ISSUE 3
yallsop
ISSUE 2
ISSUE 1
E-Learning in a Biology Classroom
by Mila Bulić and Daniela Novoselić
A modern man of the 21st century should, in addition to traditional language skills, possess a wealth of knowledge, environmental, health, economic, social and computer skills in order to lead a high-quality lifestyle. As our students are a part of a digital society with access to a wide range of information provided using information and communication technology (ICT), it is important to include ICT in the educational process as well. In order to make this possible, schools should not only have the necessary infrastructure and adequate space, but also computer literate teachers who are able to create diverse teaching scenarios and use ICT in the classroom. In Croatia there are few individual examples of good practice in using e-learning in teaching science, therefore teachers should be made aware of the possibility of using modern technology in class, as well as being additionally educated through professional training.
Moodle and Biology
The e-learning project using the Moodle system (a free web application for on-line learning) began with the development of the digital materials necessary for teaching the Body composition, reproduction and development unit for the 8th grade of elementary school biology classes. Various additional practice materials as well as quizzes designed to test the students’ acquired knowledge were developed to be used after finishing each of the four lessons: Structure and function of sexual organs, Conception and development before birth, Life periods of human life and Responsible sexual behavior. Through Moodle the teacher monitored each of the students’ logins, his or her work on the given lesson, forum and discussions activity and quiz results.
Twenty-four students participated in the e-learning project. They were all eighth-graders attending the Pujanka Elementary School in Split, Croatia. The project was conducted at the beginning of the spring semester, in the school year 2012 – 2013. The 24 selected students made up the experimental group which learnt using the digital materials on Moodle on computers in the school’s IT lab. At the same time, the biology teacher taught the same unit to another group of 24 eighth-graders attending the same school (A control group), using the traditional teaching approaches and various knowledge sources, as well as various teaching methods.
The digital teaching materials on Moodle were arranged in a way to ensure a simple and user friendly interface for the students (Figure 1).
Figure 1. User interface on the Moodle index
Before the e-learning project began, the students had been introduced to the Moodle interface and an e-mail address had been given to them by the biology teacher in case any of the students needed additional help resolving problems or ambiguities. Students also had the opportunity to ask questions on the News Forum available to all users. It was interesting to notice that the students preferred to ask for help individually via e-mail rather than using the forum, which confirms their unwillingness to publicly share their own thoughts, questions and problems.
To ensure that the student’s were independent and given thorough e-learning, the materials were divided into smaller units listed in the Lesson menu, located on the left side of the user interface. The students accessed these units by simply selecting the desired topic. Also, various audiovisual and visual sources, pictures, illustrations, graphs, 3D models, videos and animations were added to the textual materials (Figure 2).
Figure 2. A Moodle page containing educational materials and a video
Various practice materials were available at the end of each lesson. At the end of the unit the students took a quiz that included different types of tasks (Figure 3) such as matching short answers, true/false questions, matching pairs, multiple choice, embedded answers, short answers and calculation tasks.
As the objective of this project was to determine the efficiency of e-learning compared to traditional teaching, at the end of the Body composition, reproduction and development unit the acquired knowledge was tested both in the control group, taught in a traditional classroom, as well as in the experimental group, taught through e-learning. The results of the test were compared and all students were surveyed about the learning methods they used.
The survey shows that students are satisfied and have positive feelings toward e-learning, as the mean value of 80% of the answers given to statements are above 4,5 showing complete student satisfaction with using e-learning in a biology class. The students pointed out that the textual and visual descriptions were highly helpful during the learning process, but they were also aware of the additional effort needed for successful e-learning. Namely the experimental group’s quiz results were not significantly better than the control groups’ results. However, students’ satisfaction with the learning process itself should certainly be a source of motivation for teachers.
Figure 3. The Moodle quiz page designed to test acquired knowledge
These already designed and implemented e-learning projects should be a motivation for teachers to continue creating digital teaching materials and various digital activities which will ensure that students develop skills allowing them to recognize and solve real life problems concerning health and sustainability.
AUTHORS
Mila Bulić (1970.) is a biology and chemistry teacher. She is working at Primary school and at the Faculty of Philosophy in Split (Croatia), where she works with future teachers and teach them methods of work in the classroom. She is the author of numerous published scientific papers and school biology and chemistry texbooks for Primary school and Gymnasium. Her interest areas are sustainable development, health and e-learning.
Daniela Novoselić (1964.) is a biology and chemistry teacher with over 15 years of experience working in schools. She has taught in middle schools, high schools and universities, including the department of biology at the Faculty of science in Osijek (Croatia), and is the author of numerous published scientific papers. She currently works as the author and editor of school biology and chemistry texbooks for a Croatian publishing house, Alfa dd., in Zagreb. Through her work she aims to better the teaching strategies used in Croatian schools.
Using Technology in Primary Science
by Maggie Morrissey
http://www.technologytoteach.co.uk/
Throughout my teaching career I have enjoyed using technology in education, especially in science lessons. As an ICT coordinator I introduced teachers, teaching assistants and children to a variety of digital resources such as: data loggers, digital microscopes and simulations to help support the teaching of science.
As an independent primary consultant I now provide training for primary teachers on how to develop their teaching of science. During each course I ask teachers to outline the positives or negatives of teaching this subject. There are often many positive comments about science especially on how it engages young children. The negatives prove very interesting. Other than worries about subject knowledge and finding resources, teachers often say how much they and the children dislike the recording or writing up of their work. Here are two typical comments:
‘The poor way in which experiments and results are recorded, kills enthusiasm’
‘Marking books and having to give written feedback takes too long but it’s our OFSTED target’
I believe this over reliance on writing hinders not just the enjoyment of the subject but also the development of other science skills such as argumentation. Furthermore, what about dyslexic children who struggle with writing?Will the writing process truly reflect what these children know? Finally, remember our younger scientists, whose recording skills will be hampered by their age.
Talk in Science
Talk for writing is becoming increasingly popular in schools so what about talk for science? Teachers are often encouraged to illicit children’s ideas at the start of a science topic to find out what misconceptions or understanding they have, but what happens to this talk? As Robin Alexander points out:
‘Talk is temporary and unless particularly interesting, it soon fades with participants often forgetting what has been said.’
In a busy classroom with lots of ideas and thoughts being produced, how can the teacher and even the children reflect on the discussion? During this process, do we as teachers really know what each child understands? In addition, what impact is our questioning having on the children’s ideas? As part of my MA I am researching how technology can help. Here are some initial ideas.
Video Recording
This can be used both at the start of a topic and as the topic develops. Placing the video camera so that it can pick up the whole class; the starter question and initial ideas can be recorded. This recording could be used for the teacher to truly reflect on what the children truly know and identify any misconceptions they may have. It can also be returned to during the work so that the children can reflect on how their ideas and knowledge have changed. This is also a valuable opportunity for a teacher to reflect on their own questioning skills.
Recording devices
There are now a variety of mp3 audio recorders available to be used in classrooms. These are excellent for recording discussions in small groups. They are fairly simple to use and some can record up to four hours of sound. The recordings can be played back and stored on your computer. The main problem is the files can build up quickly so a good system for naming and filing these is essential. Children can go on and edit their work using free software such as audacity and post their discussions into other digital applications.
Podcasting
Podcasts are digital media files mainly audio but can include video. I currently use Audioboo but an alternative is Soundcloud. Subscription to both is free. They give the children the chance for their science work to reach a wider audience. They can post directly to the site or upload their work from their recordings after editing. Needless to say they would still have to write and plan for this. Having a real audience for their work would make that writing process far more interesting and relevant.
Whether you decide to go for some of these options or incorporate all of them I do not think you will be disappointed. Not only will your children become more enthusiastic about their science work but you as a teacher will have a greater understanding of what your children know, making your assessment more reliable. This is going to be extremely relevant when the new curriculum commences in 2014.
Links and references
Audacity – http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Audioboo – http://audioboo.fm/
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/
Lgfl: http://podcast.lgfl.org.uk/
Robin Alexander – Towards Dialogic teaching
Minecraft An Unlikely Tool to Develop Life-Long Learners
by Elliott Plumb
Introduction
As a newly qualified teacher, it is usually a case of survival to reach the end of the year. Jump four months into the year and I, the NQT, am at the tail end of an extremely exciting and successful computing project. The project was to be a blend of my Computing Co-ordinator’s knowledge of gaming and my knowledge of local history. ‘Forty Hall’, a local landmark, was ripe for the picking when deciding on a building to develop on the Minecraft program. Having just opened as an educational centre, the Hall welcomed us with open arms.
At the beginning I was unsure of the benefits but this project has come to reveal the extensive range of learning opportunities that Minecraft has to offer to children in schools today.
The Children’s Prior Knowledge
The children’s passion for the Minecraft project was nothing short of overwhelming. If the children did not play it at home already, they had heard their classmates talking or reading about it. Interestingly, there was a huge amount of prior knowledge amongst my class when it came to Minecraft. This is where any teacher afraid to take on such a task could develop a pupil-led project that would allow the teacher to learn-as-they-go.
Even so, what became clear was that although there was some strong prior knowledge, some children had no experience using the game. The initial lesson, where I allowed the children to explore the Minecraft program gave me the opportunity to assess those who were confident and those who needed scaffolding. I then grouped the children according to experience and knowledge of the program. Each group had a confident learning leader who could lead and keep their group focused. This helped to keep the learning as pupil-led as possible.
The Learning Journey
Part 1: The History curriculum in England demands that children study a local landmark. We visited Forty Hall to engage closely with the history and the structure of the house. I divided the children into four differentiated groups. These groups gathered resources that would enable them to build on Minecraft later on. The children were able to sketch, use measuring instruments and take photographs to build up a bank of evidence and tools that they could use when it came building on Minecraft. By collecting their own resources, children could take ownership of their learning. Higher ability children were required to calculate ratios and make links with their mathematics skills. This is one of many ways in which the project was cross-curricular.
Part 2: After visiting the hall, the children had a strong knowledge of Forty Hall and had access to a host of tools and resources that they had collected themselves. In the second phase of the project, children were able to collaborate in their groups to decide which resources they would keep to help assist them when it came to build all the particular details. The learning leaders then had to organise which task each child would take during the project. The groups then mind-mapped a plan and this saw each child take ownership of a section of the build. The children were then ready to begin!
Part 3: This section of the learning saw the most progress with the majority of the successes of the project becoming clear at this point. Closing all the gaps in the children’s learning and addressing misconceptions was aided significantly by using a three-part lesson structure.
The lesson Structure
The lessons were taught in three parts. A refocus at the beginning of each lesson encouraged the children to collaborate and verbalise their task for that lesson. Children would then spend up to an hour building and collaborating with their group, making sure they utilised the chat function to talk to and guide each other. Learning leaders would assess situations that would arise and problem solve accordingly. As the teacher, I could assess all children in the game from a computer and offer encouragement and advice if they desperately needed it. Fundamentally, as it was a pupil-led project, I would be looking for great collaboration and effective problem solving from the learning leaders and the class members. Having a ‘revisit, review and improve’ session after each computing lesson gave the children some time to discuss the successes in that lesson but it also gave them the opportunity to draw up where they were going next in their project. This was written up on a poster and kept to be put on display in the next lesson. Children were constantly reminded that they had to refer to this to move forward with the project.
Learning and Progress
After just two months engagement with the project, the children have had the opportunity to develop, practice and apply significant learning and skills that stretch beyond Computing. In the beginning, the learning leaders were the trouble-shooters, the strong self-reflectors and would guide the project to the next stages. After approximately six to eight lessons, I was beginning to see more children take on the responsibility of problem solving for other members of the class. In addition, encouraging children to use the chat function on Minecraft would be a target in the initial lessons. As the project matured, the children naturally collaborated through the chat and would offer each other advice, problem solve issues and revise their construction work together to make sure they were achieving an accurate replica of Forty Hall.
As a result of Minecraft, the children have had the chance to practice and develop their ability to become supportive and helpful collaborators, successful problem solvers. At the same time, they have been given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. The Mincecraft project has given the children a chance to develop skills which, with continual practice, will allow them to become life-long learners. Fundamentally, the children can apply these skills in not only Computing but within all subjects across the curriculum.
Eliot Plumb is a Year 5 teacher at Wilbury School in Edmonton. He graduated in Education from the University of Cambridge in 2013 and enjoys inspiring children through teaching Computing, Dance and History.
Games Based Learning – Making it Happen by Paul Ladley
How can teachers ensure that their investment in games based learning (GBL) delivers desired learning outcomes? This article looks at five aspects of GBL that ought to be considered when introducing GBL into the classroom. These five aspects are: design, delivery (usage), technology & support, outcomes and cost.
Design considerations (GBL needs to be fit for purpose):
Is the game fit for purpose offering a relevant context and activities?
Is the game pitched right in terms of complexity and age level?
Does the game support multiple learning styles?
Delivery considerations (GBL needs to work in typical educational setting):
Is the game focused on learning supporting collaboration, conversations and teacher-led interventions and scaffolding?
Does the game provide a challenge that generates learning flow?
Can the game fit into a standard lesson, but also be used for events / term topics?
Technology and support considerations (GBL need to utilise typical kit and offer support):
Will the game work on classroom computers?
Is support provided in the game and via communities / guides / resources?
Outcome considerations (GBL need to reach the parts traditional teaching doesn’t):
Will the game engage the pupils, including reluctant learners?
Will the game solve problems that traditional learning finds difficult?
Is the game linked to the curriculum and does it support assessment?
Will the game improve generic and employability skills?
Cost considerations:
Is there enough money in the budget, not forgetting hidden costs such as consoles and multiple licences?
Does the game offer value for money?
Any particular games based learning product or lesson does not need to answer all of the above questions and it is important to realise that the aspects are not mutually exclusive; for instance, a well-designed game is more likely to deliver better outcomes. Therefore, scoring reasonably well across the board is more important than excelling in one area.
A Games Based Learning Analysis and Planning Tool (which expands on and makes use of the five aspects outlined above) can be found at http://www.games-ed.co.uk/resources-contact.html. The tool has been developed by pixelfountain / games-ED who’s experience has been built up over a decade of designing and delivering serious games / games based learning in both the adult and education sectors. The tool also takes, some inspiration has come from:
- Becta report (2010) on games based learning;
- The RETAIN Model – Gunter; Kenny and Vick (2007);
- And finally a debt is owed to Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver, who have written on situated learning and multimedia, and have inspired games and simulation designs.
The Games Based Learning Analysis and Planning Tool has been developed by games-ED to help educators select and utilise games based learning. It can be used to:
- Create buy-in for games based learning;
- Help when choosing a particular supplier / product;
- Plan the use of games learning;
- And, if we can be so bold, to help developers design games based learning.
Conclusion
Like all aspects of education, GBL needs careful planning. This tool will hopefully bring some rigour to that planning and so ensure the GBL can deliver on its promises.
The Princess is in Another Castle … Teaching?
by Vivian Lu,
Student at Concordia International School Shanghai
As a child, I have been nagged time and time again from both parents and teachers alike claiming that games were a waste of time, money, and effort. My mother would often bat a controller from my hands and say I was “going to get addicted, go clean your room instead, why didn’t you do the dishes, you never do anything for me,” etc. Gaming horror stories were common and silly; some parents would gossip that gaming could turn a child into a hobo-parasite, forced into living in their basement. Personally, gaming was a loved pastime for my brother and me, and fortunately, a new trend of acceptance has arisen, which has ushered in the era of gaming as a medium for education. The concept of “Educational games” has gotten more and more popular, as parents and gamers have now finally found a way to resolve the long-lasting conflict between the gaming community and the “responsible ones”.
I was initially against the idea of using games in education. How could “education” be “played”? Growing up in an Asian family, I have constantly been under the stress of “doing well in school”. Playing games was my only escape from the day-long stresses of existence and the obsolete nature of our species. Now games are going to be contaminated with forced attempts at education? Laaaame! The words “Fun” and “Learning” seemed incompatible and did not fit in the same sentence.
Recently, however, I have come to the conclusion that gaming can be used for education, and very effectively so. However, it must firstly be a good, enjoyable game. Some educational games have been quite successful because they are a joy to play and experience. However, placing a game into a classroom setting can instantly change its connotation. It is therefore important that games are introduced and presented in a classroom in a careful and sensitive manner.
What makes a truly successful game?
While some of the multiplayer/competitive games could be enjoyable to play, in my opinion as a gamer, a truly “successful” game should have a polished plot, a relatable or likeable protagonist, and an effective method to engage further playing. Some of my favorites are The Legend of Zelda and Portal. The Legend of Zelda has a remarkable plot and an admirable protagonist named “Link”.
Link has been canonically depicted as a young child, a teenager, and an adult in different games, so he is relatable to players of most ages. The plot is generally the same, with variations in each game. Link goes on a quest, encountering thousands of enemies and bosses, exploring several temples, and discovering new places and people, to defeat Ganondorf, gaining glory and upgrades along the way. The gameplay and plot is so enjoyable, and many players are fond of the series from their childhood days, which provides ample motivation for finishing the game.
Portal is essentially a problem solving game, blurring the line between education and logic training. Here, the player’s character is Chel, who is a research subject for the abandoned Aperture Science labs He has been trapped there by the robot GLaDOS, who still runs it. GLaDOS forces Chel to undergo a series of potentially fatal tests using technologies developed by Aperture, which uses increasingly difficult puzzles that must be solved before the player can move on to the next level. Ever-increasing levels further the journeying experience, as explained by James Paul Gee, “Good games operate at the outer and growing edge of a player’s competence, remaining challenging, but do-able, while schools often operate at the lowest common denominator. Since games are often challenging, but do-able, they are often also pleasantly frustrating, which is a very motivating state for human beings” (Gee 2). The satisfaction of completing a difficult level, in addition to the incredibly amusing interactions between GLaDOS and the player, keeps the player playing and looking for a way to defeat GLaDOS and escape the laboratories.
In summary, good games utilize a relatable protagonist, who can feasibly “win” or achieve a goal, an engaging plot, and a motivation for continued play. They also motivate the player by setting the games at the “challenging but do-able” level. This gamification strategy should work well in classrooms. Through games, players can learn a variety of new skills, such as critical thinking, strategic thinking, and creativity. Almost every successful staple of game playing helps to craft a better player in some way, be it critical thinking, reflexes, rhythm, health, etc. In fact, Portal has been used in the classroom to teach spatial reasoning. The level creator mode is a good way for students to enrich their understanding by creating puzzles themselves, rather than merely solving them.
What makes a good educational game?
“Games and interactive software can help pupils acquire complicated skills and rigorous knowledge in an engaging and enjoyable way … Britain has an incredibly strong games industry, with vast potential to engage with education both in this country and all over the world. We’re already seeing these technologies being used in imaginative ways” (Ladley).
If normal games can already teach students important life skills, they should be able to teach kids academic things as well. Contrary to earlier opinions held by teachers and parents that gaming is addictive, a waste of time and money, and an unnecessary distraction for their children, a new perspective has taken hold: that gaming can be used effectively for “formal” education. There have been many attempts to reconcile education and “good gaming experience”, some of which were disastrous, others incredibly enjoyable.
One of my favorite games to play as a child was Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego. This game involved a player working as a rising star agent with various partners to capture a great thief throughout time. It had an incredibly engaging plot with puzzles and characters that made the game “fun”, with the added benefit of all this occurring during the Mongol reign of China or the invention of the first printing press by Johann Gutenberg. After every two levels, the ‘Captain’ would promote the player with a higher rank, and the player could then tackle more challenges to capture all of Carmen Sandiego’s goons. I played this several times, and this game taught brief glimpses of world history that have remained relevant all the way up to high school AP World History. As one can see, this game retained an interesting plot, protagonist, and a motivation factor typical of most likable games, at the same time being educational.
There are many successful educational games, but some games, while educational, do not engage children at all. For example, Brain Age, while it received a lot of attention, was rather ineffective because it required an already existing motivation for improving the brain, and not many kids who bought it (or rather whose parents bought it) enjoyed playing it. Brain Age did not have a protagonist, an effective motivator, or a plot to make the game interesting, making it not very fun to play. Rather, it relied on the player’s own consciousness of health and forced education. What a successful game has, aside from being educational, is that it is engaging and fun by itself, both plot-wise and gameplay-wise, subtly adding information into the story so that it is both relevant and interesting. “If Games Based Learning (GBL) is to succeed, it needs to be more than a bit of fun that motivates students. It should be underpinned with learning theory” (Ladley).
Forced education in any way is irritating and bothersome, and this applies to games as well. Games are often made first, and then later repurposed for education, such as the famous Minecraft PC game. Building on what is already a successful game or franchise has helped many corporations stay afloat, and teachers have made excellent use of such games in their lessons. Education cannot detract from the game itself, and some teachers follow these guidelines in the games they incorporate, such as using Minecraft in teaching construction and geometry (Levin). Essentially, games must first be concerned with being fun, before being educational.
How should games be used for educational purposes?
Discovering how educational games should be used in education is one of the first steps toward modernized, interactive education. First, there are key “game metrics” to enforce, such as making sure there is an attractive beginning and maintains the motivation for continued use of the game as a resource.
“Motivation is the most important factor that drives learning. When motivation dies, learning dies and playing stops.” (Gee 3). Simply supplying a game is not going to keep students motivated for very long. We need to move “toward a more nuanced understanding of exactly what in game play is motivating in order to best understand how to engender such engagement in the classroom” (Sandford 52). Based on my own experience, motivation is affected greatly by enforcement, connections based on interest, and relevance.
The enforcement and introduction of the game will help students solidify their first impressions of the activity. Sufficient time should be allowed for both teacher and students to become familiar with the game. The introduction should be clear and explain to how the game is related to what is being learned. For example, it would be more effective to students of my age group (age 15) to explore a game with the teacher during class time, rather than it being assigned as homework. If I was not introduced to the game during class, I would be less receptive to it as homework assignment.
Another way to maintain interest is to connect students’ lives with the content of one’s classes through games, by relating the topic to something already familiar to them. Personally, if what I’m learning does not interest me, then I will pay less attention to it. Connections from outside the gaming universe and the classroom help to reinforce what is being learned and, especially in the more eager youth, make them more enthusiastic and open to learning. For example, the difference between depictions of mythology in popular media, such as Marvel Superheroes, and the actual stories in myths can be an interest factor.
Popular culture and common interests have always been a good conversation starter, and in the way interests connect people, it can also connect learning and fun. If the content of the game directly relates or is closely related to knowledge learned in class, it will be help students by reinforcing their knowledge and interest in class as well. The game should be related to the content of the unit, not just the content of an activity in the unit. This not only ensures that students will pay attention, but it also helps them understand the course better if they are given multiple, yet differing, instances for learning a particular event or subject. Encouraging reflection and review at the end of class will solidify what was learned from the game. Most of all, it is important to practice understanding when challenges arise, be they technological or carbon-based. If the class does not turn out well, it is important to figure out why it was unsuccessful, as well as test out the technological side of things before incorporating it into class. Practice makes perfect.
To have a high quality educational game, it must be a high quality game by itself, and the learning must be a part of the fun, instead of noticeable and forced, with a meaningful and motivational plot and characters. To use educational games in the classroom, one must give a positive first impression and motivation for students to continue using the game as a resource. This process of integrating interactive entertainment in education is undoubtedly confusing and complex. In the simplest terms, it is impossible to predict the wants of the human mind, and “success” is an entirely subjective measurement for a subject that utilizes so much guesswork. Regardless, it is my hope that learning can be made into a more creative rather than standardized activity, a more enjoyable pastime rather than a chore, and more interactive rather than passive operation. I believe the application of educational games is the first step to fulfilling that role, and it is certainly possible given the right amount of care.
Works Cited:
Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. New York, NY [u.a.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.
Ladley, Paul. “Games Based Learning Theory and Practice.” ICT in Practice 1 Oct. 2013: n. pag. Print. http://ictinpractice.com/2013/games-based-learning-theory-and-practice-by-paul-ladley/
Sandford, Richard, Mary Ulicsak, Keri Facer, and Tim Rudd. “Teaching with Games Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Computer Games in Formal Education.” Diss. N.d. Future Lab (n.d.): 1-62. Teaching With Games. EA, Future Labs. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.
Levin, Joel. “How my Minecraft Classes Work.” Minecraft Teacher. Minecraft Edu, 24 Mar 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. <http://minecraftteacher.tumblr.com/post/4057926292/how-my-minecraft-classes-work>.
HOW TO ADAPT YOUR WHOLE SCHOOL ICT CURRICULUM
by Taryn Hauritz
The new computing programme of study states that “A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world”. Wow! This is pretty exciting stuff. But, if you’re anything like me and don’t have a background in computer science, where on earth do you begin?
Earlier this year I started to write a new computing curriculum for a family of prep schools in London. Having taught ICT there for ten years, I thought that this would be a fairly straight forward process and I was excited about the possibilities. But, after several weeks of researching and studying, I found myself going round in circles. It was almost like there was too much information, but somehow not exactly what I was looking for.
After attending the BETT show in January, I realised that I wasn’t on my own. There was support out there and I just needed to be proactive about it. So, after several years of resistance I finally decided to join twitter. I started to build a network of experts and teachers from primary education in the UK and beyond and I was blown away with how many amazing resources and ideas were being shared there.
I finally I felt as though I had my finger on the pulse and was slightly embarrassed that it had taken me that long to join. If you’re new to twitter and are grappling with the new computing curriculum, I can highly recommend following these people as a starting point:
@mberry @CompAtSch @deputymitchell @digitalmaverick @computingchamps @DrChips_ @dughall @englandraider @esafetyadviser @ianaddison @lordlangley73 @MissPhilbin @naace @terryfreedman @yallsop @timbuckteeth @bobharrisonset @TimRylands @ZoeRoss19 @mwclarkson @suesentance @CodeBoom @andrewtuson @ICTEvangelist @dan_bowen @eyebeams @pegleggen @DrTomCrick @syded06 @ukedchat @tonyparkin @tarynhauritz
Alternatively, you could follow my “Computing” list @tarynhauritz where I have them all saved. There are plenty of guides for new twitter users online, but the best thing to do is to jump in and start playing. You’ll soon figure it out. Just don’t give up too soon.
After some extensive networking on twitter, I then attended a number of conferences and Computing At School events. I have learnt an awful lot about the computing curriculum over the last couple of months and I have to say it’s all pretty exciting. There’s no need to throw out your ICT plans though, because so many of them will still be suitable. They will just need some “tweaking”.
So that you can adapt your current ICT curriculum for September I have created the following algorithm (see what I’ve done there?) to get you started:
STEP 1: Read “Computing in the national curriculum: A guide for primary teachers” This guide is priceless. It explains everything you need to know to get started.
STEP 2: Download the “Computing Progression Pathways”. Familiarise yourself with each of the six strands. It’s important to note that primary children are expected to reach the end of the blue strand.
http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/1692
Alternatively, you could download the Progression Pathways divided into three strands: Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy:
http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/1946
STEP 3: Get out your current ICT curriculum and use the strands above to identify any areas of weakness in your current scheme of work. I actually found it easiest to download the child-friendly version (see step 7) and stick the descriptors on my yearly overview.
STEP 4: Join Computing At School and use the website to find resources (including CPD) to help you plan any new units of work to “fill in the gaps”. If you need more time to do this properly, plan to teach these units next summer.
STEP 5: Adapt the units of work you’d like to keep for the new curriculum by updating your medium term plans with the new Programme of Study and the progression pathways indicators in step 2. Usually it’s just about adapting the vocabulary and finding the relevant new PoS statements.
STEP 6: Add Computer Science Unplugged activities to as many of your units of work as possible. They really help encourage computational thinking across the curriculum and are great for kinaesthetic learners.
STEP 7: Download the child-friendly computing progression pathway statements from the CAS website and use them for pupils’ self and peer assessment. I would also use them for an interactive display so that you and your pupils can reference them regularly.
http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/1744
STEP 8: Design some computing badges for your children to earn for each of the six strands. An even better idea would be to get your children to design them in class.
http://www.makebadg.es/badge.html
My final advice to you is to “Reach Out”. Keep networking and discussing ideas with as many colleagues as possible – a problem shared is a problem halved and together, we really can change the world!
Taryn Hauritz and colleagues working on the new computing curriculum
Kids, let’s get coding with Code Kingdoms!
Meet Lacey, Ruffles and Paws, our puzzle-savvy heroes battling through magic JavaScript planets in the Code Kingdoms.
They’re out to save friends from hordes of evil Glitches that have invaded, luring them into spike-invested volcanoes, navigating perilous traps and coding their way to victory.
But the fun doesn’t stop there – Kids use the coding skills learnt in the game to build their very own planets to challenge mates. Code unleashes creativity in a whole new way, allowing the Code Kingdoms universe to take on a whole life of its own. If your kids aren’t already playing you’re missing out!
I met with co-founders Hugh and Ross who explained more.
“Before we met, Ross and I were teaching programming in our separate ways: Ross was in schools with Intel while I was helping my 8 year old brother learn coding. He was obsessed with Minecraft at the time so I started building a game in a similar style so he could code in a creative environment he truly loved.”
The pair has been meticulous in producing a gender-neutral design that appeals to kids aged 6-13. They code cute animals, pesky Glitches and other interactive objects in levels to make exciting challenges for their friends – all with an intuitive drag-and-drop JavaScript interface that develops with the kids as they get more confident about coding.
Ross and Hugh joined the startup incubator Entrepreneur First, a prestigious programme who last year produced the likes of AdBrain and Prizeo. They teach ‘The Lean Startup’, a methodology for producing tech companies by solving a problem with a product.
The problem Code Kingdoms is solving is the lack of fun and creative coding resources for kids.
“When Ross and I met he took one look at the prototype and jumped into action. He knew this was exactly what children wanted from his time teaching coding. Within a couple weeks we were working together and back in schools testing the first prototype with kids.
In September 2014 coding is being made compulsory in primary schools across the UK – not only is Code Kingdoms free online and the app store but they also produce free curriculum materials for schools.
“We’re now looking to expand in to homes and schools internationally. Coding is something that every kid should know; it’s the most empowering skill in the 21st Century.”
They’ve captured the imagination of kids, parents and teachers across the country.
“I feel we will be stuck with this game for quite some time” Lee, parent of 2
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