In Defense of Screen Time: A Parent’s Guide to Preschool Coding

jm-vk — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:40:01 +0000

We expect our kids to learn to read, but can children really learn to code? Science says yes. Whether you anticipate chatbots revolutionizing Google Search or financial institutions investing more into blockchain technology, the next generation will benefit from an early education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Between episodes of Bluey, I plan to introduce these concepts as soon as possible. Here’s my plan for high-value preschool coding activities.

Two Years Without a Screen
Our daughter will not touch a screen for the first two years of her life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that infants and toddlers don’t benefit from online media the same way they benefit from direct interactions with their caregivers.

So, we interact with her the old-fashioned way. We talk and encourage exploration. We encourage and reward dextrous physical movements. And, despite longing for more rest, we won’t let her play on a tablet until (at least) her second birthday.

What happens after that? Coding, baby!

Preschool Coding Ideas: Where to Start
The same Media and Young Minds article from the AAP notes that kids from 2 to 5 years old can benefit from up to one-hour of high-quality video content, so long as parents, “. . . help children understand what they are seeing, and help them apply what they learn to the world around them.”

That isn’t an invitation to turn on Caillou (no parent should be put through that). Instead, it’s a nod to the importance of interactive viewing.

In Kelly J. Sheehan’s preschool coding research on using a coding app while parenting, I learned that kids and adults experience high levels of engagement when using some coding apps together. I’m not surprised. Their experiment shows, “. . .that coding apps may be a rich context for STEM learning, and that specific parent-child interactions can scaffold their children's learning from STEM apps.”

I plan to start my daughter’s screen time with tried-and-true programs like Sesame Street. This show changed children’s television for Gen X and older Millennials, showing that not all programming needed to advertise a toy tie-in. It also inspired a surprising Russian adaptation.

So what’s the digital equivalent?

Michael Rich, MD, MPH, FAAP opined in 2020 that, “we do not yet have a gold standard like Sesame Street in the world of educational apps.” That’s hard to dismiss. There are several popular mobile apps for kids, but nothing offers the pervasive cultural impact of the show with the big yellow bird and the trash-can monster.

When I’m ready to teach kids to code, I plan to use programs like codeSpark Academy. They offer a free 14-day trial when you apply the code FT14 during signup, and the benefits look promising. The program looks like a video game. It presents puzzles and introduces basic mathematical concepts right away.

The codeSpark program also rewards reading, pattern recognition, and (every programmer’s favorite) automation.

Why Should We Teach Preschoolers How to Code?
Kids learn so many things from a solid STEM education, and programming is part of that. We should teach preschoolers how to code because they use the fundamentals in every other part of their education.

Coding relies on reading, logic, math, critical thinking, and creative thinking. What more could you ask for?

Computer Science Resources for Parents
After reading the literature on early-childhood development and the importance of introducing computer literacy the same way we introduce the arts, I started looking for preschool coding products.

I’ve broken this down into two categories. First, I created a list of apps that introduce coding and math concepts to young kids. Next, I made an early Christmas list. Those are the most exciting STEM toys I could find this year. If children really can learn to code, they won’t find better inspiration anywhere else.

Read the full article at Hackr.io

Why Coders Are Turning to ChatGPT as Their Go-To AI Assistant

jm-vk — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 16:00:01 +0000

As programmers, we always look for new ways to make our work more efficient. And we love the tools that help us achieve faster results. ChatGPT is one such tool that’s rapidly rising in popularity. In less than three months, ChatGPT has reached over 100 million users.

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot capable of providing text-based answers to questions.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide on how to use ChatGPT effectively as a programmer, some tips and tricks to get the most out of it, and its limitations to keep in mind.

What Exactly Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a machine learning model developed by OpenAI. The model was trained on large amounts of text data using unsupervised learning. This means the model isn’t explicitly taught what to do but learns from data patterns.

As a result, it can provide answers to a wide range of questions. You can interact with ChatGPT using a chat interface, and it can give you text-based answers to your questions. And the good thing is you don’t even have to be a programmer to use it. If you can ask questions, you can use ChatGPT.

How Can I Use ChatGPT?
To use ChatGPT, visit the official website and create an account. After signing up and logging in, you will see an interface with a text box below. Type in your question, and ChatGPT will provide you with an answer.

What Can ChatGPT Do For You?
As a programmer, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool to help you work better and faster. Here are some ways to improve your coding workflow using ChatGPT.

1. Add Comments to Your Code
Adding comments to your code is crucial because it can make it more readable and understandable, especially for other developers that need to work with it now and in the future.

ChatGPT can generate comments for your code automatically. You only need to provide the code to ChatGPT and ask it to create comments. It will then analyze the code and add comments to describe what it does and how it works.

This can be really useful if you’re working with a large codebase and need to add comments for many functions and methods quickly.

Here’s an example from when I asked ChatGPT to generate comments for some JavaScript code I wrote.

2. Convert Code From One Language to Another
You will often come across code in a language you’re unfamiliar with, especially with tutorials or projects from other developers. ChatGPT can help here, as it translates code from one programming language to another. For example, I asked ChatGPT to convert my code from JavaScript to Python, and it did this with ease.

3. Help You Prepare for Technical Interviews
ChatGPT helps you prepare for technical interviews. To do this, just ask it to take the role of an interview. That’s right; it will act like the hiring manager!

With this, it’s essential to provide context to get relevant questions. For example, suppose you’re a front-end developer with an upcoming interview for an entry-level position. Here’s how you can use ChatGPT to prepare.

Read the full article at Hackr.io

DEV Community: jm-vk

In Defense of Screen Time: A Parent’s Guide to Preschool Coding

Why Coders Are Turning to ChatGPT as Their Go-To AI Assistant