It's becoming increasingly evident that technology and creativity are critical for success in almost every industry. This raises the question of which is more important in education - coding or creativity?
Although coding is considered a technical skill and creativity, more than often, an artistic skill, the truth is that both are essential for developing well-rounded students who can thrive in an increasingly complex world. In this article, we'll explore the articles and opinions from the web about the intersection of coding and creativity and why both are crucial for elementary school students.
Coding as a Creative Way of Learning
Brigid O’Rourke Harvard Correspondent DateNovember 12, 2014
Coding has the potential to transform the way children learn, providing them with a new level of autonomy and creativity in the classroom. By giving students the tools to create their own projects and solve problems on their own, coding enables them to take control of their own learning and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
This approach to learning is a marked departure from the traditional model of rote memorization and passive instruction.
Classroom Tip - Explore how you can integrate the use of Scratch in a non-coding PBL (project based learning) learning activity or any other non-IT based lesson plan.
Coding as a Means of Creative Expression
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Creative thinking is traditionally associated with the arts while analytical thinking is associated with the sciences. Coding has the potential to bridge this gap, providing a new means of creative expression. By allowing students to create digital projects, coding provides an outlet for their imaginations and encourages them to think outside the box.
Students can use coding to create everything from interactive games to digital art and even simple apps, and the possibilities are limited only by their imaginations. Additionally, coding allows students to share their creations with a wider audience, allowing them to showcase their work and receive feedback from others.
Classroom Tip - Consider setting up a digital showcase of student work, where students can display their coding projects and provide feedback to one another. By creating a culture of collaboration and sharing, you can help students to discover the different opportunities that can come from coding.
Creativity More Important in the Future?
As machines become increasingly proficient at writing code through deep machine learning, the importance of coding skills in isolation may diminish. In a future where software can code better than humans, the ability to think creatively and to find new solutions to complex problems will be more critical than ever. By emphasizing creativity and problem-solving alongside coding skills, we can prepare children for the challenges of tomorrow and enable them to succeed in a rapidly advancing technology landscape.
Classroom Tip: Encourage young children to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills through open-ended, exploratory projects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, coding and creativity are both essential skills for elementary school students to develop. Students can develop their creative thinking and problem-solving abilities by learning to code in the classroom.
At the same time, encouraging creativity can help students see the world in new ways and develop innovative solutions to problems. By embracing coding and creativity, we can help our students prepare for a future increasingly driven by technology and innovation.
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