AN OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS IN GOMBE STATE ON THE FUTURE OF THEIR CHILDREN, TECHNOLOGY AND CODING

It’s time to quit sleeping, wake up from slumber, and come to terms with reality! The absolute reality of what’s on ground before it’s too late. It’s a fast changing world, changing way faster than our imaginations. We either embrace it in its entirety, or be compelled to pale into oblivion.

Every day, we hear about technological innovation giving rise to new jobs, media, and products; these advances are occurring at a dizzying and superlinear rate. No doubt that there are objects we consider cutting-edge technology today that we'll laugh about or have to explain in twenty years, but there's one thing that all of the r/evolutions in technology have in common: They are possible because someone wrote the code.

Every era demands, and rewards different skills.
In different times and different places, we have taught our children to grow a farm, build a house, forge a sword, and bake bread among other things.

Now we are teaching them to code.

We are living in a digital age where mobile phones and tablets are a natural part of kids' lives. In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, today's kids need to learn how to create digital programs, not just consume them. These kids are going to be surrounded by computers—in their pockets, in their offices, in their homes—for the rest of their lives. The younger they learn how computers think, how to coax the machine into producing what they want—the earlier they learn that they have the power to do that—the better.

Coding (computer programming) is the art of creating anything from computer games and phone apps to computational models that help us improve our lives.

It is especially clear that the ability to code is taking on an unprecedented level of importance. As our kids grow up, this ability to code will become as fundamental as reading and writing to their success, regardless of what occupation they ultimately choose.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TEACH YOUR KIDS COMPUTER CODING

1. Programming is a basic literacy in the digital age.

Kids are growing up in a very different world than that of their parents. Smartphones, computers, Youtube, Facebook are embedded in their daily lives.

It is one thing to know how to use these technologies. It’s another, however, to understand the logic behind them. When learning to program, kids understand and tinker with the digital world they inhabit. Coding draws back the seeming “magic” of technology so they can truly understand the logic and science that controls these technologies.

Our reliance on technology will only increase. The students of today must be able to not only passively consume this technology, but also to understand and control it, becoming an active part of this huge digital shift.

2. Programming can change the world.

For the last several centuries, people relied on the written word to spread ideas. The ability to write was the ability to create change. Today, writing is not enough. To change behavior, it is crucial to leverage the digital medium. We are seeing all around us that programming is changing the world.

3. “You have an idea for the next big innovation? Great. Can you bring it to life?”

Everyone has ideas. Only a select few can make them happen. The ability to code separates those who merely have an idea from those who can make their ideas a reality.
If you want your child to be a thinker and innovator who can bring ideas to life, encourage him or her to learn how to program.

4. Coding teaches critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

When kids learn to code, they learn to overcome difficult tasks, think clearer and build self-confidence. Kids learn not just about computer science but they also learn strategies for solving problems, designing projects and communicating ideas. Skills that are useful to everyone.

SOFTWARE IS THE LANGUAGE OF OUR WORLD

Software is becoming a critical layer of all our lives. It is the language of our world. In the future, not knowing the language of computers will be as challenging as being illiterate or innumerate are today.

Will every job in the future involve programming? No. But it is still crucial that every child learns to code. This is not primarily about equipping the next generation to work as software engineers; it is about promoting computational thinking.

Computational thinking is how software engineers solve problems. It combines mathematics, logic and algorithms, and teaches you a new way to think about the world.

Computational thinking teaches you how to tackle large problems by breaking them down into a sequence of smaller, more manageable problems. It allows you to tackle complex problems in efficient ways that operate at huge scale. Computational thinking is a skill that everyone should learn. Even if you never become a professional software engineer, you will benefit from knowing how to think this way. It will help you understand and master technology of all sorts and solve problems in almost any discipline.

With Gombe state being an ever advancing state since creation, its young generation who are susceptible to be highly productive and resourceful, are instead drifting aimlessly to an unproductive lives of wastage and over dependence.

In the advanced world, children from as young as 8 years, 10 years and above are building things using technology which has helped in no small measure in improving the economy, unemployment and serving humanity in general.

Gombe state has to be different; we have to engage our teenagers, youths and whoever cares to advance in this booming field which will surely be to the betterment of all involved and the general upliftment of our communities.

For this simple reason I have decided to groom, tutor and mentor as many as possible that might grow to effect some necessary impact in the future.

I have been working assiduously with technology for the past 10 years and have garnered more than enough knowledge and experiences to be able to impact unto the teeming populace that needs it.

We have made all necessary plans to commence with a coding workshop that will hold in Gombe and Billiri. The technology bootcamp is aimed at gathering individuals from across the entire state who will be learning how to write codes, acquire computer programming skills, website design and development, blogging, web application development and Android mobile app development.

The programme doesn’t entirely stop after the workshop, but will continue with an online membership mentoring programme that will guide the participants in every stage for a period of two years.
We will start from the bases, of which participants needs no prior experience but will be able to acquire necessary knowledge to aid them to develop their own web and mobile apps. Registration is currently ongoing on www.gideongeorge.com .

Implore your children to utilize this golden opportunity.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. -Chinese proverb.
Yours sincerely
Gideon George
www.gideongeorge.com

Like da idea wish will be there. But if u can guide on online I will do read them on first step to take. Good job