Three Questions for Linda Liukas, Author/Illustrator of Hello Ruby

Our children live in a world of rapid technological change. While there is skepticism about the value of integrating coding into schools, it is undeniable that technological innovations are revolutionizing our daily lives and professions, from the way that students learn to the way governments prepare for natural disasters.

Helping our next generation to understand how computers work and develop basic programming skills will give them a boost as they navigate an increasingly tech-dependent global economy. Already, countries such as Finland, South Korea, and Singapore have introduced coding and computational thinking in their K-12 classrooms.

In these early days of K-12 coding education, educators and parents may feel intimidated by the thought of teaching things which we ourselves do not fully understand. We may wonder: do we have to do this? Is there an easy way to teach this?

As we collectively try to answer these questions, Hello Ruby shows how storytelling and hands-on activities can facilitate coding education. Hello Ruby is a picture/activity book that introduces young children (early years/lower elementary) into the world of computer, making things, and computational thinking.

Last week, Ottiya interviewed Linda Liukas, the author/illustrator of Hello Ruby and asked Linda questions about her book, how she discovered her passion, and what her education philosophy is. In the video footage below, we release three questions from the interview.

1. What would you say to kids who want to write a book?
2. What do you hope kids take away from your book, Hello Ruby?
3. What would you like to say to Ottiya educators and parents?

Don’t forget to subscribe to Ottiya to read the full interview in our print/digital magazine coming out in spring 2017!