Apple’s Tim Cook: Internet must have security, humanity
Source: DiscoG Coding Academy
A father and daughter team are hoping to be part of the coding revolution by opening a teaching academy.
Gerard Papet, from Stanmore, and his daughter, Katrina, launched DiscoG Coding Academy in Belmont Circle earlier this year.
They have seen the school’s membership grow to more than one hundred students in just a couple of months and believe there is a genuine interest in the community to learn more about coding.
“The world is changing and we don’t know what will be there in terms of jobs in ten to 15 years’ time,” Gerard explained.
“There is a lot of [artificial intelligence] being used now and that is also the future. We know that kids can all use an iPhone or an iPad but, we think, instead of consuming that technology, why not learn how to produce it?
“And coding also teaches you how to think logically and how to solve problems in everyday situations.
“Learning to code won’t turn you into the next Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates. But it will help you use your creativity and motivation to turn your ideas into something real.”
Gerard’s background lies in technology; he was a software engineer and worked in a trade platform for Thompson Reuters.
Katrina originally trained as an architect before joining her dad on their business venture. He believes that “her visual side” and his “technical side” marry up perfectly.
The academy recently celebrated an open day, which was attended by a number of councillors and MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman who said that “getting kids into coding has the capability to change the world”.
Gerard explained that, due to his background in computing, Mr Blackman was able to understand and appreciate what they are trying to do.
He added that parents and children got the opportunity to learn what they are about and explore the school’s facilities.
“We aren’t like a tradition tuition centre with students lined up in front of a teacher,” he said.
“We have an open plan system with lots of space, which we think gives them the best chance to learn.
“There’s also things like a ping pong table so they can relax while they think or take some time out when they need it.”
The academy offers a number of courses to people of all ages. Visit www.discogcodingacademy.com for more information.
| }
|