 2019September 20, 2022 by user

Did you know that 79% of teachers that use BSD have no experience with coding or teaching technology? So we design our professional development programs specifically for these teachers to get technology into the classroom.

Exposure to technology isn’t confined to tech or computer science class. Don’t get us wrong, though. We LOVE these types of courses! But they are new technologies. This way, it’s more similar to the real world, where technology entwines into every part of our daily life.

We also believe that every teacher can teach students the basics of technology and coding, at the very least. So how does it work in practice? Based on our experience, here are five key takeaways from designing a professional development program that works.

It is on-going

Rather than a one-off workshop, we work with schools to embed regular professional development in teachers’ schedules throughout the term. Professional deev allows for spacing and creates opportunities for application, reflection, and improvement.

It is differentiated

Since 2013, we’ve worked with schools that range from private schools in Hong Kong to public schools in Philadelphia. We have a lot of experience working with teachers with different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and experiences. We tailor our professional development to make it relevant in context while still emphasizing the borders’ core skills.

It uses innovative technologies

Just like students, teachers want an opportunity to use the latest technologies and tools. We always aim to introduce the latest technologies to inspire teachers, while we build up their technical skills.

It focuses on the big skills

We know that technology will change, so in our professional development coaching, we also focus on the overarching computational and design thinking approaches we want students to learn and the core coding skills. This way, even as the underlying technology changes, the objectives and teaching techniques stay relevant. Our goal is for students to use an approach that includes inquiry, planning, teamwork, iteration, empathy, and design. We can figure out what technology is required to accomplish their goals within this context.

It builds a community of practice

We can’t teach everything in one (or even many) professional development sessions, so we actively build a community. We work with a small group of interested early adopters, focusing on training and nurturing them to develop their confidence. Professional development helps them become internal experts and champions that push each other to try new things. These teachers also act as informal mentors to new teachers that want to get involved.

We want classrooms to be forward-looking and exciting, so our teacher has to live up to the same bar. We are constantly pushing ourselves to do better and improve professional development at BSD.

Technology Projects That Will Inspire Your Students To CARE

Posted on February 10, 2019September 20, 2022 by user

At BSD Education, we are passionate about education technology and project-based learning.

As a wise 6-year-old once said, “Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” (Disney Baby)

You might not be able (or want!) to share your French fries, so we came up with a few creative digital ways that you can show you care.

1. Online Card

The technology project ‘Design your own Valentine’s theme online card’ is complete with pictures, graphics, and of course, your views about love.

Read our step-by-step project breakdown of this project here.

2. 3D Printed Creations

For the people in your life that you can’t live without, you can design a heart-shaped custom 3D printed creation. Other options include a unique design about a place you visited together, their favorite hobby, an inside joke – this is entirely up to you! Designing and printing it yourself will undoubtedly show them how much you care.

3. Poem Website

Design your custom website complete with a loving or appreciative poem for that particular person in your life. Are you a writer? Try combining technical skills with a bit of “iambic pentameter” to show off your inner Shakespeare to loved ones.

How else do you teach your students to care about other people? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

If you’d like to learn more about our projects at BSD Education, please reach out to us at info@bsd.education!

Bring Technology Learning In Your Subject

Posted on January 22, 2019October 4, 2023 by user

Technology learning is already fundamental to every industry and this will only increase. We can’t ignore the way the world is going or the facts: 65% of children entering primary school today will do jobs that don’t yet exist.

At BSD Education, we believe there are three core reasons that more educators should bring technology into their subjects. This is especially true if those subjects aren’t traditionally technical. Read on for our top three!

1. It prepares students to be future-ready

For students to succeed in the future, it is critical they learn digital skills. Some schools believe that this can be done through a computing class or an after-school club. But in the real world, technology touches everything and impacts everyone.

It needs to be infused across subjects so students can make connections, follow their interests and understand how to apply technology to build solutions across contexts.

2. It increases engagement

Not only does it provide students the opportunities they need to succeed in the future, but teaching digital skills will also increase engagement with your subject. Teachers we have trained have reported that students are more engaged in classes using BSD Online and our curriculum. It can enable a more interactive learning environment and helps make the learning more authentic.

Students can struggle with the real-world context of some topics and a common question is ‘Why are we learning this?’. Allowing your students to explore, build and create with it helps to make the connection to the real world much stronger and helps to pique students’ interest.

3. It develops vital soft skills

Point 1 highlighted the importance of learning technical skills to help students succeed in the future. However, the skills developed by bringing technology learning into your subject don’t stop there. Technology learning expands the mindsets of young people by developing ‘21st-century skills. By focusing on designing real-world products, students are learning how to apply technology, developing a range of critical competencies. For example:

When creating a solution or product, students often have to work together to combine complementary skills and must always consider whether the end product is actually going to work for the end-user. Students, therefore, need to work with others to: determine who will do what; understand potential users’ requirements; request and act on feedback; and share information about what they have designed and built.

None of this can be done without communication and collaboration skills.

Creativity links to building with technology in two main ways: Creativity in problem solving and creativity in design. When solving a real-world problem, students need to think creatively about how to solve it using a technological solution. Once students have decided on the product or solution, they need to think about the best way to design it. Thinking about the end-user, they need to consider user experience and user interface – nobody wants to use a poorly design product.

Computational thinking takes complex problems and breaks them into tiny pieces, which is exactly what students have to do when they are deciding how to use technology to provide solutions. In a rapidly changing future, students will have to solve problems constantly to adapt to the world around them.

Bringing technology learning into your subject is a win-win. Your classes will be more inspiring and engaging, whilst also giving your students the skills and competencies they need to succeed in their futures.

To find out how BSD empowers all teachers to bring technology learning into their classroom and give their students the tools of tomorrow, get in touch!

Breaking the Disconnection in Computer Science Education

Posted on December 14, 2018September 20, 2022 by user

In a recent survey of 540 K-12 teachers conducted by YouGov for Microsoft, 88% of teachers said they agree computer science is critical to ensuring success in the workplace. In addition, 83% said they believe coding can build students’ creativity. Thus, teachers recognize the importance and benefits of technology education.

However, one-fifth of teachers said their students aren’t actually taught any computer science. These teachers mention a lack of resources, curriculum, and testing as explanations for this. To give students digital skills to prepare for the future, instructors and society believe it is vital. However, what actually happens in schools is quite different.

The second issue is that teachers feel underqualified to prepare children for a digital future. Most teachers (88%) value computer science, while 30 percent are underqualified or overloaded—insufficient support and training for teachers to confidently integrate technology into their classes.

Interestingly, the same kind of feedback led to our offering at BSD Education. Many teachers recognize the importance of technology education for students’ future success but struggle to deliver it effectively. We researched with schools and students from diverse socio-economic, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds to discover why. While schools want to use technology more, there are three major obstacles to overcome:

Confidence: Teachers don’t usually have a tech background and so can see it as risky and unfamiliar. Professional development for an area that is new and technical can be hard to access.
Content: Technology is constantly changing. Curriculum can, therefore, become quickly outdated.
Community: Teachers don’t have a community of practice or peers, with a core group of trained practitioners, to learn from and share ideas.

Following this research, we worked with thousands of students and instructors for over 34,000 hours to develop a solution that inspires the next generation of problem-solvers and creative thinkers. As a result, we equip schools with resources to integrate technology into all subjects:

An online teaching environment that gives teachers confidence by putting them in control of the learning experience.
Real world relevant curriculum that can be brought into every subject.
Professional development that enables every teacher to integrate technology into their classroom.

Our new year resolves to bring this solution and create the community in and amongst more schools globally to help break the disconnect. Teachers know that technology education is vital. We need to empower them and support them with the right tools to be in a position to deliver.

Top 10 (Non-Tech) Skills You Learn From Coding

Posted on December 9, 2018September 20, 2022 by user

Coding is more than just a technical skill. Students engaged in coding projects and activities will also develop a wide range of soft skills. When we talk to employers, we find that digital skills are the key to opening the door. Still, an essential part of turning the opportunity into reality can demonstrate the soft skills that go with them.

1. Communication

Communication is often overlooked as a vital skill amongst coders. When you hear the word “coder,” what comes to mind? Probably a stereotypical image forms – a quiet twenty-something-year-old sitting behind a computer screen with giant headphones on. Often they are not assumed to be a strong communicator. Unfortunately, this is not the reality. Coders must be able to communicate clearly to their team, colleagues, and clients. Successful coders can manage expectations, understand and interpret requirements, and effectively convey what is in a given brief. We encourage students to articulate their ideas and processes through real-world presentation activities. These include concepts like elevator pitches, stand-ups, and team-based idea generation exercises.

2. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to comprehend and be sensitive to other people’s needs and emotions. Through incorporating original project briefs in lessons, students understand compassion and practice executing their requests in a considerate manner. Empathy is not just sensing “feelings” or interpreting emotions. Students will learn that to understand the needs successfully, detailed research should be conducted.

Read our other article on the importance of empathy and how you can help your students practice it.

3. Creativity

Learning to code is like learning how to read and write in a different medium – it enables you with creative and expressive power (Here are five reasons why coding is like a language). In addition, code helps students to become creators of digital artifacts rather than simply being consumers. Through coding projects, students experience ways to express their ideas and become thoughtful creators in their communities. Some of these projects include creating a digital photography portfolio, a recipe app, or a self-driving toy car!

4. Logic

Logic is a skill students can practice through code. Students become increasingly analytical by dissecting existing programs to understand the process to achieve the solution through written code. Whether they are building or debugging, they are exercising their logic faculties regularly. Understanding machine operations, conditionals, and progression in coding projects strengthen logic. Breaking down issues and figuring out how each affects the other will help students think objectively.

5. Problem-solving

Students have to be aware of and apply appropriate coding skills for different requirements or scenarios. Students that practice this will improve their ability, having broken down a problem that may seem complex or abstract to recognize the optimal way that students can articulate its solution. Identifying the operations needed to solve pain effectively is a skill that students can apply in any other field.

6. Enterprise

Coding brings out enterprising qualities in students. Coding is not like other subjects in school where the facts might be all in the classroom with them. When beginning the coding journey, students will quickly identify gaps in their learning and recognize the need to seek resources for themselves. This search for an answer will accustom students to find and recognize the quality or reliability of sources to achieve and fulfill their creative ideas.

7. Abstract thinking

Abstract thinking is the ability to think about objects, principles, and ideas that are not physically present. The use of analogies is an excellent example of abstract thinking. Once students begin to learn languages like JavaScript or Python that are not immediately visualized, students will need to practice speculating and predicting results in how the interrelationships of the code happen as a whole. Some scholars argue that abstract thinking is not a natural cognitive development but rather through culture, teaching, and experience. Students can develop their ability to make connections and abstraction in intermediate and advanced coding through unplugged activities. Teachers can do this through the utilization of graphic organizers, such as flowcharts.

8. Project planning

Coding is best learned through project-based learning. Students practice and learn planning by thinking through the steps necessary to achieve their end goal. Projects created with code are built by envisioning the required syntax and the overarching rules that will govern it and the most efficient way to put it all together. Then, to meet the deadline set by the teacher, students learn how to assess their resources and knowledge to get the project done on time.

9. Attention to detail

Coding is excellent practice for attention to detail. Not only from the perspective of the accuracy of the code itself but also accounting for users’ needs, for example, ensuring a well-designed user interface and experience. A savvy coder may develop a system to avoid repeated mistakes. Where errors are present, they will examine their work systematically. Experienced software developers often try to “break” programs to identify problems and areas of improvement before launching a product to the market. This iterative and creative process can be applied in your classroom as well. Get students to demo and test each others’ creations and see what they pick up on.

10. Resilience

Coders and developers gain an ability to move past their debugging frustrations and continue to find solutions to help complete their projects. Students will practice a sustained process. Creating something good and successful takes time and attention to detail. By understanding and accepting that coding is not something you “get” the first try or that users do not always receive projects in an intended way, students become resilient learners through the process of making mistakes and finding the solution.

More success in the future is predicated on individuals’ ability to apply the hard skills of technology. It also follows that where this becomes an inevitable norm, the differentiating features for human beings will be the ability to deliver the best solution and understand its success, which will come from the soft skill attributes of technology learning. Thus, perhaps the greatest differentiating strength in a technology future will be innately human.

Learning Through Play With Lego Mindstorms

Posted on November 23, 2018September 20, 2022 by user

In a recent article we released in Issue #7, we talked about the advantages of extracurricular activities like Technology Camps on student learning; how it helps students develop to become well rounded young adults and the real world skills students acquire in camps such as Game Development.

Looking for Technology Camps for kids younger than 8 can be a challenge. Many organizations are trying to provide options for this age group because they see it as a business opportunity. However, there are a number of child developmental considerations when choosing programmes for younger children that should be taken into account. For example, children as young as 5 for will likely have difficulties in using a mouse, typing, remembering where the letters on the keyboards are, understanding the syntax of coding languages and let’s not forget the much shorter attention spans.

For young kids, we would recommend keeping the phrase “Learning through playing” front of mind. It has been long understood, through practical experience as well as academic work by e.g. Lev Vygotsky and Maria Montessori, that learning through play is a critical element for young children to develop key skills in language, emotion, creativity and social interaction, it pulls together the logical and creative areas of the brain.

In practical terms, we have found that introducing Technology with Lego Mindstorms to young kids is more effective than making them code early on. Even in children as young as 6 years old, we have found Robotics with Lego effective to expose them to both the principles and ideas of coding, like logic, and elements of engineering through robotics. The small parts in Lego Mindstorms challenge younger students developing motor skills and coordination.

Here’s some of the key benefits of Lego Mindstorms and what kids learn and build in a Lego Mindstorms Camp:

1.) Boosts empathy and awareness
In our camps, we ensure to kickstart it with a few intriguing questions: “What type of problems do you face in daily life?” “Are there more people who are facing the same problem?” and “What can we do to solve it?”. Prompting these questions helps young learners begin to consider their environment. This helps them think about the problems they would like robots to solve, these can be as simple as “retrieving an item across the room without having to leave a seat”.

2.) Nurtures Imagination and Creativity
When entering the brainstorming process you’ll get a room full of energy and 100 possible answers, this is the time to introduce feasibility. For example, If you need to retrieve an item from across the room, “what will you need?” You will likely need something with wheels on it to move and arms to pick it up. “Do you have these resources available?”.

3.) Introduces engineering
Lego Mindstorms encourages kids to build with more variety like gears and levers. It promotes engineering where students can take the various plastic pieces to construct robots, buggies, or devices, while ensuring they can physically “move” or “operate” together to successfully and repeatedly perform a task e.g. making sure none of the pieces fall when the robot moves from a spot to another. Some people opine that the best way to stimulate the maximum creativity in robotics is to first take away the option of using the wheels!

4.) Emphasizes teamwork
Building a robot is not easy for kids to finish alone. We encourage them to go in groups to accomplish robots together, even to seek help where they can observe adults nearby or in their class. We help them identify their strengths, as well as start to think about ideas like delegation and having a team leader. One kid can be in charge of putting the pieces together, while another can be in charge of coding the robot.

5.) Teaches programming concepts
When building a robot, it is important kids are aware that computers don’t and can’t think for themselves. All technology is based on code, no matter how complex it is. Lego Mindstorms runs on a visual programming environment, which is intuitive for kids because they simply need to imagine what their robot will do, and drag-and-drop plain language blocks into correct sequences using logic. There are on screen technologies to do this like Scratch, however they lack the physical interaction and immersive multi-sensory experience that kids get in creating and using a robot.

6.) Camps are a great opportunity to Improve presentation and public speaking skills
At the end of any technology camp, we find it’s a critical capstone event for kids to be able to present their product. Presenting a solution is just as important as making a solution! It is the culminating part of reflection on their experience, reinforcement of their learning and demonstrating important soft skills and pride in their work.

Here we have used Robotics as our example. However, the benefits of play based learning will be quite consistent in any camp that is science or technology based. You can be certain that your children will have a lot of fun and be highly engaged to light the spark to learn even more in the future.

If you’re interested in bringing our Technology Camps or After School Programs into your schools, let us know here or request a demo.

Coding Is Just Like A Language

Posted on November 19, 2018September 20, 2022 by user

Why do we refer to coding languages as “languages”? While it’s easy to pass off as just a phrase, the term is remarkably fitting; understanding why can help broaden and deepen our understanding of coding and our spoken languages. Here are just 5 of the exciting ways coding is like a traditional language:

First, and perhaps most fundamental, coding and languages are both used to share data. We use language to convey our thoughts, feelings, and intentions in our daily interactions with other people, whether over the internet or in person. At its core, code is doing the same thing; when you write code, you’re talking to the computer and telling it what you want. Some could even argue that the computer takes those instructions much of the time and uses them to communicate with other people through web pages, video games, apps, etc.

2. THEY HAVE RULES AND GRAMMAR (OR SYNTAX).

Rules and grammar are an essential part of coding languages. Without rules and the framework they provide, our languages would not convey meaning as effectively as they do. If you get the rules wrong while coding, the computer can’t understand what you’re trying to say.

3. THEY ARE EXTREMELY VERSATILE.

While coding languages do have definite rules, much like traditional language, those rules also allow freedom. We can use spoken language for many purposes: we use it to share thoughts, request things, and generally communicate. We can even use language to make music or play games with it. In addition, code has flexibility. For all its strict rules and specifications, coding can solve different problems in various ways. Thus, while some methods might be best suited to specific instances or contexts, there generally isn’t one “right” answer as long as it follows the basic rules.

4. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

Mandarin and English are very different languages. They have additional grammar and methods of speaking or writing. While they ultimately fulfill the same purpose, some ideas might be easier to express in English, and some pictures might only be fully appreciated in Mandarin. The same is true of coding languages. While one language may be able to solve various problems, another language might be able to do it a little better. Some languages can converse fluently with data; some are right at home giving a robot instructions. In the same way that learning a new spoken language allows you to communicate with new people in new ways, learning new programming languages enables you to deal with problems differently.

5. YOU WON’T BECOME FLUENT IN A DAY

If you crunch, after a day of study, you might be able to say hello, ask for the bathroom, and maybe order from a restaurant in a foreign language. But to understand a language takes practice. While learning a new programming language is generally faster than picking up a foreign language, ultimately, the same principles apply.

After a day or two of study, you can create some cool projects and build a base understanding of the rules, but you won’t be able to build an expansive piece of software. While that can be discouraging, it’s also what makes learning so rewarding. Learning a new programming language, whether it’s your first or fifty-first, can allow you to think about old problems in new ways and accomplish things you couldn’t before.

While they may look very different on a page, coding languages and spoken languages share many similarities when it comes down to it. In comparing the two, we see both things in a slightly different light to understand new aspects of the familiar.

A slight shift in perspective may make us reconsider an oft-occurring problem or particularly vexing issue and find a better solution. Ultimately, by changing the way we think and develop new ideas, we can change a world, a country, or even a classroom.