I've never liked the movement to get all kids to learn how to code. It's not an essential skill like Maths or English (or the language of your country). If we are doing our jobs right the only people who should ever need to write code are the ones who want to. Schools should offer computer classes for students who want to learn, obviously, but insisting everyone learn more than the basics (which kids growing up these days tend to know anyway) is a waste of time.
It's more a question of trying to fit everyone into the same mold. Literally teaching every student to code makes about as much sense as teaching every student to weld, or play piano, or learn Latin, or <insert other specialty skill here>. Not that knowing any of those things is bad (most are probably beneficial) but it's ignoring the individuality of the students.
Not every kid is interested in programming. Schools would do better if they could do a little more to nurture the abilities and interests of their students rather than try to fit them into a one-for-all standard curriculum.
At my school we were taught an instrument (for a while, to see if it took), introduced to shopwork including welding, and taught Latin for several years.
That last one is less useful but I wouldn't compare it in any way to basic computer programming, which allows some insight into the running of the modern world.
Just saw an amazing comment about this over at the register - 'Democracy requires every person to understand the world to some degree. Computers are an important part of our world. So people need to have at least a general idea about how they work. They need to know what they do where their inherent limitations are.'
Where you're wrong is that most kids don't tend to know the basics of programming. They know the basics of using a computer but generally have no idea how to program or what that even means.
We're not insisting that everyone should write code for a living just like high school music classes aren't insisting everyone be a musician.
However, just like music, programming is an enormous part of our world and getting exposed to it in high school is really important.
I didn't mean that most kids know the basics of programming. I meant they know general computer skills. I never thought of the music class example. However from what I remember most people I knew hated music. They were being forced to do something they didn't like and had no use for. I think it's the same with programming and important not to make the same mistake.
Yeah, we've been working really hard to make coding accessible and fun for kids and have done a lot of testing to make sure they're enjoying it and learning.
Many kids hate all subjects in school because they feel forced to go and don't find it useful, but you'd be crazy to say that's a reason we shouldn't send them to school.
Programming is no different in that regard, but we have an opportunity to give it a positive image and re-engage students with school.
I think what you are doing is great, and it does look like the way you are trying to achieve it would make it fun to learn programming.
Maybe I'm looking at it from a different perspective as I don't know much about the US school system. Here we have a few core subjects which are required and then we get to pick from a list of others (with various 'rules' e.g. you have to do at least basic science). I have no objections to making programming an option, I just don't think it is a core subject whereas many programmers think it is.
Basic IT skills should be taught to everyone and your product seems like a good way to introduce programming to those students so that the ones who might enjoy it could take on the full programming class option.
