Everyone Can Write, Code, Think

There is a common phrase, “everyone can code.” It’s a fair point that is often taken out of context and distorted. What does the phrase actually mean in education and society today?

Let’s start by removing the “code” part. That is where most people get caught up. We’ll make it more relatable, “everyone can write.”

Writing is something everyone can relate to. Regardless of your age or generation, you’ve written something. We all learned how to write, but we don’t all write novels. We all learned penmanship while writing, but we can’t all write calligraphy.

We learned to write as a way to communicate. As a way to interact, understand, and express our world around us. It’s about thinking.

“Everyone can code,” is not about everyone becoming a programmer. Or everyone producing the next great app. It’s about understanding, processing, and interacting with the world around us. It’s about thinking.

People need to learn how to program enough to understand the programs that they are using. How an algorithm effect what I see on my screen. How a program effects the information I am accessing. How format changes the way I interpret and interact with information.

“Everyone can code,” is a modern adaption of a constant in education. Don’t use the argument of “I don’t want to be a programmer, so I don’t need to learn how to code.” It’s the equivalent of “I don’t want to be a novelist, so I don’t need to lean how to write.”