For far too long, science, technology and math fields were dominated by men, and while times are changing now, women still tend to face stigmas in those careers.
Women often get paid less for the same work, and face professional hurdles that men do not. And additional problems can trickle down from the workplace, affecting women at large.
For instance, automotive safety features were mostly designed by men, whose unconscious biases resulted in safety belts calibrated more for larger male bodies.
Actively encouraging girls to pursue careers in the STEM fields is essential in helping to remove the biases that exist in STEM professions.
And if you have a girl that’s interested in computers, choosing kids coding classes with these three features is a great way to make sure they’re ready to dive into the world of computer programming!
Video Games as Motivator
Video games have always captivated children, even when arcade games only had basic graphics and storylines.
Today, video games are a multi-billion-dollar industry that attracts kids and adults alike.
Like other biases in society, older video games often featured crude gender stereotypes, resulting in games that were less inviting to girls.
The best online coding classes orient their lessons around letting students create their own video games, teaching fundamental STEM skills and giving children more agency than they’d have from simply playing games.
Girls are as motivated as any child to create their own video games with their own ideas. And acquiring the skills necessary becomes its own kind of game.
The journey is fun, and the final reward keeps them driven and wanting to learn.
Teacher Support
Everybody learns better when they don’t need to compete to get attention from their teacher, especially when students are young and the subject matter is entirely new.
Online lessons work best when there are about four students per teacher. More than that creates potential classroom management issues for instructors.
Even when students are well behaved, the more of them there are, the harder it is to give every pupil the attention they deserve.
Professional Coding Languages
Motivation and support are crucial, but only if students are learning current coding languages that are relied on by the coding industry.
Some online coding programs teach introductory languages like Scratch, which are only designed to introduce coding concepts to kids — professionals don’t use Scratch to build video games, apps, or software.
Look for a coding program that teaches coding languages girls will actually encounter in the field, including:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- C++
- Unity
The sooner students acclimatize themselves to industry-standard coding languages, the easier of a time they’ll have entering the job market, not to mention improving their coding skills.
This is especially important for young girls and women who need to acquire these skills and gain confidence in working with top coding languages.
Technology is only going to play an increasingly larger role in society, and it’s crucial for women to impact and shape how it develops.
Representation matters, because it helps eliminate unconscious bias and makes better products. Find an online coding class that meets the above criteria, and you’ll be helping prepare your daughter with the STEM skills she needs to make the world better for everyone.