Education Slovakia Project #23312

Increase Slovak girls participation in technology

by Nadacia Pontis/Pontis Foundation

Project Report | Jun 4, 2018
Activity Report May 2018

By Petra Kotuliakova | project leader

In the age of 12 to 16 year, the girls are very sensitives and start to create their first ideas about the life and their professional orientation. Wanted to influence their choice of extra school activities and specially our willingness to bring them into STEM fields, leaded us to start our project of Coding Academy. Coding Academy is based on physical computing, the methodology which we consider as important tool how to motivated them. Using micro:bites, girls can create their own models, “products”, they can instantly see results of procedures they are doing. Coding Academy is based on strong work with school teachers, because well-educated teacher can help us to educate more girls.

Girl’s Day in Slovakia happened fifth time this year! Under the patronage of Slovak president Mr. Andrej Kiska and Slovak representation of UNESCO office, more then 900 high school girls visited 45 technical companies, universities and institutions, specially oriented towards ICT. The photo contest covering the topic “My best IT day” showed us how girls perceive this day and what is the most attractive thing for them. Best photos were awarded by Ambassador of United States in Slovakia.

New educative projects for mature women answered the problem with lack of IT professionals in the field of Software testing and Data Analyses in Slovakia. Women Tester Academy and Women Data Academy bring the new opportunity for the women with non-technical background, wanted to skip into IT. We are looking for women strongly motivated into this change. After Academy accomplishment, we put them into the contact with companies looking for those profiles. The lessons take 50 hours during two months, where women need physically participate. International certification ISTQB is the conclusion of Tester Academy, for Data Academy the accomplishment are three different case studies done. Like this, we could place into companies 80% of women participated at Women Tester Academy 1.

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Jan 16, 2018
Petra - our director, about life

By Marek Chalany | Project Coordinator

Petra Kotuliakova

Petra Kotuliakova is the director of Aj Ty in IT. He works with high schools all year round, organizes IT workshops, discussions, meetings for them. The organization does everything in order to prevent us from leaving one IT talent for the sake of prejudice.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Everyone is healthy, we have what to eat and where to live. That's the basis. Then comes the environment in which we live. If I say that she lives well in this country (health, education, economy, setting up society, optimism based on living conditions), then it's really great.

What are you most afraid of?

Losses close.

What did you want to be like a baby?

I wanted to be Linda Vespémi, the Hungarian criminologist, who had been challenging the dreams before each fight. So far, I remember how she kicked her one leg up until she kicked out :)

Who is the hero for you?

People who are not complaining but trying to solve and change things. We have a lot of "complainants" in Slovakia, it's a kind of national folklore.

What do you think is the most overrated feature?

Ability to sell. I know it's very important, but I often meet people who have saved the earth from their presentation, and then suddenly the man finds only empty packaging.

What is the most valuable thing you have?

My family.

What gives you every morning the desire to get out of bed and go to work, to life?

I'm looking forward to going home in the evening, getting a good night and having a good time :) And of course, I always believe that we'll save AJ Ty in IT all over Slovakia because we have a lot of great women in IT.

CREATIVE BONUS: What would you put into three nuts to make our world and life better?

A mandatory smile for everyone, a lot of sun and a good mood, but a third nice dress :)

Help motivate girls to be afraid of information technology!

Informatics is currently considered purely male, with stereotyped and monotonous work. For this reason, only 15-20% of women in technical positions work in the IT area in Slovakia. At the same time, the study of computer science is perceived as very demanding and the girls often discourage the environment from this direction. That's why IT colleges choose very few girls (about 5%). On the other hand, there is a large lack of IT specialists in Slovakia and globally (in the Slovak Republic, there are currently 10 IT informants missing, in the EU 900,000). AJ You in IT work with girls and motivate them to IT direction of study. We offer them workshops, discussions with women who are already working in IT, meetings at universities.

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Aug 15, 2017
The child does not have to be an expert.

By Marek Chalany | Project Coordinator

Positive attitude is often enough in mathematics.

The child does not have to be an expert. Positive relationship is often enough.

Many will be accusing me, that not everyone can be mathematician, when I personally say that everyone is good in something else. At the same time, however, I am saying that 95% (this figure is not from the head, but from Jo Ballar's research at Stanford University) children are able to handle any level of mathematics in schools. A little paradox. Now is a good time to break it up.

If I argue that 95% of children are capable of math, it does not mean that I want every child at the same time to solve a certain mathematical problem.

The child's individuality enter affect this. While time is important for in-depth understanding, the individuality of a child is important for determining the pace and the acquisition of the marginal skills that the mathematical problem brings with it.

I am looking at mathematics not as the most important subject. Not even slightest. We would get drown in these problems even deeper. I look at it as a chance to learn to perceive the world around me and do not hesitate to interact with it.

For mathematics is everywhere around us. Buying in a store counts, mortgages are calculated and so on. When a child has a reluctance to solve mathematical problems, he has the reluctance to interact with everything around us, he becomes apathetic and has no taste, he does not enjoy it. Subsequently, he gets into the first problems at school, then his parents are pushing him, and all around, the child is a "fool".

That is enough. Give the child time. I know, you're a little too late, but you're trying to ask yourself, "do you need to overwhelm?" Or you just run away from something constantly? Only you know it and it's up to you to change it.

Stop and see that your child is trying to run beside you, and he does not want to miss your pace, he needs time.

A positive relationship to walking, running and jumping causes the baby to move. It has a positive approach to it and it does not have to be Usain Bolt to run. Playful running, rolling in the grass, or jumping over the stream is enough.

This must also be experienced in other subjects, especially with mathematics. It is enough for the child to enjoy the discovery of mathematical phenomena and it will be easier for him to live in this world.

Thank you for your support in leading the children and especially young girls to mathematics and IT. Much appreciated!

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