STEM Ambassadors… meet computing teachers
Computing teachers have worked extremely hard to make a success of the new computing curriculum, despite only a small minority actually possessing a degree in a related field. Few have worked in industry and many have committed significant amounts of their own time to upskilling, ready to support the success of those they teach. Experts in learning, they are rapidly transforming their growing subject knowledge into meaningful learning experiences for young people.
Computing teachers… meet STEM Ambassadors
STEM Ambassadors volunteers from the breadth of industry. They might work in tech-related companies, or in more traditional industries in technology roles. They are ready and willing to help improve STEM education, bringing their experience, contemporary knowledge and insight into careers. They want to meet you!
Just like the best dating shows (which I can’t help but watch!), it’s usually helpful to give new partners something to do, then let the relationship take its own course. In computing and digital creativity there are some excellent schemes that link schools and volunteers, suitable for different age groups and flexible enough to allow for any level of commitment from each party.
Code Club
Code Club is a national network of volunteer-led coding clubs for children aged 9-11. A ready-made package of great resources are available, and the clubs are often organised in cooperation with a teacher. For this age group the technical demand is fairly low, with technologies such as Scratch, micro:bit and Crumble all commonly used. Schools are the usual venues but club sessions happen in libraries, maker spaces, museums… anywhere that young people can be given access to a computer. Most clubs run for an hour a week – it may be possible to share this commitment between several volunteers.
Mozilla Clubs
Mozilla Clubs, from the open-web advocacy charity (and creators of the Firefox browser) Mozilla, are reasonably rare in the UK. A selection of activities makes use of the excellent Mozilla tools for exploring the web and how it is made, such as Thimble and X-Ray Goggles; the activities could form a year-long programme or something much shorter, and are suitable for upper-primary and beyond.
Mozilla Clubs “are made up of technologists, thinkers and builders working together to keep the Internet alive and accessible”, in a global community. Mozilla do not specify how often the clubs might meet, and encourage the activities to be used in existing after-school or community projects.
Pioneers
Pioneers is brought to you by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and is aimed at teams of between one and four 12-15 year olds. Challenges are set on a termly basis, and supporting resources are provided to get you started. The outcome of the challenges is very open and, while technical skills are not a pre-requisite, some competency would be desirable.
Teams can use the full range of their digital creativity and any tools available, including coding, 3D printing and multimedia. Each team needs at least one adult mentor, and the structure and extent of the support is flexible. The venue for the sessions can also be chosen to suit teams and mentors, and might take place during or outside of the school day.
Coder Dojo
Coder Dojo started in Ireland but has spread around the globe. Aimed at 7-17 year olds, Dojo sessions are informal, community-based programming workshops that take place in schools or other locations. Each Dojo tends to have a different focus – led by the expertise available - and can be scheduled flexibly.
Resources are available to support core sessions and Dojo volunteers share ideas across the community. Volunteers with a coding background are welcome, as are those with no technical expertise.
Apps for Good
Apps for Good is a programme of mobile app development, from idea generation through to prototyping. Free online training is available for teachers, who often choose to seek outside expert help. The activities are designed for 10-18 year olds, and can be used for teaching the computing curriculum of for contexts outside the classroom, such as after-school clubs.
Teams are invited to enter a national competition and can win the chance to see their app brought to life by professional developers. Apps for Good experts meet with teachers and students in one-hour sessions, advising on moving from problem to prototype. The ideal expert has experience in “product development, UX design, programming, business development, marketing, public speaking or other entrepreneurial skills”.