Category: Coding and Computational Thinking

Careers in STEM – Connecting Learners with STEM Professionals

Beyond Coding: Inspiring Future STEM Careers

Following the success of our recent Digital Xtra-funded coding clubs, we wanted to build on learners’ enthusiasm for technology by helping our young learners explore the wide range of careers available within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

To support this, we organised an online session where learners across West Lothian were invited to hear directly from Doug Kinloch (Software Security at Applied) and Rab Campbell (Growth Director at Social Value), two industry professionals working in STEM-related fields. Our speakers shared their career journeys, discussed what their jobs involve, and answered questions from curious young learners.

 

There Is No Single Route into STEM

One of the strongest messages throughout the session was that there is no single pathway into a STEM career.

Both speakers highlighted that where you start is not necessarily where you end up. They encouraged learners not to worry if they don’t yet know exactly what they want to do in the future. In fact, many professionals change direction several times throughout their careers, developing new skills and interests along the way.

 

STEM and Creativity Go Hand in Hand

Another interesting discussion centred around the common misconception that pursuing a STEM career means leaving creativity behind.

Our speakers challenged this myth, explaining that some of the most creative people they work with are employed in STEM-related industries. Examples included game designers, graphic designers and audio engineers.

 

What Makes STEM Careers Rewarding?

 

Potential Matters More Than Knowledge

Perhaps the most reassuring message of the session was that employers are often more interested in a person’s potential than what they already know.

Our speakers explained that many organisations recruit individuals who demonstrate curiosity, enthusiasm, resilience and a willingness to learn. Technical knowledge can be taught, but qualities such as determination, problem-solving and a positive attitude are highly valued by employers.

This helped reinforce the importance of learners continuing to develop their skills, ask questions and embrace new challenges.

 

Looking Forward

The session was a fantastic opportunity for learners to gain first-hand insight into STEM careers and hear from professionals who have taken different routes into industry.

We would like to thank our guest speakers for giving up their time to inspire the next generation and for sharing such honest and encouraging advice. We hope the session has helped learners to see that STEM careers are diverse, creative, collaborative and accessible to anyone willing to learn and explore their interests.

 

Celebrating Creativity & Coding at Howden St Andrew’s!

Pupils at Howden St Andrew’s recently explored the LEGO SPIKE Essential kits, using sensors, motors and block coding to design and create a range of carnival-themed games.

P4–6 pupils were excited to get started and quickly began exploring how the kits worked. Over the course of six weeks, they used the LEGO kits to design creations that could solve a problem, then used block coding to bring them to life.

They showed creativity and curiosity as they developed their ideas further, adapting and improving their projects to make them more interesting, unique and, in some cases, more complex.

As they became more confident, pupils started to experiment more with their code.

Instead of just following instructions, they have been taking ownership of their projects by:

  • adding their own triggers and movements
  • experimenting with sound effects
  • trying out more complex “if/then” style programming

🎡 Designing Their Own Carnival Games

This block’s big challenge has been building carnival‑themed games, and learners have risen to it with enthusiasm. Using what they’ve learned about:

  • motor rotations
  • sensors
  • speed control
  • angles
  • cause & effect in coding

…they’ve turned their LEGO kits into exciting, playable creations.

🏀 A Highlight: The LEGO Basketball Game

One standout project came from a pupil who designed a basketball‑throwing game entirely from scratch.

  • He coded the LEGO motor to throw the ball toward a hoop.
  • He used a sensor to detect when a goal was scored.
  • He added sound effects to celebrate successful shots.
  • He built his own reset mechanism so the motor rotated back into position.

He deepened his understanding of angles, discovering what a 90‑degree turn truly looks like in practice – how far the motor rotates, whether that angle generates enough force to throw the ball, and how to adjust it when it didn’t. This was maths‑in‑action at its best: experimenting, testing, refining, and making connections.

🔍 More Brilliant Thinking from the Groups

Other groups showed fantastic STEM thinking too:

  • One team explored motor rotations, discussing how far their mechanism needed to turn to make their game work smoothly.
  • Another group experimented with speed settings, predicting and testing how increasing speed affects the distance a ball would travel.

These moments captured the essence of the club: pupils thinking critically, applying real‑world STEM concepts, and discovering answers through hands‑on testing.

🌟 A Celebration of Skills, Curiosity & Teamwork

Across the block, learners have shown:

  • Resilience by trying again when things didn’t work
  • Collaboration by helping each other debug and improve
  • Leadership by taking ownership of their designs
  • Creativity by turning technical components into imaginative games

Well done to all! You’ve been superstars.

Exploring what the future might look like with SpheroBOLT

Primary 3 at Howden St. Andrew’s PS are the latest class to borrow the SpheroBOLT robots from the Digital Learning Team. Used as part of their Project Based Learning time, they explored the question, ‘What will the future look like?‘ and considered how technology might shape their future world.

From these discussions came lots of questions about robots and how they work. Learners developed early coding skills by giving the SpheroBOLT simple instructions and watching what happened next. They enjoyed trying out different commands, spotting mistakes and fixing them when things didn’t go to plan. By working together and having fun experimenting, pupils learned that coding is all about problem‑solving, teamwork and trying again.

Robotics and STEM Education at Kirkhill Primary School

P5 pupils at Kirkhill Primary school have been working with First Step Robotics, to explore and develop their skills in STEM education, through the use of Lego Spike Robotics kits.

Pupils have been using problem solving and coding skills to build, test, code and trouble-shoot a range of robotic systems to solve real-world problems.

One example of this was building and coding a taxi to travel to different locations to collect passengers. This particular project involved including mathematical calculations to work out the distance the taxi had to travel.

“I like that we get to build creations and use our art skills.”

“I like robotics because I like programming. Programming is important in case you work in robotics in the future. Programming tells the robot what to do. It’s useful for later on in life for jobs.”

 

Pupils from Kirkhill PS and other local schools are showcasing some of their work at the First Step Robotics family open day on Saturday 21st June. Pupils and families across West Lothian are invited to come along, see some of the amazing projects and even have a go at some hands-on robotic challenges.