Humans of Code Week – Kristina Milaj, Leading Teacher Croatia
Publication date: September 9, 2022
By Kristina Milaj, Leading Teacher Croatia
What sparked your interest in Code Week?
Since coding and programming have emerged as some of the most desirable skills for employers, schools have a responsibility to provide their students with skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace. Teachers must base their work on a methodical approach to teaching coding that rests on discovering and developing as interesting and engaging activities as possible. In order to make the easiest progress in this development, I needed fresh ideas. This is why I looked for teachers with whom I could collaborate and share experiences, that’s how I discovered the EU Code Week movement. A community that met all my expectations.
What challenges have you encountered in your role as leading teacher and how did you overcome them?
When I was selected to be an EU Code Week Leading Teacher for Croatia, although I was very excited and happy, I first thought: „What if at some point I run out of inspiration and time and will not be able to inspire and lead others?“. But then I realized – in such an active EU Code Week environment everything comes naturally. There is no pushing – the more I do and research, the more people I meet and connect with the more fitting I feel within the movement. Since the role of leader in this movement is mainly realized in inspiring and motivating others, what I love the most, there is nothing to be worried about.
How do you imagine the future of Code Week to look like?
I believe that in the very near future of Code Week we will have complete curricula specifically designed for the development of computational thinking, programming, other computational equipment and robots that will be used for learning. In addition, I am sure that, guided by initiatives such as the EU Code Week initiative, people will generally organise more coding activities. All following the logical sequence of changes in the digital transformation of society.
