Learning to Code Regains Educational Value
Val Town's founder, Sam Harris, argues that learning to code has become worthwhile for educational reasons, not just vocational ones, despite the decline of coding as a guaranteed path to a high-paying job. This shift in perspective comes as the tech industry evolves and coding skills are no longer seen as a quick fix for poverty.
Key points
- Val Town's founder, Sam Harris, a Silicon Valley startup founder, believes everyone should learn to code for educational reasons.
- Harris cites Seymour Papert, a math and education researcher, who created the LOGO programming language to teach math through exploration.
- The ability to code is no longer a guarantee of a high-paying job, but it still offers cognitive benefits and a deeper understanding of math and problem-solving.
- Coding is now seen as a valuable skill for its own sake, rather than just as a means to a lucrative career.
- This shift in perspective reflects the changing landscape of the tech industry and the evolving role of coding in society.
The tech industry has long been associated with the mantra 'learn to code' as a way to escape poverty and secure a high-paying job. However, with the rise of AI and automation, this narrative is no longer tenable. According to Sam Harris, founder of Val Town, a Silicon Valley startup for writing and deploying code, learning to code has become worthwhile for educational reasons, not just vocational ones.
Harris draws inspiration from Seymour Papert, a math and education researcher who created the LOGO programming language in the 1960s. Papert's goal was to teach math through exploration, rather than instruction, by creating a 'Mathland' where children could learn math in a more organic way. Harris believes that coding can have a similar effect, allowing people to develop problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of math.
While the ability to code is no longer a guarantee of a high-paying job, Harris argues that it still offers cognitive benefits and a more nuanced understanding of the world. This shift in perspective reflects the changing landscape of the tech industry and the evolving role of coding in society. As the industry continues to evolve, it's clear that learning to code will remain a valuable skill, even if it's no longer seen as a quick fix for poverty.
Sources
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