Talking in code Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, NBA player Chris Bosh, Sen. Marco Rubio and actor Ashton Kutcher are just a few of the big names who want students to learn computer programming. These celebrities have been recruited by Code.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing computer science education to all K–12 schools. Code.org projects that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million programming jobs available, yet only 400,000 computer science students. To prevent this potential 1 million-employee shortage, Code.org is working to raise awareness about the value of programming. At the advocacy level, the organization is pushing to incorporate computer science classes into graduation requirements. (On a related note, House Bill 5, the omnibus education bill passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature, has a provision that would allow students to fulfill foreign language credits through programming classes.) At the student level, the website features a slew of encouraging words such as this Steve Jobs quote: “I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” But, even more importantly, Code.org provides students with online coding resources, such as Codeacademy, which allows students to teach themselves how to code. And, at the school level, Code.org provides K–12 curriculum tools that can help educators bring coding into their own classrooms. Plus, for those who want to prove to students that Black Eyed Peas singer Will.I.Am really did say “great coders are today’s rock stars,” you can play a short video of successful entrepreneurs discussing their experiences learning programming.
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Find out if you’re eligible! www.tsahc.org/homeownership 1-877-508-4611 fall 2013
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