In his TED Talk, Thomas Suarez, a 12-year-old app developer, shares his journey into the world of programming and app creation. Thomas discusses his fascination with technology and how he developed his first apps, including “Earth Fortune,” a fortune-telling app, and “Bustin Jieber,” a whack-a-mole game featuring Justin Bieber. His motivation for creating “Bustin Jieber” was to address the mixed feelings his peers had about the pop star.Thomas explains how he learned programming through various languages like Python, C, and Java before diving into iPhone app development using Apple’s software development kit. With his parents’ support, he paid the $99 fee to publish his apps on the App Store. The encouragement from his family, friends, and even Apple Store staff has been invaluable to him.He has also started an app club at his school, sponsored by a teacher, to teach fellow students how to design apps. Through the iPad Pilot Program, he collaborates with educators to create apps tailored for schools, with profits going to local educational foundations.Looking ahead, Thomas plans to develop more apps, explore Android programming, and continue fostering student knowledge sharing through his app club.
