31 minute read
Empowering girls to make IT their world
While it can be a challenge engaging kids in general with science, maths and technology, research shows getting girls interested can be especially difficult, particularly through secondary school and into the workforce. How can they be encouraged to see STEM subjects as not just an exciting classroom choice but also an attractive career path? INTERFACE investigates.
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A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.
COCO CHANEL
Studies show that girls are far less likely to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Why? Try this activity with your students. Ask them to draw a scientist or engineer. Boys will almost certainly draw a man; girls will probably draw a man, too. One US study found that when female high school students viewed chemistry textbooks containing pictures of female scientists, they performed better than female students who viewed textbooks containing only pictures of males. Can it be as simple as that? Perhaps persistent, subconscious images of male scientists may be one part of the explanation, but there’s more, much more to this.
The irony is that girls match (if not better) boys in maths and science subjects, especially in the earlier years at school. But then something happens. A gender gap in participation starts to appear. It widens the longer girls are in school and is often compounded by issues of race and culture. The result is that, for example, globally women represent less than a quarter of the digital technology workforce.
Lose interest
So, what causes girls to lose interest in STEM subjects and careers? “For years, girls and young women have been a critical missing part of STEM studies and careers,” wrote Dr Shalini Kesar, Associate Professor Department of Computer Science & Information Systems, Southern Utah University, in the Foreword to Microsoft’s recent research on the subject, Closing the STEM Gap. “The stubborn gender disparity in STEM fields has sparked important debates on the underlying reasons. Some attribute the gender disparity to social and infrastructural factors, lack of mentors and role models, and lack of awareness about what these fields offer in terms of educational and career opportunities. “Others point to studies that indicate traditional mindsets of computing as ‘boring’ and ‘only for boys’ as a major reason why girls and young women do not consider a degree or career in this field.”
Creative potential
As we’ve seen, girls can have a hard time picturing themselves in STEM roles. They also don’t initially see the potential for careers in STEM to be creative.
Sarah Kerkhofs runs an after-school coding club at West Rolleston School. About a third of the participants are girls. “I’ve never met a child that’s reluctant to give tech a go in the classroom,” she said, “But for the girls that come along, they don’t want to code robots or tackle engineering challenges. It’s the creative side of things that appeals, building a game or animation. They also tend to be into lots of other things, sports, dance, all sorts, whereas boys tend to be more tech focused.”
Code Club Aotearoa runs 416 after-school coding clubs across the country every week. An ongoing challenge is different attitudes between boys and girls. “Often the boys arrive rearing to go, they don’t hesitate when it comes to adding code outside the specified set of instructions,” said Siobhan O’Connor, who volunteers at a Code Club in Otahuhu. “The girls, extremely focused, get through the projects very quickly but are initially slightly more cautious when it comes to adding their ideas to the project. As soon as they realise the instructions are more of a guideline everything clicks into place and they can get super creative! I think it’s what keeps them coming back. “This has led to us fostering this creativity in a way where the girls are encouraged and challenged to step outside of the step-by-step instructions, so their innovative ideas and creativity can shine.”
What can teachers do to help?
In the following pages, you’ll read about projects and initiatives that are trying to address this issue.
Clearly, the conditions and context can make a significant difference to girls and their interest in STEM, and there are some immediate and practical steps that teachers, schools and parents can take that will make a big difference. Among them are:
• Provide more exposure to positive role models they can both relate to and aspire to be; • Demonstrate a path for turning an interest in science into success in school and in a career; • Encourage those influential in a girl’s life to support and foster these interests; • Emphasise the creative aspects of
STEM subjects; and • Demonstrate the dramatic impact that science-related jobs have on the world. Of course, not every girl will thrive in science; girls can and will succeed across a range of subjects and interests. It’s important to always keep our focus on them and listen to what they say about their challenges and desires. It’s crucial to learn about how girls currently perceive these subjects and then to provide guidance. This will not only give them opportunities to be successful but also help ensure that, as a society, we realise their full potential. Compiled by the INTERFACE Team.
Taking steps to solve the absence of females
By Frances Valintine, The Mind Lab
Could New Zealand be at the cusp of an industry revolution? Is it possible that in reimagining our country’s economic future, we can plan for a buoyant tech sector spurred on by a generation of young females who will dominate STEM disciplines?
While the likelihood of females dominating or even equalling the male bias that prevails throughout the world is low, there are early indicators that the younger members of Generation Z might just turn history on its head. The recent New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) study, ‘Drawing the Future’, surveyed 7,241 students aged seven to 13 years on their future career aspirations. Impressively, 23.1 per cent of girls versus just 15.9 per cent of boys wanted to have a future career in a STEM field. Could this be the first signal of a changing world? Or will these young women lose their motivation for technology, science and engineering as they enter the realities of a sector that has a significant gender imbalance? We have all heard quotes about our children studying subjects they will never use while missing out on learning subjects for careers that are not yet invented. As a technology educator with 25 years of experience, I can confidently say that we should not be worried about future careers but focus on the technology careers that already employ hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The future will see further advances in technology. But in the here and now, we already have more jobs in roles that require knowledge of software, digital skills and development than the total sum of all vacancies currently available for journalists, lawyers, bankers, sportspeople, musicians, publicists, and communications.
Support their interests
The next generation of students knows the world they live in is not the same world their parents and teachers imagine. We will be leading our daughters and granddaughters astray if we don’t support their interests and passion for STEM, and, more importantly, if we fail to promote the importance of digital skills as part of every future career. As a proud mother, I know it’s easy to recommend subjects and career options that we understand well. Promoting the areas that are familiar to us through our own experiences might feel like the right thing to do, but in the absence of a concrete understanding of what is truly possible, we limit future opportunities for a generation who will live and work in a very different environment. The tech industry has always been diverse. Walk into any development house or software company, and the mix of people from all over the world is immediately apparent. These studios and offices are filled with creative, dynamic roles, exciting projects and the chance to be part of initiatives changing the way we think and respond to technology. But wherever I go, there is an absence of females.
This lack of women in the technology sector has played out over many decades, but now more than ever the tech sector is where the biggest opportunities sit. Big data, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, creative digital assets, digital currencies, digital sovereignty, data analytics, privacy, cybersecurity, ethics, robotics and even space and science-based technologies are some of the highest sought-after skill sets in the world. New Zealand is no different, we are facing the most significant shortage of technical experts we have ever had, and there is no end in sight.
EDUCATION FUTURIST: FRANCES VALINTINE
Barrier to adoption
In my role developing pathways for adults to embrace change and develop the capabilities to thrive in the digital economy, I find myself in frequent conversations with people who are intimidated by technological advances and the language that has emerged to accommodate the sector. Agile, APIs, integrations, user journeys, sprints, user experiences, productivity tools, to name a few, present a barrier to adoption. While the language and the tools are different, we need to find ways to make the first step on the learning journey if we are all to be part of tomorrow’s world. The saying ‘you cannot be, what you cannot see’ is more important than ever. We need to showcase to our daughters and our female colleagues that we are all part of the new world of technology. Through forming collectives and stepping boldly forward together, we can be the catalyst of change and progress. It is through committing to the development and adoption of new skills we will encourage others to do the same. Frances Valintine CNZM is CEO and founder of The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab.
Trying a different approach to engage girls
By Daniel Wyatt, Birkdale Intermediate School
This year we have moved away from Scratch and robotics in an attempt to engage our girls more in digital technologies. Our theory behind this was based on observations that many girls were simply not interested in these two learning tools. Instead, we decided to focus on a different approach looking at digital skills for video games, which generally have a high level of student engagement. We started the unit with two sessions of digital animation using online editor Piskel (piskelapp.com). Students create short pixel animations, which they enjoyed. The purpose behind this was to get students used to the fact that often things go wrong when working with technology and they need to use problem-solving skills to figure out the problem. Alongside this, we also had a focus on exploring software, figuring out how programs work and what buttons do what, as this is a lifelong skill of importance in this world with everchanging technology.
Excited and keen
After two sessions of digital animation, we did a single further lesson on Piskel. This time we created character sprite sheets for the software we would be using to create our games. This meant that students could customise their character and learn about how sprite sheets work to animate 2D games. At this point in the project many of the students were very excited and keen to begin programming their video game. For the following six sessions, we were working on RPG Maker XP (rpgmakerweb.com) to create 2D video games using a mix of block-based and line-by-line coding. We used a flipped classroom approach with students having access to a library of tutorial videos, so that they could work at their own pace through their project. This also freed up the teacher to work with struggling students or those needing support. At the end of the six weeks, students showcased their games and we marked their code.
Better results
Out of the 236 students involved in this programme, we had the following results: • 80 boys and 76 girls completed code to the expected level for their age. This included coding dialogue logic trees using text and choice branches.
Transferring the playing using X/Y variables, using self switches in programmable events to turn on/off coded functions of non-player characters (NPCs) and programming movement routes for them. • 40 boys and 38 girls achieved above.
This included using conditional branches to check for global switches operating, using variables (such as using a random number generator) to check a student created loot table and text based on the RNG, and coding in player customisation, often using variables or switches to change the appearance or job of the player; and • 1 boy and 1 girl did not complete a project. These results were significantly higher for both the boys and girls than in previous years doing a Scratch and robotics-based programme. Also, feedback from girls (see graphs below) shows the level of engagement and enjoyment was much higher, too. We’re currently working on new projects, with a focus on hands-on learning aimed at increasing engagement with Mãori and Pacific students. One is a makerspace unit involving solar panels, electrical wiring, CAD design and 3D printing. Overall, we have been very proud of what we have achieved so far, with almost every student looking forward to their next session of digital technologies. Daniel Wyatt teaches Digi Tech at Birkdale Intermediate School in Auckland.
GIRLS’ ENJOYMENT OF DIGITECH COURSE IN 2020 GIRLS’ ENJOYMENT OF REVISED DIGITECH COURSE IN 2021
Recognising girls as users, creators and innovators of technology
Susana Tomaz, Westlake Girls’ High School
We continue to have under representation of girls in digital technology, with a decrease of females in the tech pipeline across all transition levels from primary to secondary, and only around a quarter representation in the IT workforce. Changes to the Digital Technologies (DT) curriculum was a step in the right direction, although the challenges around upskilling teachers in digital literacy is holding progress back. There is urgency in closing the digital divide in our schools, which has been enhanced in a pandemic environment, by ensuring that every child has access to a device and Wi-Fi at home. However, access is not sufficient. Having support networks at home, at school and in the community – that incentivise, and monitor the use of technology – have the potential of improving literacy and digital skills, especially for girls. Consequently, solving the female under-representation in DT becomes a community-centred effort that requires the support of schools, whãnau and industry. And creating better connections between industry and education are pivotal to improve diversity and pathways into digital technology careers. Enabling girls and women, who represent half of New Zealand’s population, to pursue career pathways in technology fields has important economic benefits, fuelling competition and innovation, and ultimately strengthening the economy.
“There has always been this invisible barrier that makes me feel like I’m not smart enough or capable because when many people describe they use technology jargon. There is also a lack of opportunity, it’s hard to become interested in technology when you have never been exposed to it.” WGHS student
Exposure and empowerment
Another benefit is that women in DT becomes normalised. Girls need exposure to role models that will empower them into a career pathway still full of misconception and unconscious biased. Engagement in DT education can help females develop skills and improve their earning potential. Providing girls with the skills to master technology is a social, moral and economic necessity. From my experience of working on ways to actively engage girls in STEAM for the last 14 years, in both the UK and New Zealand, I would say the main three barriers to engage girls with digital technologies are: • Lack of self-belief and role models/ support networks; • Lack of exposure to digital technologies such as electronics through making; and
• Lack of awareness by wha -nau of DT careers and unconscious biases.
Breaking down barriers
Research has found that the digital gap starts to widen as early as Year 3, suggesting that interventions to increase access to technologies should start during primary school. Breaking these barriers requires an early intervention and community effort. One way is by designing programmes that target girls. STEAM learning programmes provide amazing opportunities to promote gender equity by empowering girls to engage with technology through maker projects set in authentic context that are meaningful to them. The way we approach STEAM at Westlake Girls’ is with a focus on creativity, hence the ‘A’ in STEAM. We always start with outcomes and cool projects. A student sees making as a tool in their creative kit, a means to an end and without realising it they learn how to work with electronics, 3D printing, robotics, Virtual Reality.
STEAM can be used as a vehicle to strategically attract specific groups underrepresented in computer science and engineering fields, such as girls. We also align the community projects to the 123 Tech Challenge, which is aligned with the new Digital Technologies curriculum. This competition is a really good way for schools to start addressing under representation in this area, not just girls. Students from Year 1 all the way to Year 13 can participate and teachers are well supported with ready-to-go resource packs.
Female leaders
Community projects in STEAM are another way we expose girls to digital technology fostering learning through personally meaningful, collaborative and multidisciplinary projects. During these,
MOTAT’S STEM LEARNABLE KIT
“I think there are a group of girls who still believe tech is a male dominated really hard to get into subject that only smart people get into. Not only that but they don’t try because they don’t think that they will be successful.” WGHS student
students identify a community issue of their interest for which they develop a technologically innovative solution. They then pitch their prototype solution that they have created using technology to a ‘shark tank’ made of females with leadership roles in STEAM industry, therefore exposing them to role models. Community projects enable learners to pursue their own interests and work across different disciplines on projects that have a personal relevance for them, deepening their engagement. The ‘tinkering’ aspect of making a technological solution is a way to learn through hands-on experience with technology. Encouraging experimentation, exploration of new paths and new possibilities shifting the girls from passive consumers to active creators of technology. This approach not only fosters a growth mindset but also it strengthens critical 21st century skills, such as collaboration, problem solving, resilience, and adaptability.
Community approach
At Westlake Girls’ High School, we have been working hard to break down barriers leading to under-representation in technology. Our partnership with the parent community has also allowed us to reach untapped potential and collaboratively create authentic learning opportunities that address the lack of exposure and unconscious bias that our students arrived with at secondary school. However, to tackle the problem effectively and sustainably, we require a collective/community approach and earlier intervention at primary, intermediate and secondary levels. We need to expose learners to a wider career pathway, including emerging technology careers. Some of the key ways of doing this include: • Fostering girls’ entrepreneurship and engagement in innovation through projects; • Engaging with your parent community to identify female role models to help you to improve exposure and engagement with digital technologies; • Promoting digital technology to students, parents and wha nau; • Prioritising teacher upskilling in digital technologies; and • Addressing these barriers as a Kahui Ako in order to support student transitions.
By adopting a community approach, we aim to effectively address skill shortage locally and provide a good support network to our young people to transition into the workforce. Susana Tomaz is STEAM Coordinator at Westlake Girls’ High School and Across School Lead for Pupuke Kahui Ako in Auckland.
COMBINING TECH SKILLS: CAD AND LASER CUTTING PROJECT.
Providing learning, motivation and visible female role models
By Bridget Lawrence, Mt Roskill Primary School
Racecar driver, doctor, teacher. These were the predictable answers I received earlier this year when I asked my Year 6 students: “What job do you think you might like to have?” Not the most original suggestions for such a tech-savvy, information-saturated generation. I felt a little saddened when I saw how their lack of experience limited the dreams my students were creating for their futures.
However, now if you ask Room 13 the same question a lot more options have emerged: civil engineer, chemical engineer, game designer. Where did these new ideas come from? I can tell you that it was nothing flash that I did. It was a visit from the Robogals!
Organised and enthusiastic
Despite the name, the Robogals are not robots … and they’re not even all gals. But they are a highly organised, enthusiastic group of engineering students and young professionals who visit schools and community groups ‘inspiring tomorrow’s engineers, today’. They volunteer their time to offer free workshops that encourage girls, in particular, to foster an interest in and a greater confidence with STEM. Workshops, which last about one and a half hours, are tailored for the age group they are presented to. I have seen them in action with our Year 6 students (and also with my local 7- to 9-year-old Brownies). Both lessons introduced key language and skills (like bugging, debugging and Morse Code) through games and collaborative activities. Next students worked in small groups with one volunteer to programme a robot to deliver a message to the rest of the group. I was pleased to see the Robogals allowing students to struggle and problem solve. When help was needed, a question was used to guide them to where solutions could be found. Joy erupted periodically as they tested their code on the robots. All children were engaged and and motivated to work together.
Dreams in their heads
Workshops are highly organised and so well run that you could be fooled into thinking that some of them were trained teachers. But right from your first contact, you’re liaising with university students. Wandering up to my local Brownie’s den on the night we invited them, I found a circle of enthusiastic volunteers already there. They were seated right on the grass, having a meeting, surrounded by all their materials neatly organised into ziplock bags. Workshops begin with each member introducing themselves and what area they are studying. This is important to Robogals as they want to provide visible female role models, filling a known deficit in science, engineering and digital technology areas. Blowing my students’ minds that you can actually study at university to design games! What powers Robogals is their mission statement: ‘Inspire, engage and empower young women into engineering and related fields.’ We invited the group to the school as part of a Digital Citizenship unit. Obviously with only one workshop it is just one piece of the puzzle in terms of teaching children about digital technology. However, they walked away from each of the sessions, with smiles on their faces, dreams in their heads and some new programming skills under their belts. Bridget Lawrence teaches at Mt Roskill Primary School, in Auckland. For more about Robogals and setting up workshops go to robogals.org
ROLE MODELS: MEETING THE ROBOGALS
By Simon Mutch, Casebrook Intermediate School
In my digitech classes, engagement from girls is generally high but this doesn’t translate to them showing up to enhancement or enrichment sessions offered in the afternoons, which are predominantly made up of boys. In an effort to give them more opportunities to foster their talents in this area, we recently decided to start a ‘girls only’ digiclub, on Wednesdays after lunch, and it’s already proving to be a popular option. There are a range of choices for activities at the club, with a big interest in Minecraft.edu. We have many of them working on building the school in their own world or in groups. We’ve met with a few issues as we navigate the Minecraft world but the engagement is high and we’re continuing to learn. Other options include 3D design, coding and animation.
Engagement and participation
It’s a self-select group with no entry criteria and the numbers sit around 30. We usually have a couple of people wanting to join each week and, invariably, not everyone is at school or available, so the numbers remain pretty stable. It’s proving valuable to have a bit of freedom for the girls to choose what they want to work on, and the plan is for it to become more directed as time goes on to ensure we are targeting the skills they need. Choice will still play an important role and it’s about getting the balance right to ensure high engagement and participation while learning some valuable skills. In class sessions, I expose students to the videos from Hour of Code and random things like the ‘World of Colour’ light show in Disneyland and J’Lo’s dress in the music video for ‘ Feel the Light’. This enables them to see that coding and digital technology has a range of applications and can be used in almost any field. The videos from Hour of Code also have a strong emphasis on females in tech roles.
During tech class sessions, the girls generally enjoy activities such as Code. org, LEGO robotics, animations, making music in Scratch, and many other components of the programme. The issue comes when there’s such a range of choices during extension/ enhancement times that the uptake isn’t high for girls to come to digi extensions.
Appealing without boys
So far, I have witnessed some fantastic work from the girls. The group is quite large at the moment. We need to ensure it’s manageable and I’m looking to direct them in a number of ways to ensure they are getting as much opportunity and exposure as possible. The ‘girls only’ club has given them another time and opportunity, as well as the chance for girls of all abilities to work together and achieve something they otherwise might not take the chance to do. I talked about it in assembly and mentioned the importance of it for their future. I think it is this ‘sell’, along with the idea of working without boys being there, that appeals. It’s important that we continue to nurture their digital technology skills and talents and encourage girls to carry on in this area in the future.
Simon Mutch is Digital Technology Specialist at Casebrook Intermediate School in Christchurch.
Developing a STEM identity for girls
By Jill Pears, Diamond Harbour School
As STEM has gained additional prominence in education due to the growing awareness of the importance of these fields, there’s been a concern about the underrepresentation of girls. In response, initiatives have been implemented to increase girls’ knowledge, skills and interest in these subjects. Yet, while these have shown some success, the percentage of females engaging in non-traditional STEM subjects and career pathways has not increased greatly. An alternative is using an identity lens, which researchers have conceptualised as consisting of three elements.
1. Interest
Starting early fosters a strong interest. Stereotypical beliefs around certain STEM subjects being for boys are evident in children as young as five. Counteract this by fostering girls’ interest early at school. Incorporate STEM activities into playbased learning and encourage girls to be involved. Many who persist in the senior years of their schooling refer to the impact that has been made on them by being involved in STEM activities in their early years. Also, show the relevance of STEM to subjects girls are already interested in. It’s everywhere so choose contexts that are relevant to their passions. Foster a sense of belonging. For girls to persist, they need to feel that ‘people like them’ are in STEM. Ensure a sense of belonging is created by having a physical space that is inclusive of girls, avoiding things like posters and items that may be regarded as stereotypically male.
2. Performance and competence
Girls may not have had the same prior experience as boys, for example with STEM based toys or computer games. Be aware of this and ensure girls are supported to help develop their confidence. Girls-only classes can help to provide a safe environment for them to develop. Teach about stereotypes. Girls who understand their impact are less likely to be influenced by them.
3. Recognition by others
Having other people recognise girls as a STEM person helps to develop their STEM identity. Teacher recognition has an important role to play. Praising girls for their STEM skills has a positive impact on how they perceive themselves and when this praise is public, and they’re also recognised by their peers, this can further reinforce their perception of themselves as a STEM person. Provide opportunities for girls to take up leadership roles in STEM, providing both a context for them to be celebrated and recognised in STEM, as well as role models for younger girls. Focusing on these areas has the potential to increase the number of girls who persist with STEM subjects beyond their middle school years, a time when there’s often a sharp decrease in participation. Jill Pears is Principal at Diamond Harbour School in Canterbury.
Connecting with women in technology
SHE# is a group dedicated to inspiring young girls to pursue tech careers by connecting them with female role models and challenging misconceptions about the industry. Here INTERFACE talks to founder Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh.
What are the challenges facing girls interested in digital technology?
Women are currently on the wrong side of the digital skills gap. In tech, it’s a man’s world. We have a global and urgent problem on our hands. We believe that girls interested in digital tech lack the knowledge of this vast field, as well as the resources to allow them to upskill and learn. The digital divide is the gap between those who have access to computers and the internet, and those with limited or no access. And without access to these resources, girls, especially in rural areas, are usually left behind. Technology experts say girls with poor digital literacy skills will be the hardest hit and will struggle to find jobs as technology advances. This correlates to the lack of role models available and introduced to young girls, which results in little or no motivation to learn more about digital technology and step into this field. At She#, we believe that “you can’t be what you can’t see,” so being distant from women already succeeding in digital technology can be discouraging for these girls.
Tell us about SHE# and what you’re doing to help?
Our story started five years ago with a dream to change female representation in STEM-related fields, where women make up only 20 per cent of roles in the industry. Since then, we have held over 30 events, workshops, and networking opportunities offering a safe, inclusive, and diverse environment for everyone interested in all things STEM. We influence the next generation of leaders, doers and thinkers in STEM by showcasing strong female role models in the industry. We encourage young girls and women by showing them the importance and relevance of STEM career paths. We ensure that they know they belong in this industry as much as everyone else. We have run many events teaching and inspiring young girls. We found a few of the girls were initially shy and timid as the misconception around technology and computer science being ‘too hard’ potentially made them nervous. We overcame these by consistently encouraging the girls and showcasing new innovative technology. We’ve held workshops like Computer Science for High School (CS4HS) and Superhero Daughter Day, which highlight new technologies and software for young girls to try, in order to inspire them to choose STEM as a career field and make digital technology seem fun.
What would be your advice to people wanting to engage and excite girls about tech?
Show you are excited and enthusiastic about digital tech yourself first. Be the role model and person they can look up to. We always say, you can’t be what you can’t see! We show girls the vast range of different forms of technology and the different doors it opens. Show girls robots, Artificial Intelligence, cyber security, digital design, and more.
MEMBERS OF THE SHE# TEAM.
What are the benefits of getting girls involved?
We always want to encourage girls and women to enter a career that they themselves want to do, not to be pressured or wrongly influenced. Benefits for those involved include amazing job opportunities, job security, career flexibility, and hiring demand. In wider sense, it paves the way for a more equitable world and, overall, positively impacting society.
What would you like to see happening in the future?
The future would be developed for the better when there is a balance between female and male workers, as well as more diversity in each STEM field. At She#, we feel our mission will be accomplished when more young girls are informed about digital technology and positively encouraged to think about it as a possible career. We also hope to see more women supporting each other in overcoming challenges and breaking gender stereotypes.
Thank you.
Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh is Founder and Director of SHE#, and a professor of Information Technology and Software Engineering at Auckland University of Technology. For more about SHE# go to
shesharp.org.nz
By Kate Allan
One of our key goals at Code Club Aotearoa is to create content and resources that supports girls in feeling a strong and positive sense of turangawaewae within our sessions. For our Ma -ori and Pasifika learners this has involved creating projects that encourage them to be able to code and connect with their own stories. For Moonhack, this year, our team wrote a bilingual code project for Matariki using Scratch. The activity supported learners in exploring and coding indigenous stories, and what we noticed was how many of our girls and diverse youth became fully involved through telling their own stories and sharing them with the world.
We have made it a priority to celebrate girls, women and diverse people coding in Aotearoa through large nationwide events. Through showcasing and making role models more visible we have been able to engage with kaiako, kura and the wider community in reshaping stereotypes and increasing gender diversity in Digital Technologies.
Stage show
A key highlight was a nationwide tour sharing the story and life of Ada Lovelace through the live stage show ADA.ADA. ADA.
Girls came to the show alongside their schools, peers and wha -nau and were captivated and inspired by both the history of the world’s first computer programmer and the modern-day tech that interwove to share her story. Following the show, we ran two-hour, hands-on workshops allowing girls to create, and explore technology from a real-world lens in a safe and welcoming environment.
Digital gender divide
A key next step in supporting the digital gender divide is through providing more opportunities for our girls to get involved. Teachers, with classrooms of relatively equal gender divide are in a prime position to do so. With the expectation that the revised Digital Technologies curriculum is now being taught within every school, we are supporting teachers to set up and run a Code Club within their daily teaching programme. This opens the door for girls to easily engage and access our content, and for teachers to successfully interweave Digital Technologies and coding into all curriculum areas. Kate Allan is Project Manager at Code Club Aotearoa. Find out more about setting up a Code Club at codeclub.nz
ENJOYING THE SHOW: STUDENTS ON STAGE AT ADA.ADA.ADA
Thanks to Sarah, Siobhan, Frances, Daniel, Susana, Bridget, Simon, Jill, Mahsa, and Kate for sharing their thoughts with INTERFACE.
