CoderDojo—Teaching Kids How to Code
How old were you when you learned to code? Where did you learn to code? Have you ever taught someone else how to code? These are three important questions for software developers. There is a cadre of developers who are self-taught, but let’s face it, it is a lonely journey.
One teen Irish developer named James Whelton decided to do something about it and created CoderDojo. CoderDojo is a movement created to support and teach coding to children from nine to fifteen years of age. However, it does so with a twist—using the framework of martial arts advancement to encourage the children to keep motivated. Wouldn’t you like to be a black belt in coding?
The rankings system is built around the attainment of four badges: basic, junior, senior, and master. Just like the belt system in martial arts, it gives new students the motivation to keep trying. An alternative view is that CoderDojo is too much about repetition and not enough about truly learning. The CoderDojo program does motivate young students, and that is also vital.
When CoderDojo participants went to the Irish government buildings, they made a real impression on government officials. When kids talk about how they teach other kids how to program, that is a real achievement. There is no better way to learn than from your peers. This is a club like a basketball or soccer club but for coding where senior mentors empower and teach junior members.
When I found out about CoderDojo, I was reminded of the quote by Yogi Bhajan: "If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it."
You see, CoderDojo isn’t just about learning. It is also about teaching—and through teaching, learning. Everyone is a winner. CoderDojo quickly spread from Cork, Ireland, to Los Angeles. CoderDojo has already produced a young developer, Harry Moran, who claimed the title of the youngest Apple app creator in the world. His app was number one in the App Store. There are also adult workshops, which might inspire parents to try and keep up with their kids.
I encourage developers to set up a local CoderDojo chapter in their own community. We need to nurture the next generation of coders. Let’s face it—one way or another, we will be using their code in our lives before too long.
