Coding Lab Educator Feature: Interview with Educator Lynn Kiew
Lynn Kiew is one of our dedicated educators with a passion for teaching and a love for numbers and solving challenging problems.
At Coding Lab, she seeks to excite students in programming and empower students to excel through technology. Read on to find out more about this amazing educator!
Lynn with her students in a Home-Based Learning class!
1. Tell us about yourself!
I graduated with Distinction from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with a Bachelor in Mathematical Sciences. I really enjoy learning and teaching Mathematics and always thought that I would be a Math teacher in the future... I never imagined myself teaching coding to children! Given the fact that I had some difficulty in computer classes when I was in secondary school, and had to seek help from the partner beside me (haha!) But look at me now - a coding teacher! I guess when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade?
2. Wow, it's interesting to learn that you had difficulty in computer classes - how then did you start teaching kids coding?
I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher because I love being in the company of students and to know that I have positively impacted their lives! Back when I was in NTU as a Math undergraduate, Computing was one of the compulsory modules that I had to take. To my surprise, I came to love the subject and discovered that I have a flair for it.
I guess it's thanks to my early exposure during my secondary school computer classes - it really did me well! In hindsight, I believe that it's due to the early struggles that I went through during those classes that have really helped me and eased my learning for university. I also like how Computing requires some form of logical thinking and practice, which can be challenging, and I'm always up to solve challenging problems!
Lynn conducting an online class via Zoom.
3. What motivates you to teach?
The moment when students get the eureka moment 'Aha!'. It's really satisfying to see students understand what I have taught. The smiles on their faces make me forget all those moments when I was pulling my hair out because they forgot a simple concept. Also, their cheeky antics definitely bring joy to my life - 82.75% of the time.
4. Describe how a typical class would look like - what would we be able to see and hear?
Ask any of our teachers, and they will all be raising their hands and FEET in agreement - 'TEACHER HELP! MY CODE HAS AN ERROR!' You have no idea how many times we hear this in one lesson. But with that, we train and teach our students the concept of TRYING! We don't simply just run to them to provide them with the solution but we let them explore and attempt to solve the error by themselves first, before providing hints and guidance.
Lynn assisting her students in class.
5. In your opinion, how would kids benefit from learning how to code at a young age?
Coding helps to train children's problem-solving skills (which is useful for their Mathematics in school) in a fun and exciting manner! There is no one way of solving questions, thus it exposes them to think out of the box and find different ways to solve a problem. With the rise of the digital age, we can see how AI is becoming more and more popular these days - hence, coding will really give a head start for young learners.
6. How do you keep track of your students’ learning progress?
Educators at Coding Lab keep track of our students' progress with our online system - students use it to submit their work between classes for us to grade, and from there it informs us of their level of understanding of the topics taught. We are also always in close contact with our students' parents - we have a WhatsApp group for every class to send parents a brief summary of the topics covered, the homework required and address any other concerns after every lesson. Parents are always kept in the loop and updated about their child's progress!
For me, I always provide a target for my students in every class - of course, every student's target is different. Once they have met it, I will definitely give praise when it's due. However, for students who are falling behind, I will nudge them and provide feedback to their parents if needed.
7. What has your experience with Coding Lab and teaching coding been like?
It has definitely been an enriching journey, with a lot of learning, testing and experimenting with new things! I am also glad to know that the Coding Lab team has my back - they have made work more enjoyable and memorable! Coding Lab truly has a nurturing environment where we are constantly giving and receiving encouragement. If you have been a part of Coding Lab's team, you would definitely have remembered using this word constantly - "GREAT!", it's just a common word that our team always uses that has become sort of a catchphrase for us.
8. What are some words of advice that you would give for children/teens who have just started learning how to code?
Lucky you, you have made the right choice to start coding! The process is definitely not going to be easy - there will be lots of ups and downs, but NEVER GIVE UP! The joy when you finally see your program running without any errors is going to be AMAZING!
Just like how I initially faced some difficulties with computer lessons, I later realised that it was my calling - hence I believe that students should be exposed at an early age as it would definitely be beneficial and ease their learning in the future!
9. What are your interests/hobbies outside the classroom?
I watch a lot of Korean dramas - ask me any, and I would probably have struck them off my list. Other than that, I started to pick up crocheting during the circuit breaker period! I must say it's a really good pastime and it's really satisfying to see the final products that I have created. I made a few pouches and cute keychains (which I can 'bribe' the students in the future...)
(Written by Zulaikha)