Mitch Resnick: Let's teach kids to code

Coding isn't just for computer whizzes, says Mitch Resnick of MIT Media Lab -- it's for everyone. In a fun, demo-filled talk Resnick outlines the benefits of teaching kids to code, so they can do more than just "read" new technologies -- but also create them. (Filmed at TEDxBeaconStreet.)

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more.

[stevencruz]

Beyond thankful for this man. Scratch is a huge part of my childhood and served as my medium to learning C and Java. God bless!

[WantedVisual]

We learned the basic principles of coding in ninth grade with coding software catered to schools. The options were: have car run into wall, have car run into cone, have car run course and feel miserable that you're fifteen and three-year-olds worldwide are doing the same thing, except toddlers don't have to explain every tiniest step to their instructors. The non-language options are limited without internet access, and with internet access, productivity in schoolchildren drops dramatically.

[ZardoDhieldor]

For two years I was going to a school where they taught us exactly what you pointed out. Then I went to a different school and was shocked how little structure they showed in their way of thinking.
I feel inspired to retake up this idea and besides program more often in my free time.
Thank you! :)

[MaxLim]

Very supportive and completely agree teaching kids coding as early as possible. I do not have such "simpler" way of learning coding only by doing it yourself the "traditional" way. Fortunately I liked it then and motivated but most of my peers gave it and stress out. Hope this will evolve in to early childhood worldwide.

[bernd_the_almighty]

coding is at first fun when you start playing with new things you didn't do before, but as your project gets more complex, most of the time you just sit there with a headache trying to realize what caused some bug

[tristanchroma]

Learned HTML at age 8, expanded to CSS and JavaScript quite quickly, touched on Java and PHP, and eventually made my way to C++ for a robotics program.
A little less than a decade later and I've worked with everything from Lua to C# to XML and more.

Best part of it all, though?
Already understanding all of Algebra I when I took it thanks to the concept of variables xP

[chrisose]

I agree wholeheartedly. I was lucky enough to be in the first computer class given in my school (1978....wow I'm getting old). We programmed on the old Wang numeric machines where everything was math functions and moving data around memory slots, MS-DOS on a TRS-80 with a whopping 8kb of memory and FORTRAN & COBOL on the county mainframe. It taught me how to set a goal then work through the problems to get there. A skill set that I use everyday but that is missing in most of our children.

[Dgfrmxon]

I tried Scratch. It is fantastic.

If you watched this video, or if you're reading this comment at all, I think you should go download the software and make a image do some simple motion in a "forever" loop. The intuitiveness is amazing, and you can get it done in less time than it took to watch this video. You can do it while you watch the video! Post results!

[srimansrini]

Ever since time immemorial we all thought coding is done by the nerds. In this informative talk, Mitch Resnick explains how he and his colleagues in M.I.T. making simple scratch book anybody can create animated films or stories. Really useful and highly recommended.

[rvanner]

Scratch is a great intro to coding. We make it easy with our BASIC languages. Dark Basic Pro for PCs and App Game Kit for mobile devices. Many schools have used our tools to teach kids how to code.

[gmeardi]

Chapeau. I did involve my kids in some Coder Dojos, with Scratch, and... now planning to start one myself: that's awsome, in many ways.  Fluent in Technology, coding to learn, mind openness: admirable key messages.

[johnkim]

Great TED talk! Dr. Resnick introduces the trend of more people coding and makes clear the principle of how it's more about technology being made easier to use and getting adopted greatly rather than children being very technologically savvy which makes it get adopted widely. Ironically, many software engineers & developers are coding and creating libraries which make it more and more obsolete by the day. But coding does have great educational value and some minimal level of such is becoming necessary as we move into an era where everything is largely digital.

[MumblingMickey]

Couldn't agree more... It also teaches you the hard way the definition of 'precision' and how to identify problems. Along with the sad fact that for every hour you spend coding you are increasing the time you will spend fixing your own bugs. This often results in the obvious... that less code is more time!

[TaiViinikka]

This talk is a good start on understanding why logical and precise thinking (one e.g. is coding) is valuable.  

I love the concept of coding as similar to writing, while consuming digital media is like reading. Unfortunately as things now stand, people love their novels but can't scrawl their own names in crayon. If someone can write a grocery list we call them a 'coder', if they can put together a paragraph that explains something they are a 'software developer, ' and no one has ever heard of standardized spelling, copyediting, punctuation, or multiple drafts. :) All around us I see 1) situations where being able to create simple code would make something better, easier, safer, cheaper, or more fun and 2) situations where people are *in effect* creating code (e.g. a spreadsheet, or teaching a NEST thermostat your schedule), but without (without even being aware of) the benefit of all the tools, processes, and ideas that software people have invented in the last 60 years. These "helpers" make a difference, just as standardized spelling, editors, dictionaries, word processors, "Track Changes" and many other tools help us write in human languages. Without the tools, we're scratching on papyrus. 


You don't even see the examples all around you unless you learn about what's possible and start looking for opportunities to code and use a tool that helps. 

[TheLivirus]

I'm studying for a master in mechanical engineering. I did not expect us to use programming when I started, but we've had several courses involving coding. Of course, it's on a basic level. But I have not doubt it's a valuable skill that can be used to automate a lot of the boring repitative work eg. math, documentation, etc.

[ExcludedLayman]

A point he makes that needs highlighting: Coding connects logical rigor with creativity.

People not in the STEM scene often think of those who are as aspiring to be Spock. While it is true that the technical side of things is dry, emotionless, and pretty black-and-white, that's just the set of blocks. The human spark comes through in how those blocks are put together, and in how much passion, creativity, and frustration go into getting there.

[MinishGaming]

Scratch is awesome! I used it to teach and it's great to stimulate logical thinking. It's also a lot more enjoyable than a screen full of code where you just get the sum of two numbers.

I would encourage every single one of my fellow teachers to use this!

[AlejandroCalero]

I asked the principal at my kids' school to watch this video, specially at minute 3:45 where Dr. Resnick explains why kids are not digital natives.

[Truthiness]

Amen to that (in a strictly secular sense)! There is almost nothing else greater about humans than being able to take any problem, break it up into parts, solve those parts, put it all together, and ultimately overcome anything. There's also little else that's cooler than taking something from the universe and simulating and/or going beyond what it was able to do in the virtual world. If our minds are our brains + the tools we extend it with, there is no more powerful a mind than a programmer's.

[BabyBop]

I think you've proven his point! The fact that most people don't understand how technology works is just another reason that more people should learn to code.