Being a father to two, curious, school aged boys, and also being co-founder of a company specialising in AI and Data Science, I am very interested in my children learning more about technology and programming, but have struggled to find suitable technology courses here in London. Most of the curriculums are screen based, but I believe (and so do many child development experts) that screen time should be limited, particularly with primary school aged children. I also feel that learning is in many ways a social activity, where interacting with others in a classroom environment is beneficial, rather than working in a solitary way with a tablet or computer.
Ideally, such a course would teach computational and logical thinking, rather than just how to use a device such as a laptop or tablet, or a particular app on the device. Learning how to structure problems in a logical way and write down the instructions in pseudo-code, how computers store data, process instructions, and deal with problems, and building an accurate mental model of how computer systems work, including their inherent advantages and limitations, are all valuable outcomes.
Such a course is even more valuable in the context of the rapid developments in technology, including AI and robotics over the last decade. I believe that the future world of work will be one where people work together much more closely with machines, software agents, and other technologies. Being fluent in how these devices operate, their limitations, and how best to combine our own unique and powerful human intelligence and skill with machine intelligence will confer many advantages to knowledge workers, entrepreneurs, and other skilled professionals. Starting this education process early can help to build an intuitive understanding and a solid foundation, which can be further developed as the child gets older and progresses in their studies.
