IT2School
- The Idea
It all started with the thought that programming is just as important a skill as reading and writing. We don't expect all our students to grow up and become programmers. Mitch Resnick, the "father" of the Scratch platform, says we don't send children to school to learn writing so they become professional writers. Same goes for programming.
Another important idea is that we want children to have the desire and opportunity to create in the modern digital world. They should be able not only to "zone out" on cartoons and games, but also create them. We want to live in a world with creators, not consumers. They are children now, but in a few years they will be those who determine what world we live in.
- How it works?
We look for volunteers — teachers among IT company employees. We ask HR and PR managers to send out emails to employees. Those who respond, we invite to a demo lesson or to a lesson in an active group. After confirmation from the potential teacher, we find a location for lessons (this can be a coworking space, the company's own office, school, business center), agree on a day of the week and time, then announce enrollment for the group.
We use ready-made programs CodeClubUA, Apps4Good, Google CS First for teaching. But already now, people who have conducted classes for half a year or a year understand they can give children more and start leading their own original programs.
Each group is on average 8 children and two teachers. At least one teacher is a specialist from an IT company. This academic year we actively involve computer science teachers to ensure synergy of pedagogical and professional experience. Children study 1 hour per week, voluntarily, teachers give homework. Usually a module lasts 8-12 weeks.
The project is social: children don't pay for education, teachers are volunteers, locations provide their premises for free.
- Why IT company employees?
One teacher in our groups is always a practicing IT specialist. Why is this important to us?
First, no words teach like real examples. Children ask where and who their teachers work for. For them, a practitioner has more authority than a theorist. However, this is not only for children.
Second, children ask questions. Sometimes these are questions that a computer science teacher or 5th year student won't answer.
Third, developers unconsciously emphasize material that might be useful to children. And supplement programs based on their experience, sometimes significantly departing from the original plan.
Fourth, teachers after some time start generating educational content themselves.
Fifth, any mature IT company instills values in its employees that they transmit outward — constant self-improvement, teamwork, respect and tolerance, project approach. This is what children get as a bonus.
- Partners
Content for learning and concept was provided by CodeClubUA - Ukrainian representation of British CodeClub. The program has 4 modules - Scratch (levels 1 and 2), HTML/CSS and Python. We also try other programs - Apps4Good and Google CS First - but CodeClubUA program leads in number of opened groups.
All organizing team meetings and training events for our teachers take place at Impact Hub Odessa. For us this is not just a coworking space, it's our main location, the place where the project originated and continues to develop.
Employees from companies Looksery, Luxoft, Sigma Software, Ciklum, HYS Enterprise, Lohika, Provectus, 111PIXUA, Comodo, Netpeak, VertaMedia, Pivdennyi bank, eFarmer, DIDWW, PLAZ participated in teaching children.
Locations for conducting classes are provided by: Impact Hub Odessa, Dream Center, IT courses Factory, Terminal42, IQSpace, Admiralskaya BC, educational hub Divergent, Sigma Software, Lohika, Ciklum, HYS Enterprise, Funtronica training center, school 62, Gaidar library.
- Results
The project's beginning is considered September 2015, when the first three groups started in Odessa under the CodeClubUA program. For the 2015-2016 academic year we graduated 15 groups, that's 114 children.
Since September 2016, 24 groups were launched, which should finish training in December. At the start - that's about 200 children.
7 computer science teachers participate in the project's work in some form (teacher, mentor, organizing team member).
3 groups follow original programs by our teachers: Web-Design, HTML/CSS, Prezi. We consider the emergence of new educational content one of the project's important successes.
