Humans of Code Week – Julie Power, Code Week ambassador Ireland

Publication date: June 20, 2022

By Julie Power, Code Week ambassador Ireland

What advice would you give to someone who wants to teach coding?

Start out with small steps. I love to use Blockly‘s maze game or some of the exercises on Hour of code as an introduction to coding because they can be covered with ease in one class.  And you don’t need to have all the answers for any of these challenges up front as you can learn alongside your students through trial and error.

The other piece of advice is to try and connect with like-minded educators both locally and abroad.  I learn so much from other educators on Twitter, through our local Computers in Education network and within the Code Week community.

What are the top three reasons why everyone / kids should learn how to code? 

Coding provides an opportunity for students to learn so many transferable skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. They learn through inquiry, develop resilience and are often provided with collaboration and teamwork opportunities too.

There are so many different aspects of coding that students can get involved in so there is something for everyone where they can work on projects based on their interests.

There is no one right way to approach a problem so students can solve the problem in a way that makes sense to them, thus helping to build confidence.

How can interested people contribute to Code Week?

Although most Code Week activities take place in educational settings, we would love to encourage people to consider organising an activity in their workplace so that their colleagues may in turn introduce another group to our community and spread the Code Week love! 🧡