119. Tech Curriculum Teachers Can Understand with Adam Dalton

We forget that in order for teachers to teach materials, they need to know how to use them. Most teachers today don’t have any experience with robotics or computer science, so how can we expect them to teach these skills to our students?

 

There’s a lot of talk about ensuring that curriculum is inclusive, but we forget about the teachers. Sure there are computer science teachers out there who can teach those higher-level classes where true expertise is necessary. But the curriculum is not inclusive for younger students because it’s not presented in a way that teachers can teach it. The teacher is the barrier, and unintentionally so.

 

This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Adam Dalton, who co-founded Imagine Robotify, when he was just 23 years old. Robotify is a STEM-based curriculum designed to ignite excitement in tomorrow’s leaders in a way that’s accessible to teachers and schools of all sizes and budgets.

 

In the episode, we talk about the importance of preparing our children for the future and why robotics and automation will create jobs, rather than replace humans.

 

I’m so excited about the possibilities after talking to Adam. What an inspiration!

 

About Adam Dalton:

Adam Dalton is the CEO and co-founder of Imagine Robotify, a browser-based digital solution designed to teach coding using the world's best computer science simulator. With an idea that started in high school alongside his co-founder Evan Darcy, Adam used his background in and passion for inspiring others to create Imagine Robotify. Using Imagine Robotify, students have 24/7 access to the latest and greatest robots without having to ever purchase real hardware in a way that makes coding and robotics more affordable and more accessible for all students across the world.

 

Adam holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Studies from Dublin City University. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow Imagine Learning on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Jump in the Conversation: [1:36] - Imagine Robotify’s story [2:33] - Why coding  [4:33] - Mission to make coding and robotics accessible in an engaging way [5:30] - Virtual robots at a fraction of the cost can impact thousands of students  [6:46] - More accessibility to variety of learners [12:16] - Building an immersive experience that performs on the devices that educators actual use [13:10] - Educators are preparing youth for a future that we don’t know about yet don’t know what will happen yet [13:28] - What might be in the future [15:48] - Teachers aren’t getting taught computer science [17:15] - If you’re an educator who’s never done it before, you can still teach it [18:29] - Another evolution of human race [20:05] - Critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity  [22:07] - Steps to take to make sure youth are prepared for tomorrow’s workforce [24:24] - Turbo Time [26:55] - What people need to know about the future of the workplace [30:07] - The best thing about coding [31:55] - Adam’s Magic Wand [35:18] - Maureen’s takeaways

 

Links & Resources Imagine Robotify Connect with Adam on LinkedIn Follow Imagine Learning on Facebook Follow Imagine Learning on Instagram Email Maureen Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep