If you've had a look at Kodu and Scratch, which are more visual approaches to programming, you might like to have a look at Codecademy.com where you can get a feel for Python.
Sign up is free after a taster session. You can then develop your (or the children's)understanding in bite sized chunks which take the user gently through the basics of the language.
Thursday 29 August 2013
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Need to get your staff using Scratch?
This useful video (hosted on Vimeo) will help your teachers get their heads around some of the possibilities.
Intro to Scratch 2.0 from ScratchEd on Vimeo.
Useful Introduction to KoDu on Prezi
Need a starting point for a staff meeting introducing Kodu to your teachers?
This Prezi is very helpful in getting the basic principles across and showing the range of resources as well as cross-curricular links e.g. to English.
This Prezi is very helpful in getting the basic principles across and showing the range of resources as well as cross-curricular links e.g. to English.
New thinking for a new academic year?
Many schools will be returning in the next week or so with the exciting prospect of using upgraded or completely new technologies to support learning and teaching. Some of this will involve mobile technology which in many cases will be iPads or other tablet technology.
Will this change teaching and learning in the school? It should!!
If you always do what you've always done without the new technology available to you, you have missed a trick. Just putting a set of iPads in front of a class of children will not raise standards... neither will reporting to the head teacher that the children are 'very excited' by the new resources.
By providing such resources you are putting much more learning power in the hands of the children and relinquishing some of the power that comes with knowledge. The balance shifts... or it should.
Obviously there are basic skills which need to be developed by young children (or non-numerate or non-literate teens and adults for that matter) otherwise how are they going to access all of the resources available to them?
The blog post here may make interesting reading, with parallels being drawn between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 with 'Education 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. Very thought provoking.
Will this change teaching and learning in the school? It should!!
If you always do what you've always done without the new technology available to you, you have missed a trick. Just putting a set of iPads in front of a class of children will not raise standards... neither will reporting to the head teacher that the children are 'very excited' by the new resources.
By providing such resources you are putting much more learning power in the hands of the children and relinquishing some of the power that comes with knowledge. The balance shifts... or it should.
Obviously there are basic skills which need to be developed by young children (or non-numerate or non-literate teens and adults for that matter) otherwise how are they going to access all of the resources available to them?
The blog post here may make interesting reading, with parallels being drawn between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 with 'Education 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. Very thought provoking.
Friday 23 August 2013
Exciting opportunities for schools from Skype
Exploring Oceans: dive into a sea of knowledge with Skype this November
Skype in the classroom has partnered with Fabien Cousteau's Mission
31 to bring sea turtles, sharks and ships into your classroom via Skype. They've
revealed the first batch of free Skype lessons with special marine experts on
their site, with more to come very soon.
Click here to book your ocean-themed lesson for November.
You might also like to explore Mystery Skype lessons. The idea is that 2 classrooms are linked by Skype without the children knowing where the other class is. They work together to unravel clues that the other class provides which will eventually lead them to discover where in the world the other class is.
You might also like to explore Mystery Skype lessons. The idea is that 2 classrooms are linked by Skype without the children knowing where the other class is. They work together to unravel clues that the other class provides which will eventually lead them to discover where in the world the other class is.
Thursday 15 August 2013
Children given the chance to learn to write computer code
I caught this short video on BBC Breakfast TV earlier this week (I was at the gym at the time!!). It is well worth watching if you are in the process of trying to get your head round the new Computing curriculum. It might be worth showing to colleagues as an introduction to a training session.
Wednesday 14 August 2013
ESCape - e-safety play for KS2
Commissioned by Dudley Safeguarding Board, this play from the Saltmine Trust is an enchanting fairytale that teaches the principles of e-Safety.
Sarah lives on the edge of a magical forest, allowed in on her own for the first time she is taught the rules for how to stay safe. There are wolves in the forest and when Sarah meets a stranger all is not as it seems. Will she remember the rules? Or will she leave the path and go her own way?
Are you interested in getting to know more? Watch the video below:
Sarah lives on the edge of a magical forest, allowed in on her own for the first time she is taught the rules for how to stay safe. There are wolves in the forest and when Sarah meets a stranger all is not as it seems. Will she remember the rules? Or will she leave the path and go her own way?
Are you interested in getting to know more? Watch the video below:
ESCape Promo from Saltmine Trust on Vimeo.
Tuesday 6 August 2013
NAACE and CAS support for the Computing curriculum
The wiki published at http://naacecasjointguidance.wikispaces.com/home should be compulsory reading for all teachers embarking on the new Computing curriculum with their pupils!
The explanations of the terminology, examples of learning activities and expansion of the programme of study for each KS are truly invaluable
The explanations of the terminology, examples of learning activities and expansion of the programme of study for each KS are truly invaluable
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