Coding for Kids
Meet our newest Featured Maker, 12-year-old Shay from Chicago! Shay likes to read and play sports. Fantastic! Shay recently spoke with us about her experience coding with Tynker.
Do you have an idea of what you want to be when you grow up?
I’m going to be a veterinarian.
What’s your favorite subject in school and why?
Reading, because I like to read. It’s fun.
How did you get introduced to Tynker and how long have you been coding?
Well, when I was younger, maybe 9, 10ish, my mom introduced it to me. Because I used to go on Khan Academy to learn about coding, then Mom introduced me to Tynker.
How did you learn how to use Tynker when you were first starting out? What are your favorite Tynker courses or tutorials Do you remember?
I liked the Barbie one when I was younger. I used to like Barbies, so I liked to learn how to do that. I thought that was cool. First inspiration.
How have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker?
When I first started using Tynker, I didn’t really know how to even use the blocks at first. It was complicated. But then overtime, I even learned how to use advanced code like Python, HTML, JavaScript.
How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured?
I was excited, but I was like, “Who me?”
What is your favorite project you’ve made so far? What do you like about it?
I don’t know. I have a lot of them that I like. There was one that I specifically made for the church project for younger kids to learn about Friends and stuff like that, so I can teach them how to learn how to choose good friends. I thought that one was nice.
How do you get inspiration for your projects?
Well, sometimes I’ll be watching TV, in a movie, or sometimes I just read a book, comes to me. I’m just randomly freestyling.
Why do you like to code?
Because I feel like it’s something that starts out small, but then you can choose what it turns into. Also, it’s a reason for a lot of technology today.
What is your favorite way to use code? Do you have a favorite code block?
Oh, the loops sometimes, because instead of having to create a huge long line of blocks of code, just shortens it for you, so you’re not repeating.
What do you do with the project when you’re done with it? Do you debug it, show it to someone, publish it?
I look over it first to see if it’s something as a random viewer I would like to see, and then I just publish it or something. Sometimes I ask my Friends for opinions on it.
How do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future?
This day and age, people say a lot that electronics and devices and technology are taking over, so if my job doesn’t work when I in the future, my job doesn’t work out, you’ll always get a job coding or creating technology. And to create technology, coding plays a big part in that, too.
What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker?
Be patient. Because when I first was working on it, sometimes it would get frustrating. And I was like, “I want to quit.” But then I got through it, and it was actually fun if you keep going.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I’m really outgoing. I like to make friends.
We spoke with Shay’s mom about Shay learning to code
How do you feel about Shay learning to code? How does it feel to see the projects that she is making?
I’m impressed. I remember when I was her age, I was a little hesitant to take on something new like what she’s doing. The sciences, always seemed like they were a challenging kind of area or sector for me as a child, but I am so glad to see young girls doing more in the STEM fields, and so it was really important for me to try to encourage her and push her to explore the STEM. I ended up using AutoCAD for my programs when I produced architectural drawings when I got older. So I knew that women in coding and computer programming is a future for her. And I just want to see her excel and go beyond
what I’ve been able to accomplish, even in being hesitant as a child, as a college student. And her father has systems programming. So we know the importance of going forward in the computer field as far as programming.
What benefits do you think coding has for your child? What skills besides the technical skills of learning to code does it help her learn?
The math aspect of it for sure, and problem solving. Because I always found that there’s an answer there. You just kind of have to sometimes step back and think about it. But I’m trying to get her to learn how to solve problems differently. And definitely, the math that she is learning, she’s able to use and coding. And I just think that’s a good start, right there.
Do you feel like your child is better prepared for the future?
Oh, most definitely, unequivocally. Who knows what the future is going to hold for the programming field. And even just to understand the foundation of it, even if she decides to do something else in her life, she’ll have a background that I think can be applied to quite a few different areas, careers, even if it isn’t majoring or focusing on STEM-related career fields.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us about coding with Tynker. We can’t wait to see what Adele creates next – HAPPY CODING!
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