How do we plan, write, execute, and test instructions a computer can understand and process?

Programming is planning, writing, executing, and testing instructions for a computer.

There are a few really basic ideas you need to understand when you are learning how to program a computer.

1. output
2. input
3. variables
4. iteration
5. selection
6. data types
7. mathematical operators
8. comparison operators
9. fundamental operations

Once you master the ideas above, you will then need to better understand:

1. common data structures
2. objects
3. classes
4. calling an API
5. parsing API reply
6. file input / output
7. File Formats: XML, plain text, JSON
8. connecting to a database
9. making database queries
10. processing database results
11. creating a graphical user interface

If you understand the above ideas, you can solve most problems with a computer.

A few more points:

1. There is a difference between writing code and executing code. You should understand what happens when you execute a program.
2. You should have a pretty good understanding of interpreted vs compiled languages.
3. You should be familiar with two programming paradigms, procedural and object-oriented.

You should be able to solve novel problems using your understanding and skill in programming. You should also apply your understanding of programming to understand other programing languages. You should be able to "computationally think" through a problem. 

Document programs in order to make them easier to follow, test, and debug.
Incorporate existing code, media, and libraries into original programs, and give attribution.
Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs.
Design and iteratively develop programs that combine control structures, including nested loops and compound conditionals.
Create clearly named variables that represent different data types and perform operations on their values.
Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to address complex problems as algorithms.
Evaluate and refine computational artifacts to make them more usable and accessible.
Systematically design and develop programs for broad audiences by incorporating feedback from users.
Decompose problems into smaller components through systematic analysis, using constructs such as procedures, modules, and/or objects.