We are going through a technological transformation and it is imperative to make the younger generation participate and contribute to this journey

The innovations we make today are going to impact posterity in many ways. But is it necessary to keep technology and innovations away from our young kids? In fact, these young minds can become creators and thinkers by learning various technologies and computational skills. Don't you think the youth and kids should be engaged more with coding, robotics, and AI?

An ISTE article Keri Gritt, technology co-ordinator at St. Stephen's and St.Agnes school in Virginia, who teaches coding to kindergartners says, "Before using programs or robots, she ties sequencing and commands to physical movement by having students follow a program listed with cards on a whiteboard, starting and stopping with begin and end commands. Students then write programs to guide a peer across the room, making turns and avoiding obstacles. They then move on to robots."

During the pandemic, we witnessed how education shifted to digital screens and technology became a common aid. The evolution of technology will impact and change the learning strategies in the coming years.

Will this Make Sense to Kids?

There is a preconceived perception that the disciples under STEM, especially technology is not meant for kids, women, and minorities. Other than this illogical notion, everything else will make sense to our kids. Today, there are many organizations and educational institutions working towards engaging kids, women, and underrepresented groups in learning disruptive technologies like coding, robotics, and AI. Code.org, a nonprofit initiative is an example of such an organization. Robochamps, an Indian ed-tech startup is another example that offers AI lessons to kids in different regional languages.

The current living ecosystem where the kids are growing up includes different technologies like AI and robotics. Thus, it is significant to equip the young generation with knowledge about these technologies and how they operate. Incorporating STEM into the curriculum from a very young age will enable children to get hands-on experience and exposure in coding and computation. Learning and exploring algorithms and codes can enhance their ability to create and think. When children get to apply their knowledge and science in building real robots and AI structures, the STEM curriculum becomes boring.

Teaching kids to code seems a tad difficult task but there is a fuelling agent that can help build curiosity.

Our Gen-Z population is curious about the technology and gamification of these learning methods makes it interesting. Coding will help them understand the world around them and teachers can provide real-life examples to make the process engaging. Creating robots requires extensive brainstorming, which promotes a culture of teamwork among the learners.

While schools and parents are incorporating coding and robotics in children's curriculum, it is also imperative to educate young people and make them aware of the technologies. Providing them application-level experiments and practical experience will enable them to optimize the use of technology.

The future seems bright for the field of STEM since many organizations are tirelessly trying to provide inclusive and experiential knowledge on technology. Since coding, AI and robotics are leveraged in almost all industries globally, investing in tech-ed for kids will escalate their possibilities of getting a rewarding job and more opportunities to exhibit their ideas.

An ISTE article quotes Cindy Duncan, a teacher in a school in Sitka, Alaska, who says, "I teach coding and robotics because as an educator it is my job to recognize that my students are global innovators, thinkers, and problem solvers." We all should appreciate our younger generation to innovate, create and inspire, and in the course revolutionize our education systems.