Tech Gems: Women Role Models and Influencers in K12 Education

In this episode I interview Velvet Holmes, a technology teacher from Oregon, WI school district where she shares her teaching strategies of how to get started with creating an after-school or weekend coding club with girls. She also provides a digital toolbox collection of coding tools and resources that you will want to tap into and try with your students tomorrow in your classroom. 

And these are the questions she addressed:

Question #1 - How did you start the coding club conversation with your students?  How did you get the buy in and importance of why you needed a girls coding club in your school?  What were your top three persuasive talking points?

Question #2  What types of hands-on coding activities did you start with and why? Could you provide us with some coding and unplugged examples of activities that you would recommend to our listeners that can truly engage all girls- of all abilities?

Question #3  What types of strategies have you discovered that have really worked well with getting all of your girls engaged and motivated in coding projects?

Question #4 - Does literacy tie into the coding connection with girls?  If so, how?

Question #5  What results have occurred that you did not anticipate on from the success of your girls coding club?

Question #6  Could you identify your top three coding and or stem tools that you would advise for our listeners to utilize to start their coding Club to find success right away.

Digital tool box resources Velvet mentioned during this week's Tech Gem's podcast show: 

Code Like A Girl - is a social enterprise providing girls and women with the confidence, tools, knowledge and support needed to enter and flourish in the world of coding.

Code.org a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. A one-stop shop of just in time and high quality resources to excite your interest in coding today.

CS-First - A free computer science curriculum that makes coding easy to teach and fun to learn.

Elementari - Write and code interactive stories! An online platform that connects artists with writers to create and share interactive stories. 

Make Code and Make Code Editor for Micro:bit

Micro:bit - a tiny programmable computer, designed to make learning and teaching easy and fun!

Wonder Workshop - Dash and Dot Robotics

Resources and Research from Naomi Harm

2030 and Beyond: Future Leaders Student Job Task Cards

Motivating Girls to Lean in To Pursue Passion Driven Careers in STEM

National Girls Collaborative on Mentoring and Role Modeling Resources

NCWIT  - 

STEM Connector -Research and resources drive impact for our members and influence the field.

Why Girls Lose Interest in STEM

--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/naomiharm/message

A brief overview of what the Tech Gems podcast show provides to it's listeners, and the quality STEM interviews, content and resources shared. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/naomiharm/message

A brief overview of what the Tech Gems podcast show provides to it's listeners, and the quality STEM interviews, content and resources shared. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naomiharm/message