“In schools across the country, students are now learning digital citizenship along with how to play nice on the playground,” Sarah Brown writes for Intego. “Cursive is being traded out for keyboarding, and coding is becoming as much a second language as Spanish or French.”
“All this emphasis on childhood coding may seem like overkill, but it can actually be one of the best ways to help children become responsible digital citizens,” Brown writes. “With youngsters getting online as early as three years old, parents can no longer ignore the importance of providing children with the tools they need to navigate the online world safely.”
“Learning how to code helps children better understand the digital world in which they live. Just as reading and writing are crucial skills that enable your children to navigate the offline world safely and effectively, coding similarly provides the skills necessary to traverse the cyber world with greater savvy and security,” Brown writes. “Children will also learn vital digital skills like proper online etiquette, how to protect their identity online, and how to identify potential cyber threats like malware or viruses. And, perhaps best of all, kids must comply with explicit community and privacy policies in most educational coding communities, which primes them to adopt healthy online habits from the start.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Teach the kids to code!
And, teach them cursive, too!
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s Swift Playgrounds expands coding education to robots, drones and musical instruments – June 1, 2017
Apple announces global developer App Store earnings top $70 billion – June 1, 2017
Swift Playgrounds now available in five additional languages – March 21, 2017
Apple unveils new 9.7-inch iPad starting at new low price of just $329 – March 21, 2017