Early Mastery 21th century literacy - Learn2Code & Code2Learn How to playfully motivate school kids to master computer programing "Co-creation, user involvement, environmental and societal challenges increasingly drive innovation today." OECD, New Nature of Innovation "I see coding (computer programming) as an extension of writing. The ability to code allows you to “write” new types of things – interactive stories, games, animations, and simulations. And, as with traditional writing, there are powerful reasons for everyone to learn to code." Mitch Resnick, MIT Media Lab The Commission clearly states that Europe needs all its young people to position itself well in the globalized economy. Future young Europeans are expected to be creative, inventive and entrepreneurial, including mastering state of the art technologies. One of the most powerful strategies to accomplish this is to transform youth from passive consumers and users to active creators. We could say: don’t play computer games, create them! However, the European educational community is transferring its own technology anxiety to the new generations. This reduces the new generations’ opportunities to explore the creative potentials of technology and to play with the most powerful language of the future: the language of computer programing. The result is that computer programing is reserved for experts and specialists, thus reserving programing competences for the traditional power structures of academia. Yet, for decades young outbreakers have demonstrated excellent computer programing skills and talents, and some of the most remarkable internet innovations and other digital inventions are created in small rooms inhabited by teams of young outbreakers. Of special interest is that there seems to be no positive correlation between academic skills and coding skills. Coding skills are mostly driven by passion, not by knowledge. Decades ago MIT Media Lab and Seymour Papert started experimenting with offering kids playful access to computer programing. Today coding and programing for kids and youth is a growing issue in the US. Nonetheless, European schools have remained largely incapable of following such pathways: very few attempts have been made to integrate playing with programing into the everyday learning of different subjects. The use of ICT in learning does not even come near experimenting with computer language. To turn Europe’s young generations into creators, producers and innovators, we need to take a giant step away from the traditional European academic hesitation and pedagogical cover up. The Early Mastery initiative addresses all young learners, but the project approach includes powerful instruments to counter early school leaving and drop-out, as well as to offer young learners at risk alternative learning activities. The Early Mastery initiative is a Strategic Partnership initiative preparing a future Knowledge Alliance. Early Mastery addresses the integration of playful programing for school children (age 8-15), whereas the subsequent Knowledge Alliance will address computing and education in general. The core objectives of Early Mastery are: -To explore attempts to engage kids and young people in computer programing – lessons learned -To identify the main obstacles to “programing mentality” in the European educational community, including gender factors -To develop and pilot playful ways of working with computer programing in primary schools, including linking to the community and to virtual activities -To offer interested schools inspirational guidance on integrating computer programing in the learning of various subjects or in project settings -To prepare a “script” for the future Knowledge Alliance on CPIL – Content and Programing Integrated Learning, in parallel to CLIL -To submit a high level Knowledge Alliance application for the 2016 Call The overarching mission of the project is to deliver knowledge and experience on practical playful coding in schools and to make the results of the project available and useful to other schools across Europe. The project sees itself as a contribution towards 21st century learning in schools, including: The playfulcoding.eu final platform Coding in education: overcoming the European fear of contact What did they learn in America? 21st century playful coding in schools – a “teacher” guide Playful coding – the stories Playful coding hand-outs Assessing coding competences? Policy paper: playful coding in 21st century European schools – policy and funding A “script” for the future Knowledge Alliance on CCiL – Content and Coding integrated Learning The project partnership includes strong and focused double partnerships between schools and technology educations from the UK, Spain, Romania, France and Italy, thus – despite the focused double partnerships – presenting a very broad and European collaboration.