“I like programming because I like being able to sit down and just do it, I like how it makes you think and I like working on projects with my dad. I also like reading, writing, drawing, math, TV and word games.
My motivation is to be a great person, to help the world, to make discoveries and to prove that girls and women can do anything.”
Alexandra Jordan, a fourth grader from Sunnyvale, programmed a playdate app called Super Fun Kid Time, which she is planning to launch in November. In honor of the International Day of the Girl — formally recognized by the United Nations on October 11th, 2012 — TechCrunch asked Jordan to write a guest post on her experiences as a young coder.
Alexandra’s simple explanation of why she likes programming is clear enough. Programming is thoughtful, social, and helps her feel like she can make the world a better place.
To me, age-appropriate concepts like these, not future job prospects or global competition, are the real reasons we should be teaching programming to all children.