Programmes

Computers are everywhere! Computers are laptops, desktops, or microcomputers like those in front of you. But computer chips, or microprocessors or processors, are also inside mobile phones and cars, they make up the internet, they control traffic lights, keep planes in the sky, and do many other things.

- We are going to learn how to program or code a computer. We will learn how to make a computer do something that we want by giving it instructions. We have to give the right instructions in the right order to make it do what we want. Anything else will lead to a problem. Know, though, that there are many ways to solve the same problem. We will learn a language that the computer understands. There are many computer languages; we will learn Block Coding with Scratch, MakeCode, Blockly, or any other block coding software. Computer languages are different from English or isiXhosa. Computers are very good at following a set of instructions, also known as an algorithm, but very bad and guessing what you mean. You must tell the programme everything, where to start, where to end, and what to do at each step. You already know and perform many different algorithms. To dress in the morning, you put on your socks before your shoes. To get to school you turn left, right, and walk a route that leads you to your destination. To make a sandwich you open the peanut butter jar before sticking the knife in. These are all algorithms, sets of instructions that perform a function and do something.

Why should we learn to code 

 Learning to code helps us learn to think analytically and creatively

▪ How do I make this big idea in my head happen?

▪ What are the parts of this idea?

▪ How do I make the different parts fit together?

▪ How do I solve this problem?

▪ What happens when I do this? Or this?

▪ How do I fix this broken program?

o Learning to code is happening around the world.

▪ Millions of young people as young as 7-8 are learning to code

▪ Coding and Scratch (a coding language you will learn) is taught at the most

expensive schools high school and primary school

▪ Coding and Scratch are taught to varsity students

o As the Founder of Apple Computer, creator of the iPhone and billionaire software

developer says:

▪ Learning to code teaches you how to think!