Technology has a language. It’s called code. And coding is an essential skill.
Learning to code teaches you how to solve problems and work together in creative ways. Not only does it help you solve problems, coding lets you build apps that bring your ideas to life. The BC government and many even teachers (I know right – the government and teachers agreeing!) believe all BC students should have the opportunity to create something that can change the world.
There being a desire by teachers to provide the skills for learners, organizations that can provide those skills are stepping up to fill that need. So the folks at Apple designed a new approach to coding that lets anyone learn, write, and teach coding.
The new approach to coding is called Swift.
Apple designed Swift to be easy to use. It lets you see what you’re creating with code as you write it. Type your code on the left and immediately see the result on the right.
It uses lots of words and phrases you already know, like “print,” “add,” and “remove.” And Swift is not just great for getting started with code — it’s also super powerful. In fact, some of the world’s most popular apps are created in Swift.
For first-time coders, there’s Swift Playgrounds, a new iPad app that makes getting started fun and interactive. Using real code, you’ll solve puzzles and meet characters you can control with just a tap.
If you have an idea for an app, Apple’s “App Development with Swift” guide will help you build it from start to finish. You’ll learn the basics and experiment with playgrounds in Xcode, the software used to make apps on your Mac — then get going on your very own app.
This is an exciting time – perhaps this summer you too can begin to explore how we can bring coding into the classroom. At least give it some thought.