Coding for Kids
Ben Mangan
03/05/2014
As markets get frothy and the Nasdaq marches toward 5,000, I would understand if you believed that we’re on the road to a painful burst of yet another bubble. That road – littered with the ruins of a new generation of Pets.com-like business models – may certainly be in our future.
But pause for a moment before you let cynicism, and the past, unduly shape your view of the future. It is also possible that our economy is shifting fundamentally, to include new business models and new ways of creating value that translate into palpable economic and social progress.
I believe that teaching children how to code is one of the ways these new models of value creation and social progress will emerge. Wanting to learn more about this space, my network led me to Krishna Vedati, Founder and CEO of Tynker. I reached out to Krishna to learn more about Tynker and came away a believer in his vision for how Tynker can lead society and the economy in the right direction.
1) What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing elementary education in the US?
Let me approach this from a technology perspective. Teachers and schools have worked extremely hard in their attempt to raise achievement, yet the world around our children is technologically changing. Preparing the kids of today to become the innovators of tomorrow requires a rethink of the skills taught in schools.
2) What was the inspiration for creating Tynker?
My own kids, and those of my co-founders, were the inspiration behind Tynker. Their world revolves around interacting/using technology — seemingly all the time. What we noticed was that kids, including our own, were becoming constant and passive consumers of content vs. becoming creators… and we weren’t happy with that. It inspired us to develop a computing platform that would help kids learn how to code in a fun, intuitive and creative way. We think it’s important for kids to not only understand and appreciate what goes into making the technological devices they use everyday; we also want them to apply this knowledge in creating their own projects — games, animated stories, puzzles, and real-world applications.
3) Why do you think Tynker’s mission matters so much right now?
Technology is reshaping all areas of human life. Our mission at Tynker is to give the kids of today “Maker skills,” such as design thinking, prototyping, and programming — while leveraging their imaginations and creativity. We believe that these skills are vital for them to become innovators, no matter what discipline they choose to pursue. For example, ten years from now, doctors will have to analyze personal sensor data before diagnosing a patient. Computational thinking will soon permeate every field, so understanding computational logic and learning how to program at an early age will arm kids with the tools they’ll need to succeed in the not-so-distant future.
