Here at Mobo we are a lover of all things Apple, having really bought into the brand, its products and generally the whole ethos of the technology pundits. Mirroring their passion for encouraging the technical mind of the young we were thrilled to hear the news about their amazing project – ‘The Hour of Code’.
Transforming 468 stores into temporary classrooms Apple aim to set of a spark in the younger generation, trying to entice the young to consider a career in the digital sphere.
Craig Federighi, one of Apple’s top executives, desperately wants to dispel of the geeky associations and connotations being a coder comes with, highlighting just how integral technology is in every day life.
“These devices are so much a part of our lives, we have a computer in some form wherever we go, that the ability to create in that medium is as fundamental as the ability to write,” he said.
“That first moment of realising I could enter some commands in a computer and make it do something was a revelation.”
Supported by our very own David Cameron ‘The Hour of Code’ project runs in 180 countries and is supported by a wealth of organisations including technology firms and national governments. According to reports this scheme reached 100 million people. Last year alone, a number that Apple are keen to
The next level of literacy
Of late have seen many pledges for coding to make its way into the national curriculum, with Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Barack Obama all displaying an affiliation with the progression of modern education.
Hailing the benefits of learning such skills at a young age Federighi feels programming should be seen as a ‘language and a way of thinking’, a skills that he feels has evolved into the ‘next level of literacy’.
A community of coders
As well as placing focus on the professional advantages of being a coder Craig Federighi aims to create a community within the industry, ensuring people no longer employ the view that working in technology is a lonely career path.
‘People sometimes have a view of programming that is something solitary and very technical.’
‘But programming is among the most creative, expressive and social careers.’
However Mr Federighi adds: “There’s no question in my mind of the value in technology in fuelling young minds.
‘Like any other tool, if you simply throw it in the classroom, and don’t consider how best to take advantage of that tool, and you try the old ways with a new piece of technology on the desk, it’s no panacea.’
‘But the potential of the technology when well applied is phenomenal.’
Let us know what you think, will this project encourage a generation of new-age geeks? Leave your comments below.
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