Don't Teach Coding: Until You Read This Book

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:

• Helps those with no previous background in computer science education understand the questions and debates within the field
• Explores the history of computer science education and its influence on the present
• Views teaching practices through a computational lens
• Addresses why many schools fail to teach computer science adequately
• Explains contemporary issues in computer science such as the language wars and trends that equate coding with essential life skills like reading and writing

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.

STEPHEN R. FOSTER, PHD, is a researcher, author, and co-founder of several social enterprises with a mission to teach teachers how to teach coding. An expert in video game end-user programming and computer science education, Stephen has coded to generate peer-reviewed scientific results, coded to build educational technology solutions for teachers and students, and coded to bootstrap educational startups and non-profit organizations.

LINDSEY D. HANDLEY, PHD, is a teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, author, and co-founder, with Stephen Foster, of ThoughtSTEM and MetaCoders.org, which have helped hundreds of thousands of beginning coders. She is a passionate advocate of both using science to improve education and of improving the teaching of science worldwide.