Getting more kids into STEM is crucial
Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Director of Women in STEM at AUT says now more than ever getting and maintaining children’s interest in STEM is vital.
She says technology is a pervasive part of our lives, but not enough girls in particular are choosing to study STEM topics. “We still have low numbers of women and girls studying STEM subjects. We are all affected by technology and in order to create technology that benefits all of us, we must have a diverse range of people studying and working in STEM.”
For the last five years, Dr Mohaghegh has spearheaded Computer Science for High School (CS4HS), a two-day workshop for primary and high school educators funded through the Google Education Fund. The workshops cover a broad range of topics and are designed to give teachers ready-to-teach examples they can put into practice in their classrooms.
The CS4HS workshop offers digital technologies teachers from around the country two days of free talks, hands-on workshops and keynote addresses on key topics relating to the use of digital technology in our primary and secondary schools.
Following the move to digital teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown, there will be a focus on remote delivery. Interested parties are invited to suggest topic ideas and contribute material.
The next CS4HS will be hosted at AUT in early 2021. For those interested in participating this popular workshop series, please bookmark our website and stay in touch.