Why is Robotics/Programming not a core subject in school? (college, degrees)
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If so many are predicting mass automation within the next 20 years or so, then why isn't coding/robotics a "subject" in school alongside grammar, reading, and math?
When you say subject in the core curriculum, I'm assuming you think that all students should be required to take these classes. I'll disagree with you there because unlike basic math or reading, these are not subjects that will benefit most people. Software development requires mental abilities that most people simply don't possess. Kids in the bottom quartile of intelligence will never learn to code, and trying to teach them is a waste of everyone's time. Others might benefit to varying degrees, but like music it should be taught as an elective class.
Robotics/automation/AI is another meme that pops up regularly in public discourse and lately it's taken a dark turn where entire categories of jobs will supposedly be automated out of existence -- in the future. Not going to happen because 1) digital AI is a dead end, 2) there is no capital available to pay for and build this magic robotic infrastructure (it's much cheaper and more energy efficient to make more people), and 3) the future of specialized labor is biological. Creepy as it sounds, we will see genetically designed "helpers" before we ever see a mechanical, battery-powered android that is useful for general work tasks.
If so many are predicting mass automation within the next 20 years or so, then why isn't coding/robotics a "subject" in school alongside grammar, reading, and math?
I doubt that any school has reading or grammar as a subject... Most schools have English, Math, Science and Social Studies for core subjects. Our HS has robotics built into computer tech/design classes and that is required for all students. Just one class in both middle school and HS.
Coding is becoming more prevalent in upper elementary as a required enrichment course but even there some kids just can't get it.
To make it a required core class in the later grades would have a couple unintended consequences which the "experts" who propose these things always either ignore or have no awareness.
One, making it a required class will necessitate a curriculum that every single student can pass. Which means a watering down of the subject. Can that even be done with coding/robotics?
Two, and it's related to one, the surest way for a teacher to have a disaster class is to have to teach material that a large number of the students can't, and will never be able to, understand.
And yes, some of this is non-PC Bell Curve stuff but, unfortunately, it works on both the macro and the micro levels.
I wouldn't be opposed to a college making a computer-related course part of its general education requirements; this makes sense to me. The requirement could be fulfilled in many ways, not just a computer science or robotics course. For instance, social science majors could take a course on how to use sophisticated software modelling programs, or art majors could take a website design course, or business majors could take an IT management course. These are all types of skills that you could put on a resume after graduation, so if one of the goals of higher education is preparing people for the workforce, then it would make sense to insure that they have some formal instruction in computer related skills.
However, I think that most public schools at the k-12 level already have their hands full just trying to teach reading, writing, and mathematics. I'd hate to see time and energy pulled away from those important basic skills in order to squeeze in programming or robotics as a required separate course each year.
That said, many K-12 schools are integrating computers into their curriculum these days, so today's kids are being exposed to computers and even coding much earlier than in previous generations. Many high schools also offer computer science courses and robotics programs as well, so high school students do frequently have the option of more in-depth study if they're interested.
I teach coding to children ages 5 and up. You can introduce the concepts using drag and drop game concepts, such as Scratch, Scratch Jr. and Code Combat. Most kids love it. Once the foundation is comprehended, the kids can learn hand-coding, which can be tedious but most will understand the the concepts behind it . . including special needs students or students who do not like math.
Like teaching music is not designed to develop professional musicians, the coding taught in schools (and it is part of the curriculum here, as well as the Hour of Code activities), coding in school is not intended to make everyone into a programmer or software engineer. Its purpose is to give kids analytical skills, as well as teaching them how to communicate with a computer. Its teaching kids the computer alphabet. If later, they decide to go into science, they will have the fundamentals to understand R. They will also understand how to do write programs in excel if they go into finance or administration.
It's an extremely critical 21st century skill that should be included in your school, if it's not already. We make if fun by introducing it through building robots or computer games, but all of the concepts learned through these avenues can be applied to using technology in any area that uses a computer, whether it's accounting, the financial sector, writing music, filmmaking, fashion design, graphic arts, any of the sciences, and of course engineering.
Computer programming is not a core subject for the same reason that auto mechanics or sewing are not core subjects.
You are absolutely wrong. those subjects are not core subjects because they offer little value . They do not get people ready for the workplace which is the primary reason we have education beyond basic reading writing and math.
training everyone how to fix cars would not make the nation more productive neither would sewing.
I know the real reason Coding, robotics are little more than sideshows in the vast majority of middle and high schools both good and bad).
the real reason...
the real reason...
there are no where near enough teachers with the required skills to teach these subjects. Not even vaguely close. Those with the skills tend to choose to work in the industries where they get much higher pay. It really is that simple.
IF there were plenty of good well skills people to teach coding along side math etc the schools would jump on it. I have worked with a couple of groups who try to identify those with the right skills and get them into classrooms. We can't get them to give up their jobs but there has been some limited successes getting them to visit and assist.
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