In the Data Age, where data is as valuable as oil in shaping our world, how can 21st-century schools prepare learners and educators to effectively navigate this reality?

The 21st-century school arrived over 20 years ago, a fact that the calendar does not allow us to contradict. This school finds in the challenges of today the need to promote an education for student protagonism, intellectual autonomy, environmental and social responsibility. These skills are increasingly necessary and valued for a holistic formation of the individual.

The discussion on the implementation of disruptive educational actions that break with the status quo is not recent. The American philosopher and pedagogue John Dewey (1858-1952) indicated the need for the school to be a space for the integral formation of the individual, incorporating theory and practice. Seymour Papert (1928-1016), a mathematician, educator, and computer scientist born in South Africa, highlighted that the role of the teacher is to create conditions for exploration and creativity, allowing learners to build and experiment with their ideas independently and express them through the use of digital technologies.

Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire (1921-1997) pointed out that education should provide the development of a critical reading of the world, promoting the freedom of the individual to have their own point of view about their reality. This approach is urgent in the Data Age due to the immense amount of information that is currently produced and made available by different media.
In this sense, Data Literacy connects the classroom with the reality that surrounds the learner, promoting a Data Culture, and making the individual fluent in this domain. The National Common Curricular Base (BNCC, 2018) highlights the importance of proposing initiatives in the school so that the student learns to work with data as a way to make good decisions and identify the veracity of information that circulates in society.

“Argue based on facts, data, and reliable information, to formulate, negotiate and defend ideas, viewpoints, and common decisions that respect and promote human rights, socio-environmental awareness, and responsible consumption at a local, regional, and global level, with an ethical stance in relation to the care of oneself, others, and the planet” (BNCC, 2018, p.9)

Thus, in the context in which our society is inserted, where discussions on the use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Big Data intensify, the static classroom that does not dialogue with the constantly moving reality of the current world loses valuable learning insights.

The Value of Data

Considering that we live in a technological, connected, and networked society, one of the essential fuels to propel this society is data. Data plays a crucial role in the digital economy and in strategic decision-making. They are the raw material that drives innovation, allows the development of new technologies, and fuels AI.

According to Davenport (1998), data are observations about the state of the world. Analogously, they are considered as a set of raw facts from which conclusions can be drawn. British mathematician Clive Humby states that “Data is the new oil,” referring to the value that this asset possesses in the present. We live in the Data Age, and knowing how to deal with the power that this resource has to take actions based on facts is an important skill to be developed by every citizen.

However, raw data are like crude oil. To have value, oil needs to be refined, just as data need to be processed and analyzed to become useful and relevant information. Data Literacy plays a fundamental role in this process, enabling people to understand, interpret, and extract meaningful insights from data, allowing for more informed decision-making and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Data Literacy, also known as Data Fluency, refers to the ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data. Jordan Morrow (2021), considered a “guru” in Data Literacy, highlights that the ability to argue is directly related to communication with data, which is of great value when it comes to personal, interpersonal, and corporate processes.

Data Literacy Flow: Read, Work with, Analyze, and Communicate with Data

Data Literacy in Basic Education: Ethical Implications, Privacy, and Infodemic

The development of Data Fluency is a path that allows the school to insert itself meaningfully into its local, regional, and global reality, transforming the world into a constantly updated textbook full of relevant issues.

It is important to consider that an education that liberates promotes critical thinking and intellectual autonomy, empowering the learner to become a researcher and explorer of the world around them, essential skills in today’s society.

In curriculum activities in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences, Data Literacy provides, for example, the possibility of connecting the history of industrial revolutions to themes such as ethics and morality. This perspective allows important reflections on issues such as power, dominance, and politics in the digital age.

Furthermore, Mathematical Sciences, driven by Languages, Codes, and their Technologies, collaborate with the reading and analysis of information made available by the media, confronting them with open data from reliable sources. The search for these reliable sources is a crucial aspect explored by Data Literacy.

Some themes are prominent and important to be brought into the classroom, such as data privacy and the use of Apps and Social Networks, as well as debates on Artificial Intelligence and Fake News. These topics have a significant impact on our daily lives, and exploring them in school can empower students to develop a deeper, more critical, and conscious understanding of the dynamics and challenges present in these fields.

Apps: The discussion on the use of ordinary citizens’ personal data to gain market advantages is a recurring and important topic to be debated. In 2012, the New York Times magazine published a warning through the article called “How Companies Learn Your Secrets,” which mentioned how the American retailer Target used data analysis techniques from menstrual cycle apps to identify customers who were pregnant and target ads and offers related to baby products.
Cases like this are common because the careful reading of the terms and conditions of use of apps is not a culture among users, thus allowing their personal information to be collected and shared without full awareness of the potential risks and consequences involved.

Social Networks: A study conducted by researchers from Cambridge and Stanford, cited in an article by Revista Galileu (Galileu – O Globo, 2015), revealed that Facebook has a (surprising) ability to know a person based on their likes. According to the study, with every 10 likes, Facebook can understand the person better than a work colleague. With every 70 likes, Facebook surpasses even a friend or roommate in terms of knowledge. And with every 150 likes, Facebook proves to be more efficient than a relative in understanding the person in question.The documentary “The Great Hack,” released in 2019, exposed an investigation into the company Cambridge Analytica, revealing how it used Facebook data to influence the United States presidential elections in 2016 through targeted propaganda. This discovery raised questions about data protection and the manipulation of American citizens’ personal information for political advantages.

Artificial Intelligence: Joy Buolamwini, a postgraduate student at MIT, played a key role in the debate regarding flaws in artificial intelligence algorithms in the field of computer vision. During tests, Joy discovered that the algorithm, trained with biased data, did not correctly recognize the faces of black women. Faced with this discovery, she undertook a legal battle in American courts to highlight and prove the biases present in the data that fed these algorithms. The story can be checked in the documentary “Coded Bias” released in 2020.Joy Buolamwini’s struggle served as an important warning about the need to address and correct algorithmic biases to promote fairer and more equitable systems. The film also highlights the importance of Data Literacy and collective responsibility in the search for fairer and more ethical solutions in the use of these technologies. The case highlights the relevance of the human element in the Data Age.

Fake News: Another theme that converges with the reality of the society we live in is the Infodemic. This term was popularized by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 pandemic and is defined as “an excess of information, some accurate and some not, that makes it difficult to find reliable sources and trustworthy guidance when needed.” In this context, misinformation and false news (Fake News) emerge. To combat conspiracy theories and discourse wars, which use data manipulation and distortion of real information to create biased rhetorics, actions aimed at transparency, media education, and promotion of critical thinking are essential.

Data Literacy in Practice:
For the development of activities related to Data Literacy, it is essential to establish a meaningful and contextualized strategy through a methodology that is active, such as Project-Based Learning.
In this approach, the generating theme of the proposal can be a relevant local, regional, or global issue. It is extremely important that activities related to reading, working with, analyzing, and communicating with data are connected to the real world.

To become data literate, it is not necessary to have training in Data Science, but it is important to understand the four levels of data analysis: descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analysis (Morrow, 2021).

Descriptive analysis: serves to describe the data, including relevant characteristics, qualities, and events – what happens;
Diagnostic analysis: identifies the nature of an issue or problem, examines symptoms, and seeks insights – why it happens;
Predictive analysis: announces a behavior in advance – what may/will happen;
Prescriptive analysis: suggests an appropriate solution to the potential behavior that was pointed out – what to do.

Furthermore, it is necessary to cultivate an emancipatory educational attitude characterized by curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, recognizing that Data Literacy enhances the human element in the use of data. These attitudes are essential to identify biases and discriminations present in the technologies used in decision-making, as well as to promote analytical reflections on the information made available by the media. Such competence is relevant for the general public, students, educators, and public and private managers, assisting them in understanding and facing the challenges associated with the use of data and information in their respective areas of action.

On the path to creating a Data Culture, as a potentializing agent for discussions related to current themes, Data Literacy can follow different structures. To begin, for example, it is important to organize with the participants a data dictionary, creating a glossary that describes the variables and terms used.

Likewise, it is relevant to define the theme, identifying a problem or situation that one wishes to explore.

In this sense, it is suggested that the learner develops the following skills:

1. Reflect and ask good questions: Think critically about the data and formulate relevant questions.
2. Handle the data: Prepare the data for analysis. This may involve cleaning and transforming the data, such as dealing with missing values, removing duplicates, standardizing formats, normalizing scales, among other procedures.
3. Analyze and find insights: Use visualizations and analysis techniques to understand the data and obtain insights.
4. Communicate and argue with data: Communicate findings clearly and persuasively, using visualizations and reports.
5. Ethics and data legislation: Consider the ethical and legal issues related to data, including privacy and compliance with regulations.

Tools: Free tools, such as Google Sheets and Google Data Studio, can be used complementarily, offering powerful resources for classroom actions, and collaborate in the promotion of multidisciplinary, active, and meaningful activities.

Data Literacy, Generating Themes, and Applications
The Generating Themes (Freire, 1971) are important elements for Data Literacy activities to be carried out, which can be local, regional, or global issues. For this purpose, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a potent source of inspiration.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN BRAZIL, 2022) is characterized by “a global call to action to end poverty, protect the environment and the climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity.” Below are some examples of data analysis applications to promote reflection on the SDGs, dialoguing with the school curriculum through active methodologies.

Educational Robotics and Natural Sciences: By using sensors from electronic platforms such as Arduino and GoGo Board, students can collect relevant environmental data for the natural sciences, such as soil moisture, air humidity, air quality, and atmospheric pressure.

This data collection enables the investigation of natural phenomena, exploration of the interactions between environmental elements, and analysis of patterns and relationships. Furthermore, students can create practical solutions to environmental challenges (SDG 13), using automation and prototyping to develop customized devices and solution projects.

These activities promote interest in science, develop scientific skills, and provide a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Government Open Data and Languages: The concept of Open Data is not widely known by the general population, but it is an important topic to be addressed in the classroom and is a potent source for developing interpretation and argumentation skills.

Open Data is defined as “a methodology for publishing government data in reusable formats, aiming to increase transparency and promote greater political participation by citizens”. Institutions such as the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and the Ministry of Health are examples of bodies that make their data available openly.

For example, as mentioned above, an activity with the theme “Fires in the Pantanal” can be debated using data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and comparing it with news released by the media. In this way, it is possible to promote debates and relevant insights in the classroom to discuss combating fake news and raising awareness of the importance of preserving biomes (SDG 15).

These activities allow students to explore the importance of critical analysis of information, understanding of data, and evaluation of the reliability of sources.

Primary Research and Humanities and Social Sciences: By conducting primary research, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups in their own school, students have the opportunity to address relevant themes for the school community and promote meaningful reflections.
Themes such as school infrastructure, bullying, gender issues, and improvements in the teaching and learning process can be explored by the students themselves, resulting in valuable contributions to improve the quality of education (SDG 4).

These research projects enable students to actively engage in data collection, analyze the responses obtained, and draw conclusions based on their own experiences. By involving students in this process, the school promotes active participation of students, encouraging student protagonism, critical thinking, and the ability to express their opinions and concerns.

Conclusion
Data Literacy for Data Fluency is essential in 21st-century education and plays a fundamental role in emancipatory education. By empowering students to understand, interpret, and communicate data meaningfully, it prepares students to face the challenges and seize the opportunities offered by the Data Age.

Through Data Literacy, students develop skills in reading, analyzing, and communicating with data, becoming critical thinkers and informed decision-makers. These skills are essential in the present, where the ability to collect, analyze, and act based on data is crucial for success.

The integration of Data Literacy can occur in a multidisciplinary manner, through contextualized approaches, enabling students to apply these skills in different areas of knowledge. Moreover, the use of free tools such as Google Sheets and Google Data Studio enhances learning, making activities more engaging and practical.

Thus, Data Literacy, coupled with emancipatory education, empowers students to face the challenges of the current world, explore opportunities, and make data-based decisions.

References
BRAZIL. Ministry of Education. “National Common Curricular Base”. Brasília: MEC, 2018.

Davenport, Thomas H. “Information Ecology: Why technology is not enough for success in the information age”, 1998.

Freire, Paulo. “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, 1971

Galastri, Luciana. “Facebook knows you better than your mother – and only needs to analyze 150 of your ‘likes’ for that.” O Globo – Revista Galileu, Jan 14, 2015,revistagalileu.globo.com/Tecnologia/Internet/noticia/2015/01/o-facebook-te-conhece-melhor-do-que-sua-mae-e-so-precisa-analisar-150-de-seus-curtir-para-isso.html. Accessed on: Jul 9, 2023.

Morrow, Jordan. “Be data literate: The data literacy skills everyone needs to succeed”. Kogan Page Publishers, 2021.

UN BRAZIL. “The Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil”. United Nations Brazil. 2022. Available at: https://brasil.un.org/pt-br/sdgs. Accessed on: Jul 8, 2023.

About 11 years ago I founded the first Repair Café in a German high school near Dusseldorf where we started to fix devices, repair chairs, and made things work again which were broken, abandoned, or out of function. The kids volunteered to stay after school and learned to fix things.

Sometimes we just open devices to investigate what’s inside.

Once, a 12-year-old boy from my class came to the Repair Café with a big bag. The bag contained a complete automatic coffee machine including a water tank, coffee and filter holder, and even a printed manual. He told us that he pulled it out of the garbage because he thought it was wrong to discard a machine that was only two years old. His mother told him it’s out of order and she already ordered a new machine. He was a curious kid and wanted to know: what’s the problem with this thing? So, he brought it to our repair appointment. Fortunately, he saved all the accessories for the machine, so we could fill the water tank, install the filter holder, and do a check.

After connecting the machine to electricity and switching it on, a tiny red light on the front appeared, and the machine did … nothing. OK, what does this red light mean? For the boy’s mother the light was telling her: “I’m done, throw me away.” For us, a little gang of technically interested kids and two adults, the light said: “Hey, I have a problem, could you please care for me?” The kids around the table speculated: “What’s inside this machine?” How does it work exactly? Which parts do what? There’s still life in it, so the cable must be OK, otherwise, there would be no red light.” So, we instantly were sucked into a technical investigation. They searched for the screws that held the whole thing together and one of the boys got a screwdriver.

I would have let them open the machine and investigate what’s inside and what could be wrong. However, my Repair Cafe colleague who was not a teacher, but a very skilled technician, stopped them. He explained that he would try to first find out what this tiny red light was trying to tell us before investing a lot of effort into opening the machine. And yes, we even had the manual! So, four or five boys huddled over this tiny booklet and searched for the meaning of the red light beneath the three push buttons on the front. After a while they found the German chapter and later a description for the push buttons and the red light. The kids had to read carefully and exactly in order to decode the meaning of the text.

Eventually, they discovered that the light was saying that the machine needed to decalcify. What’s that? My experienced colleague helped with a perfect short explanation of the chemistry of water and what chalky deposits, caused by water evaporation, can do inside the different parts of the machine. We needed a liquid for decalcification. Now! Instantly! We only had one small grocery store nearby, so we sent three kids out with some coins for a bottle of vinegar. When they came back, we made a diluted vinegar solution and filled the water tank. After that, the kids followed the instructions in the manual for the decalcification routine. They all had a big surprise when they pushed two of the front buttons at the same time, as described in the manual, and the water pump inside came to life  and made a deep humming sound. The routine worked exactly as described. They had to repeat the routine several times, at first with the vinegar solution, then with fresh water. And after running this routine properly – surprise! – the red light was off! The machine worked as it had on its very first day.

Repairing things with kids is always fun, and always a gathering of young and old!

For some of the kids, that afternoon was an awakening. They didn’t miss even one of our Repair Café meetings throughout the years! Later we found out a lot more about these kinds of machines —how to open them, and how to change fuses, water hoses, the boiler, or the water pump. We learned that most of the cases are connected simply to decalcification and the disability (or inability) of adult people to read and understand a manual.

Soldering isn’t an ability just for itself, it’s a skill that kids can use to fix broken devices.

For the boy with the big bag, it was a great triumph that day when he arrived home and presented the working machine and what he learned to his parents. And they also learned something! Not only that their son is a smart boy but also that it’s worth it to think about our modern life and to reflect on what is waste and what things are of value.

For many of the students who have come to the Repair Cafe, it is more than just things that are healed. They heal themselves, as they learn that they are smart and have value in society.

There is a well-known German phrase that applies here, “Alle sagten: ‘Das geht nicht!’ Dann kam jemand, der wusste das nicht und hat es einfach gemacht.” It translates to English as “Everyone said, ‘That’s not possible!’ Then someone who didn’t know that came along and just did it.”

Students investigate a kitchen appliance. They know that electricity is dangerous, and they are careful with it If they are not sure what to do, they can ask. Otherwise we trust them to be responsible.

For our after-school-initiative, this story was one of the sparks and reasons why it succeeded. We were able to grow and open it up from the small school community to the wider public. At least one Repair Café per month was held over many years where hundreds of people got advice and help with their technical stuff. A lot of communication and new connections developed between students and the community. Many elderly people who still understood the value of repairing, were impressed when they met our smart and by then trained kids who knew how to deal with mechanical and electrical problems.

The Repair Cafe is open about a dozen times per year here.

Parents have been very engaged in our project over the years in a variety of roles— as learners, as supporters, as our advocates in the community. I believe the Repair Cafe experience helped parents understand or maybe even to remember what they already knew, that education can and must be more than sitting six hours a day, five days a week in a room only to learn theory and facts.

Over the years, the Repair Cafe has proven time and time again that learning is best done in a community. The fact that a few appliances are fixed is secondary to the valuable experiences of a community coming together and learning about each other. We see every year that lives are changed as young people see themselves as important, competent members of a community, and learn how smart and skilled their older counterparts are. The older generation sees that young people are capable, caring, and compassionate, perhaps dispelling myths about how “kids today” are lazy and glued to video games.

The Repair Cafe may seem like a simple idea, one that could not possibly solve such a complex problem as healing communities. But even complex, difficult problems can be solved. It may not be easy, but has to be done anyway, so as we say in our Makerspace “Einfach machen!”—just make it!

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

STEM Education finds consistent support in Maker-Based Learning through Design Thinking

“STEM Education is far more than a “convenient integration” of its four disciplines, rather it encompasses “real-world, problem-based learning” that links the disciplines “through cohesive and active teaching and learning approaches” ” (STEM Task Force Report, 2014)

STEM was initially proposed in the 90s in the United States, with the acronym SMET, as the integration of areas of knowledge aimed to promote an educational process with applications in the real world.

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the approach gained strength in the United States through the Innovate to Educate Program, proposed by the Barack Obama administration. The US president referred to this program as “America’s new Sputnik moment”, referring to the Soviet rocket launch in the 1950s, beating the Americans in the space race. The “Sputnik moment” led his country to invest in research and education, promoting a wave of innovation in the country, creating many jobs.

The multidisciplinary approach is also transdisciplinary, covering areas of knowledge that break with the four disciplines of the acronym, and open doors for rethinking the fragmented education model, in force for decades.

By promoting the development of skills related to critical thinking and problem-solving, STEM Education also makes students understand their place in society as protagonists of the world they live in. An important ally for STEM education is Maker-based Learning.

• Maker-based Learning: the power of learning by doing

Experiential education places the student at the center of their learning. Currently, schools and educational networks are investing in innovation spaces, with resources for rapid prototyping such as Laser Cutters, 3D Printers, Plotters, Milling Machines and equipment such as Dremel rotary tools, drills, screwdrivers and equipment generally used in workshops (hammers, handsaw, screwdriver). These spaces are named Makerspaces.

One of the inspirations for Makerspaces is the Digital Fabrication and rapid prototyping environment called FabLab, which originated in 2002 at MIT through the collaboration between the Grupo de Invenções de Base and the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) with the objective of bringing Digital Fabrication to common people (Blikstein & Krannich, 2013). These spaces enhance and streamline the production of artifacts, enabling projects that are closer to reality to be prototyped.

In this way, Maker-Based Learning teaches the learner how to deal with challenges and face an unexpected problem for which there is no pre-established explanation, acquiring skills necessary to participate in the construction of new skills (Gavassa, 2020). However, it is important to consider the integration of Maker Spaces into the school curriculum, accompanied by actions so that their use provides authentic and meaningful learning experiences (Fernandez et al., 2021).

• Purpose, Process and Scalability

The triad purpose, process and scalability are important elements for STEM Education to be implemented in a local context, that is, in a classroom or school, and in a broader context, such as public and private education networks.

I – Purpose – Case: Brazilian School Initiative “Math Maker”

Purpose (noum) – why you do something or why something exists (Cambrige Dictionary, 2023)

It seems obvious, but having a well-defined purpose is very important for the successful implementation of initiatives related to STEM Education in schools and teaching networks.
For example, it is important to define a generative theme, such as sustainability, environmental protection or renewable energy, which are important topics to be debated by students anywhere in the world, because how the next generation will deal with these issues will shape the future.

Botany STEM Project through chart reading

A case developed in a Brazilian high school is the Math Maker Project. The initiative was built with the purpose of introducing educational activities in basic education that encourage debates for the implementation of actions carried out by students that contribute to solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during STEM classes.

Math Maker Project – In order to explore Mathematics as a language in which students are empowered to put their ideas into practice through STEM projects, Mathematics Maker is an elective course created for high school students to be protagonists in their educational process, appropriating it if from Makerspace resources.

It’s a school subject based on Discovery Learning (DL) and the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology.

The DL considers that activities where students initially explore concepts, asking themselves questions and formulating their own theory of a phenomenon, before receiving formal instruction, provide learning that goes beyond a specific subject (Schneider and Blikstein 2015).

Learning occurs as a result of handling, structuring and transforming information, generating new knowledge. In learning mathematical concepts, from the development of projects, the student elaborates a conjecture, formulates hypotheses and makes discoveries using inductive or deductive processes, observations and extrapolation. The essential element in discovering new information is that the student must actively participate in formulating and obtaining knowledge (Prasad, 2011).

In addition, the methodology that guides the Math Maker subject is Project-Based Learning. The PBL proposes the construction of knowledge through a long and continuous work of research, with the objective of answering a question, a challenge or a problem. From then on, students begin a process of exploration, establishing hypotheses and looking for resources to develop the project. It involves the practical application of the information obtained until reaching a final product or a satisfactory solution to the initial question. Learning assessment is done during the process and after the presentation of the final product.

An important factor in the successful implementation of STEM education is the process. DL and PBL in Maker Math are conducted through the Design Thinking Process.

II – Process – The power of Design Thinking

Process (noum) – a series of actions that you take in order to do something (Cambrige Dictionary, 2023)

After defining the purpose of the educational activity, the organization of processes for the development of projects is a very important step for the implementation of actions related to the STEM discipline.

Educators and students are frustrated when the steps are not clear, so the implementation of processes for the development of the projects, such as Design Thinking, is very important.

Design Thinking (DT) is the set of ideas and insights to address problems related to future acquisition of information, knowledge analysis and proposed solutions. As an approach, the ability to combine empathy in the context of a problem is considered, in order to place people at the center of the development of a project; creativity to generate solutions and reason to analyze and adapt the solutions to the context.

Design Thinking Process – Understand x Explore x Materialize

Through the DT process students can learn how to approach problems from a human-centered perspective, which can help them develop the skills needed to become more effective problem-solvers and innovators.

The packaged and accessible nature of design thinking makes it scalable, and it’s an important subject to be discussed: How to make STEM Education become more than a particular experimental project?

III – Scalability – FabLearn organization in the city of Sobral / Ceará – Brazil

Scalabilty (noum) – the ability of a business or system to grow larger (Cambrige Dictionary, 2023)

Thinking about scalability for actions related to STEM Education is very important for this teaching approach to become increasingly democratic in the context of basic education, increasing its reach and efficiency.

Educational policies aimed at popularizing technological resources, digital literacy and scientific literacy, as well as investment in sick training and incentives that enable educators to specialize in building a multidisciplinary school environment, are important initiatives so that the approach is no longer implemented in particular situations and gain breadth in the educational context.

In fact, the implementation of an active and significant educational process, which breaks with the status quo, depends on the union between educators, managers, parents and students, who need to agree on the importance of education in the current millennium undergoing changes and dialogue with the current global context. A powerful path is the establishment of a new culture of integration and collaboration between Academia and Society.

In the Brazilian city of Sobral, Ceará, the democratization of technological resources, digital literacy and teacher training is a public policy. To structure these actions, in 2018 the municipality inaugurated the first FabLearn Laboratories, in partnership with the Transformative Learning Technologies Lab (TLTL – Columbia University). The objective of implementing the laboratories is to integrate principles of engineering, design, robotics and computing in the Science classes of students in its teaching network, introducing STEM Education actions in K12 schools.

FabLearn – Partnership between TLTL (Columbia University) and the Educational Department of Sobral

This partnership between the Education Department and Academia has generated important results such as studies and publications, notably the IDEIA Curriculum (Acronym in Portuguese for Invention, Discovery, Investigation and Learning). The team that wrote the proposal points out that the curriculum is based on three pillars: 1 – different levels so that schools with different realities, 2 – teacher training and 3 – student participation, that is, Laboratories and Curriculum, aligned, in promoting of a personalized education that meets the local demand but that promotes a global vision.

Scaling up initiatives for an education that values ​​investigation and experimentation is a challenge, but the current context in which society finds itself requires urgent changes in the training of the current generation of students who will lead the public and private sectors in the future.

Issues such as climate change, hunger, poverty and pandemics need to be discussed at school, but not just discussed, they need solutions, and it is important that the school train future problem solvers, prepared to promote innovative, sustainable and collaborative solutions.

An example of public policy on a national scale is underway in the United States and is called the STEM Education Strategic Plan, Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education. The initiative implemented in 2018 is defined as “a federal strategy for the next five years based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment”.

• Conclusion

The implementation of STEM Education in a broad and systematic way in schools and teaching networks depends on the implementation of a culture of purpose and process, which breaks with traditionalism in the classroom and takes ownership of progressive teaching methodologies.

Understanding, Exploring and Materializing are pillars of Design Thinking that collaborate with an active and meaningful education, supporting the development of a student-centered educational process.

Although discussions that reinforce the importance of student protagonism have been carried out since the beginning of the last century by John Dewey and have found complementary ideas in other educators/researchers such as Vygotsky, Piaget, Papert and Freire, the recent democratization of emerging technologies make these discussions increasingly most current and urgent.

References

Blikstein, P. & Krannich, D. (2013). The makers’ movement and FabLabs in education: experiences, technologies, and research. In: Proceedings of the 12th international conference on interaction design and children. ACM, 2013. p. 613-616.

Fernandez, C., Hochgreb-Haegele, T., & Blikstein, P. (2021). From “Playful Activities” to “Knowledge Building”: A Case Study about a Teacher’s Percpetions on the Role of Experiments. In de Vries, E., Hod, Y., & Ahn, J. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 15th International Conference of the Learning Sciences – ICLS 2021. (pp. 999-1000). Bochum, Germany: International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Gavassa, R. C. F. B. (2020). Educação maker: muito mais que papel e cola. Tecnologias, Sociedade e Conhecimento, 7(2), 33-48.

Prasad, K. S. (2011). Learning Mathematics by Discovery. Academic Voices: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 1, 31-33

Schneider, B., Blikstein, P. (2015) Using exploratory tangible user interfaces for supporting collaborative learning of probability. IEEE TLT. in press.

STEM Task Force Report. (2014). Innovate: a blueprint for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in California public education. 

This text was written with the collaboration of Nicolly Figueiredo, my 11th year math student, at Polo Educacional Sesc in Rio de Janeiro. Thanks Nicolly!

Motivation:

On March 9, 2019, a Saturday, I was in New York City attending the FabLearn Conference, and in one of the hallways of the Teachers College (TC) at Columbia University a very polite lady asked me about the auditorium where the event was taking place.

We went together to the auditorium, sat in the upper circle, and in that morning Professor Paulo Blikstein announced that the 2020 FabLearn Lifetime Achievement Award would go to her, computer scientist Cynthia Solomon. Yes, the same very polite lady I escorted to the venue.

Cynthia is a pioneer in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Educational Computing. In partnership with Seymour Papert and Wally Feurzeig, she co-created the Logo Programming Language for children, in addition to countless other innovative actions involving technology.

Cynthia Solomon, co-creator of Logo and pioneer of technology in education

But when I met her that Saturday in the hallway at the TC, I did not recognized her. I knew the Logo Language, and whenever I heard about the impacts of this Language, here in Brazil, the emphasis was given to the work of the mathematician Seymour Papert.

In fact, Papert has an undeniable and extremely important contribution in the field of education through technology, in the creation of constructionist theory and in the metaphor of a Mathland, which has mathematics education as its focus. His work, and these themes, were always present in the lectures I attended when it came to the creation of Logo Language and educational technologies. But I did not hear, with the fair enphasis, the importance of Cinthia’s work.

Actually, here in Brazil, many people also don’t know the work of women in technology areas like Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper and Dorothy Vaughan. This is something that must be fixed.

Returning to Brazil, I researched Solomon’s biography, and I was impressed by the work of this important computer scientist. I realized that maybe I did not know Cinthia’s work well because generally productions made by men have more visibility in society than the ones made by women.

I also understood that this happens because of an issue that is gaining more and more space for discussion in our society: the lack of female representation in different areas of knowledge, especially areas that involve computing.

At that time, I was studying for a Masters in Computing at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where there is a university extension (project for social impact) called “Minervas Digitais”. “Minervas Digitais” is an extension project linked to the UFRJ Computing Institute focused on diversity and female empowerment in the areas of exact sciences and which carries out, among different initiatives, actions aimed at k12 education. I realized that it would be an opportunity to bring the discussion about gender equity and female representation to the school where I work.

Thus, in November 2019, we carried out a first action at our school, focused on female empowerment in the area of computing. I suggested that we invite the “Minervas Digitais” project to visit our institution and talk to some of our students. The action was a success.

“Minervas Digitais” – First action in 2019

From that moment on, I started to integrate this extension, with the aim for more girls and women to enter STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering in Mathematics) areas, and with the intention of promoting the theme in different spaces of society.

The low female representation in these areas is an issue that has its origins in k12 education. It is during this school time that students generally make professional choices that will define the spaces they will occupy in the job market.

The article called “ABC of Gender Equality in Education”, from the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), presents the results of a survey carried out in 64 countries. The work highlighted that parents were more likely to expect their sons, rather than their daughters, to work in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

The study also showed that only 14% of women entering university for the first time chose science-related fields, including engineering, manufacturing and construction. In contrast, 39% of men entered university for the same fields. This is significant not only because women are severely underrepresented in STEM fields of study and occupations, but also because graduates in these fields are in high demand on the job market, with salaries among the highest paid.

“STEM Girls” Project

In 2022, with face-to-face classes being normalized after the start of vaccination against COVID-19, I resumed the discussion that it is important that, during k12 education, girls can experience curriculum activities focused on computing and new technologies.

In our school, students have 7 (seven) elective subjects (through academic paths) aimed at STEM areas, and we observed that the number of girls in them was significantly lower than the number of boys. After observing this, we started a project called “STEM Girls” at school, with the aim of encouraging the presence of more girls in careers related to new technologies.

“STEM Girls” Project Meetings – 2022

An important Survey – “STEM Girls” Project

A student from “STEM Girls”, Nicolly Figueiredo, wanted to survey exactly how many students were enrolled in these subjects. So she did exploratory research to identify the reasons that led girls at school who chose STEM electives to do so.

Two procedures were used.

The first was the survey of the number of students enrolled in each of these 7 (seven) subjects, organizing the data related to gender.

The second was the application of a questionnaire so that the girls who opted for these subjects could report their school relationship with technology, how they feel about participating in the subjects and their desire to pursue a career in the STEM area.

Thus, the first step was to identify the number of students who are enrolled in subjects focused on the STEM areas of the school.

The survey showed that among the 105 registered, 76 are boys and 29 are girls. However, it was observed that some students chose more than one subjects in these areas.

By filtering the information to identify general numbers, considering the intersections of students who enrolled in more than one subject, the following data was obtained:

– Total individual enrolled in STEM subjects: 64

– Number of girls enrolled in STEM subjects: 22

– Number of boys enrolled in STEM subjects: 42

Through this survey, a questionnaire on the Likert Scale was organized to be applied to the 22 girls who participate in these subjects.  The form had the following answers: 1- I totally agree; 2-I agree; 3-I do not know; 4-I disagree; 5- I totally disagree.

The applied form had 10 statements directly related to the participation of girls in the subjects according to the table below:

Respondents’ statements

The figure presents the results obtained through the questionnaire with the statements presented in the table below.

When analyzing the data from S1, we observe that the respondents feel very safe when getting their hands dirty in the classroom. In relation to S2, we see that when stating about the number of girls in the class there is a division of the answers between agreement and disagreement, 50% each. The result shows the imbalance in the number of girls in the class.

Regarding experiences with educational technologies (S3), it is worth mentioning that the term Educational Technology was not made explicit, which implies the interpretation through the respondent’s own background. Still, there is a large percentage (14.3%) who say they do not know, which can be understood as a lack of knowledge of the term.

S4 shows that there is a percentage of more than 50% that disagrees or totally disagrees with the statement about adaptation, which suggests good adaptation in the environment.

According to the data obtained in S5, it can be inferred that most of the respondents had no contact with robotics or programming in elementary school , given that our institutios is only a high school.

In view of the answers obtained in S6, it is found that half of the respondents agree with the statement, although only 14.6% fully agree. Regarding disagreement, 14.6% said “I disagree”. It is worth mentioning that there is a percentage of 21.4% that answered “I do not know”, which exceeds the number of responses to “I disagree”.

S7 (I believe that my lack of interest in technology in elementary school is somewhat related to gender issues) highlights that half of the respondents say they agree or totally agree with the sentence presented, the majority being “I Totally Agree”. It is notable that 28.6% of the respondents said they did not know their opinion on the sentence, which highlights the possible need for discussions that promote the theme.

Analyzing the answers obtained in S8, we observe that there is a large percentage that claims to disagree with the statement and, therefore, at some point, related their choices to gender.

In S9 there is a strong agreement, more than 50% of the respondents claim to be motivated to take part in the IF because of curiosity. From this data, it is possible to deduce that the area is a new environment for the respondents, and they are curious to learn something that is not yet known.

In statement S10, which highlights the willingness to get involved with a career directly associated with technology, it is observed that agreement stands out, with 35.7% of the answers being “I totally Agree” and 14.3% “Agree”, a fact that may present an inclination of the respondents to the career due to the contact with the area. Still, it is possible to notice that the percentage “I do not know” exceeds the disagreement as a whole.

 Conclusion:

The first data obtained through this research was in line with what studies on gender equality in society show: the number of girls is smaller in relation to boys enrolled in STEM subjects in the initiatives available at school. Currently, female students represent approximately 34% of the total enrolled, pointing to the importance of the “STEM Girls” project for the institution.

Another important result was obtained through the questionnaire answered by the girls participating in these subjects. Their answers help to understand the motivations that led them to participate, the challenges they faced and how they see future possibilities, helping the project to propose actions to increase the number of girls participating in activities aimed at STEM areas.

Promoting initiatives in k12 education that provide students with an environment for reflection on the society in which they live is an important step so that in the future there can be more policies aimed at inclusion and equity, so that social justice can be developed.

In the future, these students will occupy roles in the job market and will be responsible for managing actions in the spaces they will occupy. Thus, awareness today is vitally important for the changes that are expected tomorrow.

I hope that the story I told at the beginning of this text is not something naturalized in our society, and that women who develop projects like Cynthia Solomon can always be highlighted when their discoveries and collaborations are presented.

In January 2022, Edutab Africa had a great opportunity to facilitate a robotics session during the 12th edition of Think Young Coding Summer School in Nairobi, Kenya. This presented a chance for collaboration between two Fablearn fellows, Michael Mumbo, the co-founder of EduTab Africa, and Brenda Nyakoa from the International Rescue Committee. Our avid love for Maker education brought us together to share best practices in student-centered learning to create an engaging, interactive, and fun workshop for the boot camp participants.

Kids creating and Coding Robots at the coding camp

The participants were largely children from Kenyan primary and a handful of secondary schools from around Nairobi. The age of the participants was between 6-16yrs. The boot camp was structured to run through 2 weekends and had sessions on Web and Game Development, Robotics, and Drones technology. Over the first weekend, we had two, three-hour introductory sessions which covered basic concepts of robotics, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

Since most of the learners were participating in a Robotics session for the first time, we initiated conversations with them to understand what they thought “Robotics” was all about. We used guided simple probing questions like,

“What comes to mind when you hear the word robot?”, “What can robots do?”, “Why do we need robots?”,” what does it take to make a robot”, have you ever seen a robot?

We observed that the participants started sharing their opinions and discussing them amongst themselves.  We also watched a short video clip showing how Rwanda, a country in East Africa, was using robots during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce human contact between health care workers and patients by temperature measurements and checking the proper wearing of masks and reporting to doctors about the condition of Covid-19 patients. 

We then started the robots building process where Brenda gave an overview of the different components of the programmable Lego Spike Prime kit. These components include Motors, sensors, and bricks. Through the facilitator’s guidance, the learners were able to assemble these components and built a simple driving robot. The kit uses block-based programming called the Lego Spike Prime app and so the participants were able to learn assembling easily. By the end of the session, they could program the robots to perform simple motions including moving front and back, making turns at different angles, making sounds, and using different sensors like colors and motion sensors to control the motion.

Introducing Coding to Children

Reflecting on Seymour Papert’s own words  in The Children’s Machine book is credited for stating that:

 “Construction that takes place ‘in the head’ often happens especially felicitously when it is supported by the construction of a more public sort in the world”

On the second weekend, most of the participants were familiar with the different components of the Lego kits. Instead of going through the guided process of building the robot and programming it, we gave them the freedom to explore different designs and build their robots to their liking. We gave them a simple assignment: to design a moving object that has wheels. While working in groups of about 6 students, they created and presented different creations. It was amazing to see the deep collaboration and creativity of the teams as they strategically divided themselves into smaller task forces within their groups as designers, engineers, and programmers to effectively complete the task.

In our last session with the learners, we had a moment of reflection to collect feedback to improve future workshops for different learners. Here is what some of them had to say about their robotics experience. 

“One of my favorite moments was when I was able to build up a robot from scratch because that’s what engineers do”

“During the robotics session, I learned how to be open-minded and appreciate other people’s decisions”

Some learners were able to showcase their robots in the closing ceremony where parents, caregivers, and other guests were invited. It was impressive how different teams were creative from different angles. For instance, one team used only color sensors to control their assembled robot to navigate the room.  Another team used color sensors, motion sensors, and touch sensors to achieve similar navigation. It was encouraging to see organizations willing to support learners in their journey to creativity. 

Maureen Mbaka, the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, who attended the showcase event said,

“We are determined to facilitate universal access to ICT infrastructure and services for the Youth through our programs.”

This collaboration opened our eyes to the possibilities that we can achieve in improving learning outcomes for students through global partnerships to share best practices and resources.