The Sun-Sentinel – Peter Swanson
“On Feb. 24, the Florida Senate passed SB 468, a bill that would allow high school students to fulfill existing foreign language requirements with computer coding courses. A similar bill, HB 887, is up for a vote in the Florida House. While learning a computer language strengthens math and science concepts, language education focuses on different learning goals. Language learning strengthens important communication skills and introduces different cultures and perspectives. Students who study a foreign language develop critical skills such as adaptability, empathy, communication and relationship building — skills that can be applied to technology or any other field the student chooses to pursue. The two subjects should complement each other, not compete for attention. If a student learns to code but not to communicate or to interact with other cultures, how can that student go on to have a successful career in global technology (or any other field, for that matter)?.”(more)