by Samara Burton
This term, my focus has been shifted away from the historical research that I took part in last year. The main project that I am working on for Create Caribbean now is Create and Code. For those who are not familiar, Create and Code is a series of workshops where we teach students between the ages of 8 and 14 how to code using programs such as Scratch and MIT App Inventor. We have separated these workshops into classes for beginners or intermediate students and are in the process of developing other ways to continue the program for more advanced students. As a part of this project we are also creating a manual for the App Inventor program, which allows the students to make apps that they can run on their android devices. The manual is intended to explain both the basics of the program as well as to provide a few templates for projects that are frequently used by the students. When it is completed, I hope that it will enable the other Create Caribbean volunteers to effectively teach at the workshops, and that the more advanced students will be able to use it as a reference for their own projects.
I have found that learning with the intention of eventually teaching the students has really expanded the way I approach the new concepts. I am not only trying to learn, but also trying to think of what would make it easier for the students at different levels, to be able to understand. I have had to spend a considerable amount of time familiarising myself with both programs so that I will be able to confidently help the students. In developing the manual I need to be able to anticipate some of their questions and needs. This was actually one of the most challenging aspects of the projects for me because prior to my first Create and Code workshop, I had never been exposed to these particular programs. As a result I have had to collaborate more closely with the other interns, especially with Jerrad Colaire as he has had the most experience using the Scratch software.
While I foresee that I will continue to face many challenges with this project, I like that it has forced me out of my comfort zone. It is really exciting to be involved in putting together the Create and Code workshops because it is the kind of opportunity that I would have loved to have had when I was younger. I feel as though we are giving the students an advantage that they will grow to appreciate. I hope that we can foster in them an interest in programming as I believe that this is a skill that continues to be ever more useful and relevant to our everyday lives . Since I hope to pursue an education in the field of Computer Science I am of very appreciative of this opportunity.
I anticipate gaining much from this project, both in terms of the coding concepts and in terms of the effectiveness of my teaching.