— Amanda Calitz #MIEFellow #techwomen20_21 (@AmandaCalitz) August 26, 2020
What I found interesting was the fact that even though Talitha, Sonia and I are on three different continents we shared some of the same experiences. Talitha shared her experiences from Indonesia and she also mentioned that data is expensive there- just like in South Africa. Sonia shared about her experiences in teaching people how to create games.
This post forms part of the #Road2e2 countdown: 58 Days ’till #e2
As a South African citizen I want to see every South African succeed in life. I know that we have all the potential needed to be the best. As a technology educator I believe that it is my responsibility to encourage and assist everyone that I meet to be the best in the current and future world of work especially girls who are chronically underrepresented in the STEM fields to know that they have all the potential and what it takes to succeed to be the best in the STEM field. I have an interest in game based learning and gamification. My goal is to create a space where everyone (focus on women and girls) can collaborate and create games that will benefit Africa. Many of the games that exist today are Eurocentric or Westernized. I want to create games with African characters and story lines.
I have been involved in community projects from a young age. I was lucky enough to have parents that felt the spirit of Ubuntu (I am because we are) I went to Ghana and London in 1997 as part of an exchange programme hosted by Peace Child International(A UN NGO). As a 17 year old I co-founded a computer school on 1998 with my dad called Answer 2001 in Mafikeng. It aimed to teach digital literacy to High School Students. In 1999 my brother, sister and I won the 3rd place in the South African round of the Thinkquest web design competition (thinkquest.com) In 2006 I won the prize for the best NGO in the Potchefstroom (North West Province, South Africa) region. I headed up the Potchefstroom branch of the Thembalitsha foundation at this time. As a teacher I have been involved inAstronomy Quizzes and the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. Mentoring students and teachers on their journey to become scientists. In 2015 I was the Organizer of the IASC (international asteroid search campaign) a campaign where students get the opportunity to look for asteroids (partners University of Texas, NASA, SAASTA, Johannesburg Observatory) in a few local schools as well as neighboring schools. I was part of the pilot project for Africa Code Week in 2015. (Africacodeweek.org) Teaching learners how to code using the Scratch computer program. I was the regional science fair director for the Johannesburg region in 2016 and 2017 organizing the science fair with over 1200 participants. In 2016 I coached the South African silver medal winners of the World Robotics Olympiad. (Primary Open Category) and in 2018 I coached the South African Gold and silver medalists (Primary Open Category) as well as the Bronze medalists (Junior High Open Category)
I am happily married to an amazing husband. We have two awesome dogs. We enjoy being out in the country. I am a very creative person always on the lookout to learn a new skill.
Life is a journey and it is what you make of it.
I hope that you will linger next to the road with me every once in a while-hopefully with a cup of coffee in hand.
Amanda
I would love to play Mystery Skype with your class. You can contact me in the comments or on Twitter @AmandaCalitz or @Createandexpand.
