15 May 2018
To get more kids into STEM, we need to change
Carina Parisella |
A rethink on the way we instill, assess and value knowledge in students is required, educator says.
23 Jul 2018
STEM, kids and breaking things
For decades, kids who would go on to be technologists or mechanics tended to start in the same way: breaking things apart and rebuilding them.
Sam Hunt, the APAC director of software development platform GitHub, says not much has changed with modern kids – although these days, anything worth pulling apart is made from code.
"Whether they're looking at a machine or a screen and they're writing something - it's code.” – Hunt
“If you look around us, kids are all really interested in robots and video games and interactive games,” he said.
“All of that is code. Whether they're looking at a machine or a screen and they're writing something – it’s code. There's code in it.”
“We've all been kids, we've all broken things down and rebuilt them. It’s the same thing but in the 21st century you rebuild with code.”
Hunt says STEM is the future for all sectors – and therefore all kids looking to get an education.
“What's relevant to the 21st century workplace is what they're going to learn from a STEM perspective,” he said. “It's really driving everything in our culture and in industry.”
Indeed, the 21st century company is a software company regardless of what they do, Hunt says.
“Banks, manufacturers, automotive - it doesn't matter,” he says. “It's all got application of code and development and innovation. That's really important to acknowledge at this point in the learning period.”
Hunt says as part of the education process it is vital to give kids real-world examples.
He also emphasised STEM isn’t just for kids - it’s never too late for adults to grow their knowledge. Watch the video and listen to the podcast above to find out more.
Carina Parisella is bluenotes innovation editor
The views and opinions expressed in this communication are those of the author and may not necessarily state or reflect those of ANZ.
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