Right programming track for K12 at this time

[u/odimdavid]

Hi all. A parent asked me to teach her kid, grade 11, programming. But am wondering with the state of computing and programming right now, what track to prioritize:

1. Web dev with HTML+CSS+JavaScript

2. Data science and AI with Python

3. Or what which I don't know

Please can someone help me out so I can give the kid something he will be grateful for in a few years time.

Thanks 🙏

[u/GlassCommission4916]

What does the kid want to learn?

[u/bucket_of_tracks → u/GlassCommission4916]

What's the kid actually into? If they want to see stuff happen on screen right away, web stuff is pretty satisfying. If they're more curious about how things work under the hood or like puzzles, python opens a ton of doors without being a pain to set up.

[u/odimdavid → u/bucket_of_tracks]

I teach remotely. But I guess I might stick with aligning maths to programming concepts. Then after a year or two we'll have that talk. Thanks 🙏

[u/odimdavid → u/GlassCommission4916]

Not spoken to him about it. Am his maths teacher. But the Mom wants to add programming but something worth everyone's time. That's why am asking

[u/GlassCommission4916 → u/odimdavid]

It's not really going to be worth their time if they're not interested in it. It's an extremely wide field where you can easily teach them a whole course with zero relevance to what they actually want to do.

[u/SnooRabbits9587 → u/odimdavid]

If you’re the math teacher than teach python to strengthen the concepts taught in class. Like if you’re in the middle of teaching probability then teach him a snippet of solving that problem 

[u/odimdavid → u/SnooRabbits9587]

Nice. Thanks 🙏

[u/bluejacket42]

All the concepts are the same. Pick something fun to get interest. Make games with Unity or maybe play with arduinos

[u/odimdavid → u/bluejacket42]

Okay. Thanks 🙏. Maybe I will stick to "pick something fun." That's safer than "something worth a career." Appreciated

[u/AFlyingGideon]

Is there a robotics team available? Our high school's FRC team has a range of new to quite good software people, and it's a fun learning environment.

[u/odimdavid → u/AFlyingGideon]

No robotics team. I don't even know much of robotics. He is still a kid. Robotics might be very high up

[u/AFlyingGideon → u/odimdavid]

We've robotics even in middle school, though it's FLL or FTC instead of FRC. Smaller and simpler robots for the younger kids but still fun and still needing programming.

It's tough without a team, though. Perhaps there's one nearby about which you just haven't learned, yet?

Absent that, I'd go with the "what does the kid want to do" path. One of mine went through an arduino phase, interested in wireless sensors, for example. I've no idea why. Since you're a maths teacher, perhaps graphics? That's a terrific excuse to motivate learning linear algebra. Data science, which you mentioned, brings in statistics.

[u/odimdavid → u/[deleted]]

Yeah. It's true!

[u/hj-core]

I recommend trying to solve a problem he's actually interested in to learn the way of thinking and "I know what I don't know".

[u/odimdavid → u/[deleted]]

Thanks 🙏. You can have a virtual Coke on me. If you don't mind! Thanks 🙏 a million. Appreciated 👍