If you’re like me and have 1 or more daughters under the age
of 10, it’s highly probable that any of the following are true:
- Despite not actually trying, you’ve committed the lyrics of the smash hit song “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen to memory and find yourself at odd times during the day humming it without realizing what you’re doing
- You’ve yielded to your daughter’s plea to either throw a “Frozen-themed” party or, despite harboring doubts, went ahead and purchased her an Elsa costume complete with a golden-braided wig
Well, fellow parents of young daughters, I have a challenge
for you. Give your daughters a Frozen gift that will last a lot longer than
their Frozen pajamas or the plastic Frozen cups and dishware that are bound to
melt when you mistakenly put them on the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
“Move Forward by 200 pixels…”
Have your daughter create a program that lets Elsa skate.
The lesson is part of Code.org’s Code Studio where anyone can learn how to create a simple computer program. Started in
2013, Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer
science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of
color.
On their site, after a catchy introduction to programming featuring Lyndsey – who is, yes, both a fashion model and a
programmer – students can jump in and start creating instructions that help
Elsa skate up a storm before their very eyes.
Last month, I wrote about sending my two daughters, ages 7
and 9, to an ID Tech Introduction to Robotics camp for a week. The
good news is they loved it. I had written about my not-so-secret motivation of wanting
to pique their interest in technology and programming given this is where the
future jobs and money will be.
Open, High-Paying Jobs
According to Code.org, by 2020 the U.S. job market will have
1.4 million computing-related jobs and only 400,000 computer science majors.
Also, while 57% of bachelor degrees are earned by women, a mere 12% of all
college computer science graduates are women.
Not only are technology jobs going to be both abundant and
unfilled in the future, but they already are well-represented among the
highest-paying jobs on the market. According to Glassdoor’s inaugural 25Highest Playing Jobs In Demand report, 14 are tech jobs, including
Software Architect ($131,099 average base salary), Software Development Manager
($123,747), Solutions Architect ($121,522), Analytics Manager ($115,725) and IT
Manager ($115,642).
The kicker is that most schools don’t have computer science
classes. How weird is that? Per Code.org, computer science classes cannot count
toward high school math or science graduation requirements in 26 of our 50
states. This seems so incredibly unwise and ridiculous, I think I could vomit.
Let Her Teach Herself
So, what to do? Parents, this is where you can jump in. Find
a timely moment to interrupt your daughter’s play with her Elsa doll, sit her
down in front of the computer (Elsa
gown and wig optional, of course) and let her teach herself how to code.
After she masters the Elsa skating program (and she will), here are some other
things to try:
- Code.org – Through the site’s Code Studio there are also 20 1-hour classes on computer basics. There are also links to local classes as well.
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| Scratch |
- Scratch – This is a free program created at the MIT Media lab targeted for 8-16 year olds. Anyone can use it though. Scratch lets you program interactive stories, games and animations.
- Codecademy – An online education company that teaches students how to code. It boasts that it’s helped millions to date. Take a minute to listen to their stories. They are pretty compelling.
- Harvard’s CS50 Course – This is a free course delivered via edX that, according to the course description is, an “introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50 teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently.”
- Play Coding Games – People like games. Kids love them. Games also can be a great way to learn programming skills as they offer very real-time feedback and rewards. Sites like Codin Games and CodeCombat are great for both boys and girls.
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| Codin Games |
“Let Her Code…Let Her Code”
So, give those a shot. I will note that this fall, my wife
and I are taking our daughters to Disney World. It will be a first for all four
of us. As we stroll through all the wonder that is Disney, I am quite sure I’ll
be thinking about a dozen years in the future when, perhaps, my post-college
daughters are programming the next version of Disney’s mobile app or devising a
new mobile e-payment system.
Perhaps even as a way to coax that vision into reality I’ll
start to hum and then even sing out loud, “Let her code…let her code…” Maybe that
won’t be as catchy, but the delayed payoff makes up for it.
By the way, mark your calendars -- Frozen 2 in 2018. #LetHerCode
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