Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book

by Lindsey D Handley, Lindsey D. Handley

The definitive resource for understanding what coding is, designed for educators and parents   Even though the vast majority of teachers, parents, and students understand the importance of computer science in the 21 st century, many struggle to find appropriate educational resources. Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book fills a gap in current knowledge by explaining exactly what coding is and addressing why and how to teach the subject. Providing a historically grounded, philosophically sensitive description of computer coding, this book helps readers understand the best practices for teaching computer science to their students and their children.  The authors, experts in teaching computer sciences to students of all ages, offer practical insights on whether coding is a field for everyone, as opposed to a field reserved for specialists. This innovative book provides an overview of recent scientific research on how the brain learns coding, and features practical exercises that strengthen coding skills. Clear, straightforward chapters discuss a broad range of questions using principles of computer science, such as why we should teach students to code and is coding a science, engineering, technology, mathematics, or language? Helping readers understand the principles and issues of coding education, this book: Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book is a valuable resource for K-12 educators in computer science education and parents wishing to understand the field to help chart their children’s education path.

Genres: Programming, Computers

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2020

Reviews

[Robert Postill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, nearly, *nearly* scored a five. It's a great read. In particular it's a great read for people teaching others to code. I've been involved in teaching people to code for years and in many cases you can't find useful books about teaching people to code. The landscape is lettered with books that do the teaching (e.g. HTDP, Programming x, Learn y in 21 days etc.) or you get into books that about teaching (learning how to learn etc.). So a book about teaching people to code, I'm all for. The book is aimed at K-12 teachers, I'd extend that to anyone who needs to teach others how to code.

The book is broken into different phases. This is probably the main thing that holds the book back from a five star rating. The authors use an allegory loosely based on Harry Potter. It starts cute, then grates. I think it's there to provide discussion topics in case students and teachers share the book. I jut found it got in the way of the discussions the book focuses on. It's these discussions that really are fascinating. The link between computation and language, the bridges to formal computer science topics (e..g the halting problem) the book covers a lot and in a pleasing manner. The use of evolving complexity languages was a particular highlight and I really appreciated it.

If I was to nitpick I wish there was a linked curriculum with projects and the excercises better spelled out. But that's harsh considering the intended audience would already have that. Definitely worth the read.