Reading, writing, arithmetic... and coding?!

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Discuss your thoughts on adding coding to the 3 R's here. (FYI, I don't mean "reduce, reuse, recycle".)

Computer/technology classes should be treated like art classes in high school. Students should be required to have *some* experience in them, but should have choices regarding what kind of tech class they want to take.

I was required to take a computer programming class in high school. It was a waste of time. I learned how to write a simple program, in Basic (which was already ridiculously basic back then...) It gave me no useful knowledge for going any further in any kind of computer programming. So what if I could write a program that could make the computer answer an addition problem (or something like that)? If they were trying to teach computer programming as a system of logic, math class does that just fine.

Kids who learn how to write code usually figure out a way to do that outside of school. That's their bend, and all the more power to them, although having classes available in school for them is a great idea. They just should not be required for all kids.

I would have done better in a class where we actually learned how to master software that was already made, like the Office suite. I still don't know how to use Excel or Powerpoint fluently. *That* is practical for most kids, not coding.

IMHO, what would be better, would be if somebody invented an AI program that would code on demand, just by entering some basic parameters.

I'm glad it was never part of my curriculum.

What I found was that high school computer classes were always too general to be of use.. perhaps if they broke it down into different types of classes like computer science for hardware and coding and computer literacy for software use and configuration.

But then again a single school year was never long enough to get from the bare useless basics to the more advanced useful stuff.. so perhaps a series of classes like algebra 1 + 2 or classes with prerequisites?

In any case with public education the way it is you would never get the funding and support needed to produce a practical curriculum.

I hate to say they might as well not have the classes as they have to be better than nothing but considering how little practical purpose the knowledge they teach has I wonder if even the courses already available are worth the cost.

But then again I've been wondering what the purpose of devoting a year to calculus is since I learned of its existence and yet its been taught for decades despite it having no practical purpose whatsoever outside a very narrow range of careers.

Yes, finally, someone who understands! You are so right, let's abolish those useless calculus classes!

if STEM is so damned important then why is our public [primary and secondary] school system by and large giving insufficient attention to major STEM instruction? why wait until university, they could be teaching intros to these subjects starting in elementary school, starting with the big picture early on [teaching the importance first, starting with the sizzle, so to speak] then later in middle and high school concentrate on the steak? they have baccalaureate [sometimes "running start"] academic programs, for things like the liberal arts, why not a baccalaureate program for STEM? just wondering...

also why is American business by and large taking such a hands-off approach to educating more STEM professionals? why won't they chip in?

Isn't that role sort of already filled by compilers? The high-level languages are the "basic parameters," and the compiler then creates the lower-level code.

I meant an AI program that would make a program/app on demand by telling it what you want the program/app to do.

To quote Alan Perlis, recipient of the first Turing award:

"When someone says: 'I want a programming language in which I need only say what I wish done', give him a lollipop."

What does that mean?

just the typical invalidating blather of somebody too full of their own intellectual superiority.

Let me get this straight.

You want an advanced computer program that can create- a rudimentary program- "on demand"? A program that can run, so it can walk? That doesnt make any sense.

ok, lemme put it this way- imagine going to a coder or program author/creator and asking him to write you a program that does x, y and z. he would in due time hand you a program and empty your pockets in exchange. I propose instead a digitized version of that programmer that would cut out the middleman.

...but the person who created the AI would empty your pockets.