Teach students that programming is like adding a GPU to their brains?
It's not so much that programming will make their brains better (although it might), but it is the combination of programming and their brains together that is much more powerful than their brains alone.
For example, they can become better game designers by writing programs to more easily experiment with and evaluate their game design ideas.
What? This comparison seems more confusing than useful.
My brain didn’t become “upgraded” when programming clicked. It was just another tool that I could use to make the world better. Not everyone can code. Those who can already have the wiring there and just need training.
What age are we talking about? I don't expect the majority of students pre-college to know what a GPU is without googling it.