Twice in recent times I have heard two different educators state “my students can’t do this” with regards to coding.

Wrong. So so wrong. So so so so wrong.

They can, if you let them. They can, if you believe in them. They can, with with your guidance, love and support.

Sometimes “those” students are the ones who need these opportunities the most. Sometimes I wonder if teacher fear leads to these statements.

But what are we afraid of? Kids knowing more about technology than us?

GOOD! Use them! Our job is to be curriculum experts.

I taught myself to code in high school and soon began building school projects that eventually lead me to being a self employed teenager working from home and saving for university tuition. After building a website for a school project, I was invited to build the first website for my high school. A paid gig by my principal. Imagine that! Not before long I was creating websites for every mom and pop shop in town. I was the man! I was in demand! And I worked from home. In the late 90s.

One of the greatest gifts coding can offer is perspective and diversity. Coding gives kids a chance to develop critical thinking skills. Coding gives kids a chance to develop computational thinking skills. Coding gives kids a chance to work on empathy as they need to know the audience and needs of the person they are coding for. What is the problem being solved?

These are life skills. And your kids CAN do them if you give them a chance.

I believe all kids can achieve if given a fair chance and fairness requires proper implementation of technology. It cannot be an event. And it shouldn’t be a choice or reward system. Coding should not be an hour long club at lunch. Coding should be embedded in practice.

You’d be surprised what your students CAN do if you just give them a chance to show you.