This is a summary of the book “Beyond Coding: how children learn human values through programming.” Written by Marina Umaschi Bers and published by MIT Press in 2022. The author leads an interdisciplinary research group called Development Technologies. She asserts that programming is a new way of thinking and problem solving that fills a gap when education systems do not foster curiosity and learning or avoid moral and social science from curriculum. She offers programming as a powerful teaching tool while connecting it to ethics and values such that this promotes moral and developmental virtues. Coding, in that sense, is the new literacy and is as fun as explorative play.

Early childhood is a crucial time for children's learning, and educators should focus on fostering their curiosity and curiosity through play. Play is essential for developing language, socio-emotional, and physical capabilities, as well as acquiring spirituality and morality. Educators should adopt a "coding playground" approach, allowing children to learn to code through creative exploration. This approach encourages imagination, creativity, social interaction, and teamwork. A positive technological development (PTD) framework can be used to nurture psychosocial behaviors within a technological context.

Educators can adopt either a constructionist or an instructionist perspective on education. Constructionists believe that the educational system inhibits learning by forcing students to learn everything in the same way and at the same pace. They view coding as an important skill to teach children, as it prepares them for the workforce. However, they differ in teaching methods. Instructionists often use computer puzzles and games, while constructionists prefer open-ended learning environments that allow children to create meaningful projects.

STEM approaches to coding, which focus on preparing children for the workforce and economic growth, limit its potential. Teachers should rethink their methods and practices to teach coding as they would teach literacy, focusing on developing critical thinking skills. Coding literacy is no longer the domain of a select status quo group, but a critical skill that supports novel problem-solving and thinking. It is the literacy of the future, and anyone hoping to secure financial health and status will need to learn it. The "Coding as Another Language" (CAL) approach promotes a culture of learning, fostering virtues and character. CAL connects powerful ideas from literacy and computer science, focusing on algorithms, design processes, control structures, representation, software, and hardware, debugging audience awareness, and modularity. By combining these ideas, CAL can improve cognitive development and career opportunities for future generations.

Learning programming offers unique character-building opportunities for children, helping them develop civic virtues and good habits for harmonious work within groups and communities. Teachers can engage in storytelling, transform classrooms into "just communities," and provide opportunities for experiential learning through volunteering. Coding can be used to help children build character through narrative, experiential learning, and ethical reasoning. Teachers can create technology circles, encourage journaling, and share completed projects at open houses.

Children should learn ten virtues through learning programming: curiosity, open-mindedness, fairness, generosity, honesty, optimism, patience, perseverance, gratitude, and forgiveness. Teachers should model curiosity, encourage open-mindedness, foster fairness, and guide students in valuing kindness, honesty, integrity, optimism, patience, perseverance, gratitude, and forgiveness. By fostering these virtues, children can develop a sense of purpose, grit, and a sense of purpose, leading to successful outcomes in their lives.

Future programmers must teach values to promote global citizenship and facilitate meaningful connections. Despite debates about moral education and character development, most teachers teach values in the coding playground. Teachers can choose universal values to educate children to become committed to building a better world. Future programmers should view coding as building bridges, facilitating meaningful dialogues across cultures and contexts, rather than using technology to restrict connections. Educators have the responsibility to teach children to leverage technology for global citizenship.

Previous book summary: BookSummary58.docx

Summarizing Software: SummarizerCodeSnippets.docx.