Don’t tell students about 4IR. Inspire them
IT’S AMAZING how quickly the world is changing. The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is upon us and how we adapt to this era of rapid technological and societal change is crucial.
Education is key in how we navigate these changes. Transforming education to align with the challenges of this new age is a big focus for us. We’re particularly interested in encouraging science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem subjects) in schools, promoting digital skills development at universities and colleges, and promoting after-study opportunities to prepare graduates for employment in this rapidly changing world.
Readiness for 4IR requires a broad array of technical skills combined with a burning curiosity to find solutions to our most pressing problems. Our aim is to inspire innovation and promote the ways which support innovative and design thinking.
We supply electronic and industrial components, services and solutions to a variety of sectors. Combined, these power equipment inspire new strategies and ways of doing business.
It’s this kind of innovation and experience we want to bring to the education space. Our goal is to get students to start thinking about solving critical problems using technology.
It’s while trying to address this idea that we noticed a particular gap in the process. In most traditional education and training environments, the topic is approached in a rote fashion. Students are told what to know and connect enough dots to pass a test. These students are not being inspired to think critically about the possibilities in front of them, to think differently.
In this kind of teaching environment, it will be difficult for them to take charge of the technology and apply it to their own thinking to come up with multiple solutions.
Telling a child to choose science, technology, engineering and maths is not enough. Teaching Stem isn’t enough. What we need is the same spirit as those fun chemistry teachers you can find on YouTube. Show-andtell makes it relevant to the real world. Show students the tools and platforms, show what they can do, show how they fit into the industry and world. The journey can start at home.
Minecraft Pi, which comes bundled with Raspbian (the Raspberry Pi’s free operating system), can be manipulated using coding in the game. A child can play and learn Python, one of the most widely-used programming languages. They can go further and install Scratch, a drag-and-drop coding game designed by the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) which is also available for free through Raspberry Pi, or via download from MIT.
The Pi is a marvel of technology, putting everything from basic to advanced 4IR tools in your hands for less than R1000 and offers many free tutorials, software and resources for students, teachers and parents.
But you don’t even need a Pi to get started. Tools such as Scratch are freely available. We should use these tools in combination to connect the dots between them and see the amazing thing 4IR is already creating out there.
This is how we create the sparks of innovation and imagination in the minds of students. This approach works. I’ve seen students build small rockets, smart cameras and heat sensors. They can see how their thoughts and ideas can become a reality.