How to Successfully Transition Between the Two Styles of Coding

How Can We Successfully Transition Students From Block-Based Coding To Text-Based Coding?

Transitioning students from block-based coding to text-based coding is an important step in any coding curriculum, and one that must not go overlooked. Let's start by understanding the difference between these two coding styles.

Intro

Given how pervasive technology is, knowing the basics of coding is now an essential skill for students moving into higher education and those that are looking for a career start.Teachers have identified this important skill and children are now learning to code at an early age. However, with the wide variety of options available for educators to begin teaching their students to code, it is important to make an informed decision that will prepare students for success.
Block-based coding emerged as a tool to offer students an introduction to the world of coding that allows them to explore code in a friendly environment. Kids learn coding logic by dragging and dropping items instead of coding with blocks. It’s a great starting point for learning about algorithms. While educators could instantly start introducing digital skills to their classrooms with blocks, they also saw the limitations of block coding. In this webinar; We will explain how to successfully transition to text-based programming languages ​​that are widely used in the business world, such as Python and Javascript, for those of you that want to go beyond the blocks.
It is possible to teach young children the syntax of text-based programming languages, but educators need to be patient and adaptable. Because children’s psychomotor skills are not fully developed. It also means that students unfamiliar with the keyboard learn to type slowly.
Children can become quite proficient with text-based programming languages. Those passionate about coding will eventually want to go beyond block-based coding. At this point it is extremely helpful to know how to command a machine using text-based programming languages.

Why Text Based Coding?

There is no limit in text-based coding. It provides an environment where students can develop their skills in an unlimited way. Block coding hinders further development as a programmer, as the business world uses text-based coding.
It is much more difficult for students to grasp the actual coding concepts and syntax with block coding. With text-based coding, students have a complete learning experience that instills important coding concepts they will remember and develop.
An important aspect of learning something new is making mistakes, identifying what went wrong, and then fixing those mistakes. In block-based coding, it is not so common to make mistakes and learn from them, as students work within the boundaries of predetermined code blocks and cannot go beyond these boundaries.
Text-based coding presents many real-world challenges that help students truly learn how to solve problems. Text-based coding allows students to grow by making mistakes, as students are given the freedom to customize themselves and expand beyond drag-and-drop actions.

Transition to text-based encoding:

Algorithms are the basis of learning programming. Children can quickly improve their ability to build algorithms with block-based coding. Once children become familiar with the basics and syntax of programming with block-based coding, they can move on to text programming.
A recent MIT study found that the best age to learn a new language is before the age of 10. Learning to code is very similar to learning a new spoken language, and because children’s brains are much more flexible, it appears as an opportunity for students to grasp real coding concepts through text-based coding at an earlier age.

Minds of Tomorrow. The Creative Tech Club. Our activities are a blend of coding, design, robotics and entrepreneurship designed to nurture the kids’ Creative Mindset in Miami.