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Wednesday 13 August 2014

Interview with Vanessa Greene, DCU, CoderDojo




CoderDojo is a nonprofit organisation that teaches kids how to learn how to code. Hays has been supporting CoderDojo for over two years. Vanessa Greene, a recent school leaver at 17 years old, told us a little bit about why CoderDojo is so cool and how they are making young women like her excited about coding and a career in IT.

How did you hear about CoderDojo?
I first heard of CoderDojo from my careers guidance teacher in school. She was aware of my interest in technology and sent me details of two dojos which I could attend.

What encouraged you to get involved?
I was encouraged to join a dojo after running into difficulty teaching myself JavaScript. At first I didn't want to join as I was under the impression they were going to be full of much younger boys. I didn't want to feel intimidated and out of place. When I was sent links to CoderDojo Girls in DCU, I changed my mind. I was still nervous about joining but since it was a girls-only class I thought ‘I’ll give it a go’.

What was the first dojo like compared to dojos now?
There hasn't been a big difference in the past year. However there is a large increase in girls attending. DCU is extremely busy every Saturday and since I started there, a whole new class has been added to cater for the demand of very enthusiastic children wanting to learn to code. Besides numbers and extra classes in DCU, I think the kids in the classes have become closer. You see them making new friends and the mentoring team is also very close.

What do you do in CoderDojo?
I spend most of my Saturday in DCU and it usually goes as such:
10am: Mentor with the beginners’ class or the girls’ class (or mixed coming up to Coolest Projects).
12am - 2pm: Grab some lunch, catch up with my good friend Catrina, work on any coding problems I have from personal projects and mentor a bit in the mixed class if they are short of mentors.
2pm - 4pm: Attend the advance class (where they work on entries for Apps4Gaps)

The main thing I do in CoderDojo is mentor beginners, which I love. This involves teaching kids the basics to making their own website and preparing them to move into the other classes. This is a really good job as mentors are the ones who help kids understand what a computer language is, how to write in some computer languages and help solve coding problems. Helping kids is very important in dojos. They are encouraged throughout and if they make a mistake they aren’t necessarily wrong! CoderDojo mentors help tackle the problem and encourage different ways of thinking to solve the problem.

How do you encourage people to get involved?
I have asked so many people to join dojos, as a student or mentor and I’m yet to succeed! Many people just say “ah that’s not for me”. I believe the kids who are interested in code are missing out!

What do your friends think of your coding skills?
It depends on the friend really. Those whom I attended school with don’t understand anything about coding and think I’m really good with computers. However, on the other hand, those who can code and programme, can be rather critical.

Do you think we need a CoderDojo Girls only class?
Sadly Yes! We do need a girl’s only class. There are a few reasons why I think so:
Girls Confidence: Girls are more confident in a girls dojo, they aren't afraid of boys judging their answers and ideas.
Less feeling of exclusion: Often girls will feel excluded regarding technology as boys tend to leave them out without realising.
Creativity: Girls are very creative but sometimes try to hide that around boys so we need to encourage them to not be shy about unleashing their creativity.
Lastly a Slight Cliché:  I think we do need to promote girl power! Girls can code! We can have a great career in technology.

Why is CoderDojo important? Do you think it will have an impact on the future of IT?
CoderDojo is extremely important! We must teach children to code as we teach them art, music, languages and maths. We often teach kids what they need to know to pass an exam, not necessarily skills to use for life. Our lives are run by code and most people don’t even understand what code is! Phones, cars, lights, doors, TVs, planes etc. all use code. So if it’s everywhere, why aren't we teaching more people about it? Coding is like giving a child a blank page and saying ‘create anything’!

Do I think dojos will have an impact on the future of IT? 
Yes! Just have a look at Coolest Projects. Look at what 6 year olds can do. This is going to create such an increase of competition in the IT industry in the coming years… I think I’m going to have to watch out!

Has CoderDojo influenced your thoughts about college?
Yes! A lot. Two years ago before I started coding I wanted to study photography. It was my first choice. Now my CAO application has been filled out with almost only computing courses. Actually there is only one non-computer course on my application.

If you could change ONE thing about CoderDojo – what would that be?
I don’t know if I would change anything. As a whole I like the way the organisation runs and I really like the dojo I am in.

Does your school support STEM / IT subjects? Are you in a girls only or mixed school?
In school teaching computers is teaching you how to use a very old Microsoft Word. This is why I set up a computer club in April last year and began teaching students to code after school on Fridays. I attend an all-girls school (always have)! Which is one of the reasons why I was nervous to join a mixed dojo and joined the girls instead.

Are they actively encouraging students to be more involved in STEM subjects?
When it comes to Science and Maths subjects everyone in school sees them as compulsory and boring, there isn’t an emphasis to change that opinion. Also Leaving Cert. students are restricted in Science subjects (physics is not an option and chemistry will only be considered if there are large number of students interested in taking the class).

Vanessa Greene
CoderDojo DCU Girls

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