Teaching computing with young tutors and mentors

17/05/2017 11:28

Visioning the teaching of  computing in elementary schools in Brazil,  the initiative Computação na Escola is training Young Tutors (elementary students) and Voluntary Mentors (IT professionals) to program mobile applications. These young tutors and volunteer mentors will be supporting elementary school teachers in teaching computing in public schools with the objective to reach a larger number of students. The project also contributes to the education of young tutors in the area of ​​computing, providing learning and contact with professionals in the area, bringing practical experience to the young people and children involved.

This education model is being piloted in a project focusing on the programming of mobile apps at the school Escola Básica Prof.ª Herondina Medeiros Zeferino in Florianópolis. This project is being sponsored by Involves Tecnologia e Inovação, a software company  based in Florianópolis/SC.

During this project young tutors, volunteers and school students will learn how to make applications with App Inventor. App Inventor 2  is an open-source web application originally developed by Google, and now maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). To create your app, you only need a browser (eg. Chrome , Firefox, Safari , etc. – not Internet Explorer), a free Google account and an internet connection to download your apps to an Android device (phone or tablet) using a wireless network. You can share your app in the gallery for free or upload to Google Play (in this case there is a fee to register as a developer).

Young tutors together with mentors and teachers of the school are realizing programming workshop for other students of the school through peer-instruction.

 

Companies/organizations interested in sponsoring other Young Tutor projects may contact the initiative via telephone +55 (48) 3721-7380 /+55 (48) 3721-4715  or email: computacaonaescola@incod.ufsc.br

Project selected as finalist at FEBIC 2017Young tutor project at the IV Regional Mathematics Fair/Florianópolis (August 2017)

Featured in the Science, Mathematics and Geography Fair (June 2017)