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Category: Education

Empire Code Educational Series: Fool-proof your child’s future with Python

Gone are the days when coding was just the sole domain for programmers and software engineers- In our world today, coding is a useful skill for any career, hence an increasing trend for kids to pick up coding skills from a young age. You might have seen countless articles about how beneficial coding is for kids, or the increasing demand for programmers in the job market today. Now, you might have made up your mind to decide to enroll your child in a coding course, but where do you start?

Given the plethora of programming languages, figuring out which one to learn can be a challenge. Especially for kids with no coding experience, the language that they choose is crucial for their learning pathway. Out of the various coding languages, we strongly recommend kids learn Python. Python programming for kids can be a great stepping stone to turning an interest in coding into a passion. 

So, what is Python?

Developed in the late 1980s by Guido Van Rossum, Python is a programming language used for software engineering. This program runs on the server, acting as a bridge between the user and the computer. It processes the logic behind user inputs and gives instructions that machines can understand. Unlike other programming languages such as C++ or Java, Python is modelled after the English language, making it easier to learn and grasp concepts. It is child-friendly and a good starting coding language to embark on a coding education. Furthermore, Python is very universal and versatile, proving its use in machine learning, data analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI).

From a survey by CodingNomands in 2022, Python has been ranked as the most in-demand coding language for 2022. It has also taken the top spot for the most loved programming language, following JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and SQL according to the 2020 Stack Overflow Developer Survey.

“While Python has been around for decades, the demand for Python skills in 2022 will continue growing exponentially thanks to its use in the booming industries of data science, machine learning, and AI. In addition, Python is considered one of the easiest, most powerful, and most versatile languages to learn, making it popular amongst companies, developers, and aspiring developers” said CodingNomads’ co-founder and lead instructor, Ryan Desmond.

5 reasons why kids should learn Python

1. Simple syntax

Every programming language is unique, with regards to syntax, grammatical structures, rules, etc. It is similar to learning a whole different language and vocabulary list. Embarking on your coding journey, you would prefer to start with a language that is not complex or too tough with the rules. Python language offers a very easy and user-friendly syntax compared to other coding languages such as Java or C++. Even without prior coding knowledge, coding concepts in Python are relatively easier to grasp as it is modelled after the English language in terms of reading and writing. Hence, it offers a much easier learning curve for those who want to get started with coding. Furthermore, Python has an abundance of frameworks and libraries, such as NumPy, Pandas, Bokeh, and many more, allowing kids to learn and simplify tasks effectively.

2. Versatility

Like a Swiss Army pocket knife, Python is not just tied to one domain, but it can be used in many different applications. Python is a general-purpose programming language that offers many different features and packages, thus used in different disciplines such as data science, AI, machine learning, web development, product development, and many more. It is therefore a necessary skill that can be learnt by all people, not just software engineers and cybersecurity experts. Even in seemingly unrelated disciplines such as medicine, robots used in surgeries are programmed by Python. 

3. Increasing demand and popularity

The future for Python programming definitely looks promising. Being a highly user-oriented and open-source language, Python is the heart behind some of the world’s biggest applications, including AI, robotics, and virtual reality. Therefore, many people (from kids to working adults) are taking up coding bootcamps and online crash courses to learn Python to improve their skills. With regards to job prospects, Indeed statistics (2019) has shown that Java, Python, JavaScript, and C++ are among the top skills that employers are looking for. Worldwide companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Netflix, and many more are among those with the most Python developer job postings. Therefore, although it might be too early for your child to think of career prospects now, it is a definite guarantee that Python can take you to many places, and you won’t be short of any job opportunities!

4. Improves critical and logical thinking

Coding doesn’t just train children to be fluent in programming but also trains them to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Tasked with a problem to solve, children can be trained to be patient in coming up with a solution and think critically as to how to solve it in the most effective way. Moreover, coming up with a solution through coding isn’t easy! Bugs will definitely be in the way, but this trains children to apply logic to solve problems creatively, improving overall academic performance and learning.

5. Huge supportive community among Python developers

Python has been around for three decades, and there is a dedicated user community of Python developers. This community consists of developers coming from different backgrounds and skill levels, and they create various tips, hacks, tutorials, guides, and many more to get you started on your coding journey. With just one click, you can get access to many different youtube tutorials created by this community. Furthermore, the active Python community is designed to collaborate and help each other to come up with effective and innovative solutions to different problems. 

Python is currently the most widely used programming language in 2021 and this trend will continue. Future-proof your child for the 2020s and join our Python Camps today!

Empire Code Educational Series- Competitions for Children: Myths & Benefits

Competition is present in every aspect of our lives. There is always a debate about whether competitions are useful for education and learning. To some, it is deemed unhealthy, due to the overwhelming pressure that it imposes on kids. This can be true at times, especially when there is overwhelming focus on the idea of winning. This article aims to debunk some of the myths surrounding competitions and explore their importance in contributing to learning.

Myth 1: Competition is the antonym of collaboration

Competing with other people doesn’t always mean that you are ‘defeating’ others to win. Well-structured and healthy competitions foster collaboration and teamwork to solve problems. Taking on challenging tasks as a team trains communication and teamwork skills in children, and teaches them how to work with people with different skill sets. They learn to add value to one another, extend grace when a mistake is made, and try to find solutions together as a team.

Myth 2: Competition will degrade my child’s self-esteem if he/she loses

How about we try to look at this from a different angle? Firstly, competitions are a great avenue for children to understand what they’re good at and what they like. It also provides many opportunities for children to showcase their skills through solving challenging missions and tasks. 

Secondly, competition exposes children to experience uncertainty and failure, which they will eventually experience at a point in their lives. Thus, such experiences allow them to understand that failure is not a bad thing, but their response to failure is what matters. Instead of being fixated on the outcome of failure, competitions can teach kids to see value in the process and their growth rather than the results. Healthy competitions aim to provide such platforms for children to keep failing and keep trying, hoping to increase their willingness to venture into new ideas, expand their creativity and cultivate resilience- the very traits which foster success. 

Myth 3: My child learns enough in school, so competitions are not important for his/her future

Although lessons and tests in school do improve learning and the acquisition of knowledge, this traditional method of learning reduces opportunities for children to think critically. Such passive learning styles can build up bad habits of plainly memorizing content to achieve good grades. Hence, in situations that require students to think, they will tend to expect someone to tell them what to do instead of analyzing the situation and coming up with a proper solution. In competitions where children are exposed to problems, it challenges them to take ownership of the problem and critically think of appropriate solutions. 

Benefits of participating in competitions

Aside from critical thinking and problem-solving skills, being involved in many competitions also builds up soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and organizational skills that are beneficial for the future. Applying knowledge learnt in the classrooms and extending it to solve real-life problems also strengthens memory and learning capacity. Such skills prepare children for the real world. 

Another plus point of competition is that it is very valuable in applying for schools and jobs. Recruiters value soft skills beyond the number of As on one’s report card, and such skills can be shown through being involved in competitions. Whether it’s your response in dealing with a problematic team member or solving an extremely difficult challenge, such experiences prove to recruiters that one has more positive traits they can bring to the job role, beyond just studying and getting good grades.

How we view competitions at Empire Code

At Empire Code, we strongly encourage our students to take part in competitions to gain exposure, build on their skills and boost their DSA portfolio. We train students how to cultivate good sportsmanship, think critically and work with people of different skills and  backgrounds. Taking into consideration the risks of competition, we always tell our students that their growth process is more important than just bringing trophies home. We ensure that such values are communicated to our students every time they join competitions. At the end of the day, we will celebrate whether or not our students bring home a trophy!

Join our upcoming competitions and train with us now!

References

10 Ways Competitions Enhance Learning: Institute of Competition Sciences. Institute of Competition Sciences | The Home of Challenge Based Learning. (2017, November 17). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.competitionsciences.org/2016/07/04/10-ways-competitions-enhance-learning/

Gordon, S. (2020, September 17). Is competition a good thing or a bad thing? Verywell Family. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/competition-among-kids-pros-and-cons-4177958

Make The Change. (2021, February 23). 5 benefits of joining Youth Competitions. Make The Change. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.makethechange.sg/post/5-benefits-of-joining-youth-competitions

McGuinness, D. (n.d.). Why competition is good for kids (and how to keep it that way). Parents. Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/why-competition-is-good-for-kids-and-how-to-keep-it-that-way/

Why competition is good for students. MindChamps. (2020, June 9). Retrieved March 10, 2022, from https://www.mindchamps.org/blog/why-competition-good-for-students/ 

I Have A Plan, A Donut Plan

Resourcing is a big challenge and a major source of frustration for small enterprises like Empire Code. It is especially so when we are operating in a niche market such as Computer Science education.

When my co-founder Jasmine and I started Empire Code, our primary aim was (and still is) to make Computer Science education affordable and accessible to all. We are able to provide quality and highly engaging education for our students, whilst ensuring class fees are 30-40% lower than the existing coding schools. To operate sustainably in Singapore – a high-rent and high-wage country, we were required to run a rather lean operation.

In Singapore, I have a strong core team of 4 full-time teachers and we tap on an additional pool of our own 10 highly trained teachers who only come in for our busy periods such as weekends and school holidays. (P.S. in my perfect world, all my full-timers would work 7 days a week, but then, they would probably quit on me en-masse 😝) Can you imagine my distress when one of our weekend teachers informed us with just 2 days’ notice that she was not available to work on the Saturday she was booked in for?? Wait, it gets better. While we were scrambling to look for a backup, ANOTHER teacher cancelled on us on the same day.

Thank God we averted a disaster in the end. The two weekend teachers knew they would get into trouble with me 👿 and agreed to come in to teach for half a day. PHEW! To prevent such situations in the future, I have a plan. All “offending” weekend teachers have to contribute $$ to a kitty for each last-minute cancellation to ‘compensate’ the rest of the team with donuts 🍩🍩🍩! What do you think? Leave me a comment please!