Grok Academy’s extensive range of programming and web design resources have been made available for free to schools. The content links with the NZ Digital Technologies curriculum and is accessible to all teachers and students.
Access to Grok Academy’s online resources has got a whole lot easier. In fact, there’s now nothing stopping you.
From the start of the year, the not-for-profit company has made its online platform and classroom resources available free of charge to all teachers and students in New Zealand thanks to a partnership with WiseTech Global. One of ANZ’s most successful technology companies, it has pledged one per cent of its annual pre-tax profit to enable tech education initiatives that develop technology skills and passion for creatively solving real-world problems in school-age children.
Barrier removed
Complementing the NZ Digital Technologies curriculum for students in Years 4–13, these resources help simplify planning and support delivery of digital technologies classes and are designed for educators of any experience.
“Grok Academy’s mission is to educate all learners in transformative computing skills, empowering them to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future,” said James Curran, CEO of Grok Academy.
“By exposing more students, particularly females, ethnic minorities and those from disadvantaged groups, to the wonders of computer science and technology in school, Grok hopes to increase the diversity of students studying and continuing on to tech careers.
“Thanks to WiseTech Global’s support, more schools will be able to access our coding and web design resources as the cost barrier has been removed. Ensuring every teacher and homeschooling parent has access to top-tier computing education resources empowers our next generation to succeed in an increasingly digital world.”
Inspire and enable
Since 2013, New Zealand schools have been subscribing to Grok Academy’s coding and web design resources. More than 300 schools already use the materials, and this number is expected to increase now that access is free.
“Early engagement and positive experience in the creative world of digital technology is critical to attract more young people to technology careers,” said Richard White, CEO and Founder of WiseTech Global. “What students experience in primary school and in the early high school years strongly influences what they elect to study later in high school and university. It’s also time to dispel social biases about
what’s appropriate for girls to study, so that they don’t self-select out of technology subjects and consequently out of high-value, well paid tech careers. Through our partnership with Grok Academy in New Zealand and Australia, we aim to inspire and enable more young people from diverse backgrounds to enter the tech industry.”
Unplugged activities
Grok’s platform includes hundreds of courses in coding and web design, ‘unplugged’ activities for classrooms and homes, and a full suite of teaching resources including a student portal to track progress.
“Digital Technologies are an increasingly vital component across the levels of the New Zealand curriculum,” says Malcolm Clarke, President of Digital Technologies Teachers Aotearoa and Digital Technologies specialist teacher at Ko-whai Intermediate School in Auckland.
“The importance of integrating and embedding these skills early is paramount, as they are not only essential life skills but are increasingly opening doors to diverse career pathways.
“Amidst the growing demand for educators, Grok Academy stands out by providing a comprehensive and structured platform that offers equitable access for both learners and teachers. Grok Academy’s resources support teachers, especially those new to teaching Digital Technologies.
“The resource also equips educators with well-structured and easily deliverable programs, ensuring equity in the educational landscape by catering to diverse learning needs and empowering students to experience options that otherwise might be out of reach,” says Malcolm.
For more information go to grok.nz/free.
Grok Academy (or simply Grok) is an online learning platform that provides teaching resources and courses that complement the New Zealand Digital Technologies curriculum.
INTERFACE March 2024
