Introducing careers in STEM - education
This week, I went to a Code Club meet-up and had a very interesting discussion with a retired engineer about educating kids about STEM careers.
So a bit of background about me: I've been running Code Clubs for just less than three years. The clubs are mainly aimed at children aged 7-12, and are based in the community. My clubs are all about creating a fun space for children and young people to explore coding and technology - I fill the room with resources and encourage the kids to come up with their own questions and make their own projects.
In the UK, coding has started to be introduced into the curriculum (the list of things teachers have to teach), but from my experience, I don't think many young children realise what a major skill coding and technology could be in their future careers. Do they think its only relevant if they want to be involved in games or app development?!
Do children and young people realise the potential of STEM careers? Especially when many students only are introduced to careers education when they are 15-16+. Could introducing careers education to younger children, maybe 8-10 years old as part of their STEM education improve engagement of young people with STEM subjects?
I'd love to hear from any teachers or science communicators out there. What are your thoughts on careers education in STEM? What kind of careers-based activities do you think would engage 8-10 year olds?!
So a bit of background about me: I've been running Code Clubs for just less than three years. The clubs are mainly aimed at children aged 7-12, and are based in the community. My clubs are all about creating a fun space for children and young people to explore coding and technology - I fill the room with resources and encourage the kids to come up with their own questions and make their own projects.
In the UK, coding has started to be introduced into the curriculum (the list of things teachers have to teach), but from my experience, I don't think many young children realise what a major skill coding and technology could be in their future careers. Do they think its only relevant if they want to be involved in games or app development?!
Do children and young people realise the potential of STEM careers? Especially when many students only are introduced to careers education when they are 15-16+. Could introducing careers education to younger children, maybe 8-10 years old as part of their STEM education improve engagement of young people with STEM subjects?
I'd love to hear from any teachers or science communicators out there. What are your thoughts on careers education in STEM? What kind of careers-based activities do you think would engage 8-10 year olds?!
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