{"id":287,"date":"2015-05-13T20:59:27","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T03:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.prenda.co\/?p=287"},"modified":"2019-06-10T15:28:18","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T22:28:18","slug":"are-you-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fierocode.com\/blog\/are-you-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Are you “game?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I started a Code Club in August of 2013, I was a little nervous about my technical skills. Even though I have done a lot of informal programming as a physics student, management consultant, and a hobbyist, I had never built commercial software. I had never created a game or an iphone app. I had not really built a legitimate website. In no way could I be classified as a professional computer programmer. Could I really help a room full of kids learn the basics of computer programming?<\/p>\n

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As with everything, a little bit of experience proved that my preconceived notions were wrong. I quickly found out that running a code club had very little to do with my functional knowledge of javascript functions or python syntax. And that’s a good thing, because there are not enough programmers with enough volunteer hours to help kids get started with coding.<\/p>\n

So if it’s not about technical prowess, what is the key attribute to a successful Code Club facilitator?<\/p>\n

I stumbled on the answer\u00a0over nearly two years of facilitating Code Club myself, working directly with another 5-6, training lots more, and recently comparing notes with people all over the country that have launched coding programs. It was a little surprising, and I had no good way to describe it.<\/p>\n

Until today, that is.<\/p>\n

I was talking to Terry Lawler, who runs Children’s, Teens and the awesome makerspace at Burton Barr library in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Terry is an amazing librarian<\/a>, with plenty of the usual attributes – a love for learning, a strong technical competency, and an enthusiasm for libraries. But there is another attribute that sets her apart in her efforts to take technology programs to the next level: “game.” During our conversation today, Terry referred to several of the volunteers helping with coding as “being game.” And I realized that this is not just a nice-to-have, but an essential outlook for successful Code Club facilitators.<\/p>\n

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Game. As an adjective, describing a person that is willing to try, willing to take a risk, ready to jump out of the comfort zone and tackle a new challenge, even if there is no logical reason to think they can succeed.<\/p>\n

Someone who is game will not worry about their limitations, the obstacles or the constraints.\u00a0Being “game” is critical for all aspects of life, but particularly useful when approaching something new and potentially daunting, like technology. I can think of several reasons why being “game” is the most important thing for a Code Club facilitator:<\/p>\n