In this episode, Dr. Peter Dalmaris and Marcus Schappi talk with Pip Cleaves.
Pip Cleaves is the National Education Manager for Code Club Australia, a not for profit organization that has supported the development of over 18,000 clubs and 65,000 students to code every week. She also works as a Sessional Lecturer in the Education and Arts Faculty at The Australian Catholic University.
She has worked extensively within the education industry nationally and globally, and in education technology since 2005. Pip also runs a small business to provide professional learning to educators around technology.
In this discussion, Pip talks about STEM education, Code Club (where she is the National Education Manager), technology education support for teachers, schools and libraries, education volunteering, and much more.
This is Stemiverse podcast episode 15.
Stemiverse podcast is brought to you by Tech Explorations, a leading provider of educational resources for Makers, STEM students, and teachers. Go to techexplorations.com to see a complete list of our books and courses covering the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and electronics.
Show Notes
[00:00] Introduction – Introducing Pip Cleaves
[02:21] Pip talks about her background, as a Japanese Translator, Japanese Teacher, Head Teacher of Learning Innovation and as National Education Manager in Code Club
[09:23] Code Club: Subsidiary of the Raspberry Pi Foundation
[12:32] The basic criteria for becoming a volunteer in Code Club
[13:54] Programming Languages offered in Code Club (Scratch, HTML/CSS, Python, Raspberry Pi, Sonic Pi, Sense HAT) and how kids can become members
[16:11] How do HTML & Python relate to Scratch and examples of how students can apply them
[18:32] 11-year-old graduates of Code Club are well versed in Programming: They gain Confidence, Problem Solving Skills and a base for further knowledge
[19:37] Loving bugs, celebrating failure and making things better
[20:34] Why is Programming important? Problems and Programming go together
[22:22] Raspberry Pi allows you to see how computers work from the inside
[25:42] Future life skills children develop from learning programming
[26:27] Code Club content mapped to years 3-6 of the new Digital Technologies Curriculum
[28:29] Kindergarten kids learning digital technology: bit.ly/ccautechnologies
[31:07] Differences between now and the past century concerning learning skills and mapping success
[34:40] What would Pip do as a benevolent dictator of education?
[37:00] 60 students – 3 teachers: A hub of 60, a pod of 20 and a huddle of 3
[38:28] Organized chaos
[39:21] Project NEST at Kurri Kurri High School
[39:53] More schools joining the evolution and change of education
[40:57] How do schools manage to do that: “with fantastic leadership”
[41:53] Convincing the parents: emphasize the importance of future-focused learning
[42:34] 5-10 years in advance
[46:35] What about creative subjects?
[48:17] Pip’s latest Project: Competition of projects at Moonhack
[52:18] Rapid Fire Questions
[52:24] Who has been the most influential in shaping the way you work: Dianne Marshall
[53:24] Favorite programming languages: Scratch
[55:01] Advice to new educators: Just do it and learn along with the students
[55:30] Professional Development Conferences and Workshops: EduTech, EduChange
[57:08] Pip’s Contact Information: Code Club Website, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @pipcleaves