Geek chic and code for Wairarapa pupils

CODED KIDS: Workshop tutor Tanya Gray (left) and secondary school student Samantha Beckett, 13, of Masterton, coming to grips with website development. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Aspiring computer programmers were plunged elbow deep in code at a pilot workshop for college students in Masterton yesterday.

Lead tutor Tanya Gray, a web developer and Gather Workshop presenter, said about 30 secondary school students had spent the day at Waiata House learning the intricacies of code - specifically the web programming languages of HTML and CSS.

HyperText Markup Language, commonly referred to as HTML, is the standard markup language used to create web pages, and Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS, is a style sheet language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in a markup language.

Ms Gray said several volunteer mentors from Wairarapa organisations and schools helped students at the Masterton seminar, which was the first of its kind in Wairarapa run as part of a Grow Wellington initiative.

The workshops targeted secondary school students, she said, as some were enrolled at schools yet to teach programming.

She also advocated for the establishment of coding as standard classroom fare and sought to inspire students at the workshops to choose a career in information technology.

"The reason we're doing the series of workshops is because a lot of secondary schools still don't teach coding, and we'd like to see more students and parents pushing that. It's really important for the career futures of some of the kids.

"Coding is the ability to use technology to create rather than just consume. We're all about enabling students to be the ones creating the programmes in software and machines we use, and not just using them," she said.

"A lot in the morning is basic HTML and CSS, a lot of kind of copy and paste, you know, put this in and see what happens. And in the afternoon we throw them in the deep end and get them to design their own website," she said.

She said headings, text, images and videos were outlined during the afternoon sessions "but the topic of the site is completely over to the student".

"The focus today is on web development, which is HTML, CSS and Javascript as well. It's all about website coding and getting their hands dirty with code and seeing what it is, makes it more familiar when you go on to things like Python programming or mobile phone development. So we hope those who really enjoy it will go on to things like that."

Grow Wellington spokeswoman Emma Murray said nine workshops were run in the wider region this week as a pilot for future free workshops for students.

"The aim is to help build interest in coding and start young in technology advancement to help reduce a recognised regional skill shortage in that sector."

Ms Murray said students in Masterton had come from throughout Wairarapa and the pilot sought to teach coding in a setting distinct from school. About 200 students were expected to participate.