Coding Lab Educator Feature: Interview with Lead Educator, Ms Mona Tan

Today, we have our Lead Educator, Ms Mona Tan, with us to share why coding is the new literacy and why it is critical for parents to start their children on it. Mona is an experienced educator who caters the class according to the needs of her students. 

Q. Tell us about yourself! 

I graduated from NUS Science with a major in Statistics and a minor in Computer Science. But really, I spent way more time in the School of Computing as opposed to the Faculty of Science.

Q. What are your hobbies?

I play computer games. A lot of computer games. In fact that's mostly why I like computers.

Mona the tinkerer working her magic on the school's laptop

Q. How did you get started, teaching kids coding?

I first started teaching robotics and math, during my pre-university days. I later got an internship to teach coding at an education startup, and from then on I fell in love with teaching coding to kids.

Q. What keeps you going? Why do you enjoy teaching kids?

Teaching, in my opinion is one of the most important jobs around. Why? Because we nurture the next generation. We inspire children not just academically, but also on a personal level. Nothing beats the satisfaction of knowing that students look up to me as a role model. 

"We nurture the next generation. We inspire children not just academically, but also on a personal level." 

Q. Why do you think kids should learn coding?

We live in a complicated world. Being able to understand how computers works helps kids to understand complexity and learn how to manage it. Coding does not just apply to computers, the logic that goes on behind it can be applied to many situations in life.

Q. If a child is talented and passionate in programming, how will this help him in his everyday life, school, or future career?

Programming is an essential skill in today's society. Everything we do is largely driven by technology. From the social media apps we use, to work efficiency tools, every aspect of our life is intertwined with technology. Knowing exactly how technology works and how to create technology provides an edge in a competitive society.

"Knowing exactly how technology works and how to create technology provides an edge in a competitive society."

Q. Tell us about how a typical coding class would look like.

There's no one-size-fits-all "typical" coding class, it all depends on the students and their learning needs. Given a small class size, each class differs depending on the students that are in it. It is important that every student feels comfortable in class so that they can get the most out of each lesson. 

Students putting on their thinking caps

Q. If I walked into your classroom during a lesson, what would I see and hear?

A whole lot of learning, interaction, laughter and fun. 

Q. In your opinion, what is the most important takeaway for kids from Coding class?

The most important takeaway is learning how to manage complexity.

Q. Describe a bit more about what you teach. If I had 2 kids, one 8 and one 14, what would they learn and how would it be age-appropriate?

For the 8 year old, I would recommend Scratch if the kid has never done programming before. Scratch is a user-friendly interface that teaches kids how to think like a computer without the messy syntax that goes on behind the scenes.

For the 14 year old, I would recommend Python as it's a powerful real world computer language and it will enable the kid to go deeper into computing concepts to understand more complex algorithms.

Bright smiles after completing the class with Ms Mona

Mona is our lead educator who delights in translating her passion and talent for coding into the bright young minds of children.