Programming in High School by Blake

Programming in High School by Blake - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

The number of subjects taught in high schools across the nation has significantly expanded over the last couple of decades, requiring more foreign language and adding personal finance. I believe that computer programming should be the next addition. Computing has become a part of our everyday lives and learning a programing language will allow individuals to understand what is going on behind the screen. Secondly, the logic behind programming can help students develop higher order thinking and enable them to create more instead of always consuming. Finally, students need to be encouraged to major in computer science in order to meet the current and growing demand. I understand implementing programming classes may be an obstacle for many school districts, but as we move forward with technology I think it is a necessary and appropriate addition to curricula.

I grew up in a unique generation– one that was the first to see computers in elementary and interactive white boards in junior high. Now the trend is moving toward allowing students to bring their own devices and/or providing each student with such. Technology came into education so fast that schools are faced with continually giving all classrooms a technology facelift along with expanding the number of computer courses. I believe the latter has been left in the dust. The attitude that kids are better with technology than adults contributes to the problem. School administrators are faced with a shortage of technology teachers who can provide a worthwhile education to already knowledgeable students who end up choosing careers outside of computing. This is why people like President Barack Obama voice their support for programming classes in high school, and progressive elementary teachers are bringing basic coding lessons into their classrooms. Unless we start encouraging programming at all levels, we will continue to have a lack of understanding and interest in the field.

Programming may seem intimidating because you have to learn a ‘language.’ It is true that you have to know the lingo of the language in which you are coding; however, being taught JavaScript or C++ is significantly different from learning Spanish or French. It is comparable to learning how to read. What you understand keeps building on itself and allows you to make more complex things, like learning words in order to write a paragraph. Steve Jobs may have said it best: “It teaches you how to think.” Learning how each element works by itself and as a whole teaches higher order thinking, which can help students in every subject. Once you are comfortable coding, your imagination becomes the limit. What you receive in the end is an ability to help you create, and I think coding can help bring good ideas to life.

The most motivating factor to add programming to high school curriculum is the current job market for computer science graduates. Since technology has become a major part of every company and industry worldwide, the need for programmers, networkers, developers, and engineers has gone through the roof without an increase in computer science majors. This job gap allows companies like Google and Facebook to hire the majority of fresh young talent by offering many great benefits such as free laundry, food, transportation, and even haircuts. You definitely won’t find a work atmosphere as creative and unique as Googleplex in Mountain View, California. The philosophy behind it all is that companies will supply whatever you need as long as you work hard and are passionate about what you do. Even if you are not attracted to working for a large corporation, you will not have trouble finding work in any city. Small businesses need reliable and knowledgeable workers who can expand their use of technology. The programs you help make will have a growing impact on individuals’ daily lives and business models. Since computers affect everyone now, there is no question that coding is here to stay.

The field of computer science has a major shortage of programmers, while in other fields there is a surplus of workers who end up unemployed. Technology opens many doors for our everyday human lives, and so does programming. Behind every device and every app, there is code. Students are interested in this field, but without coding classes in high school curricula, most will decide on a different major before heading to college. The best way to raise computer science majors, encourage higher level thinking, and modernize high school education is to add classes for computer programming.