Ks1 & ks2 ComputingThe changes that have taken place in ICT / IT / Computing over the last few years has been one of the most prolific re- structuring of content that any subject has ever gone through.
To be honest we have always taught "control" with sequential instructions (algorithms!) in programs like Logo, Crocodile and Flowol. About five years ago most schools started to reshape ICT many years ago by bringing BYOB (Build your own blocks) programming into lessons through Scratch. Digital literacy, that encompasses e-safety and being a savvy technological user of devices is becoming hugely important to young children but there is a bigger change afoot. There is no mistaking how amazing the possibilities could be for the nation by transforming our children from end users of tech to the architects and designers of future computer systems; but sadly curriculum time is scarce to fully implement the changes that the government now insist on without there being some sacrifice to Business IT, Digital Literacy and Creative IT. There are many solutions, some I have hinted at like more curriculum time. Another way is allowing our children the freedom to create and explore digital worlds from a much earlier age. It may sound bonkers to say that a 6 year old can program, but fantastic things will happen given the right environment, a basic grasp of English and the freedom from negative stereotypes like " I can't do... What if it goes wrong... It's not working!" It feels like we are on the edge of something massive, over the next 10 years amazing things will be accomplished by joined up teaching between the key stages. STAGES...There are clear stages for developing programming skills across the key stages:
Documents
More...A vast amount of resources are available from this Google drive:
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ResourcesTrying to teach as you learn is an uncomfortable experience, we all learn as we go along but for a teacher that is trying to take a class on a journey it's hard to fake it, successfully, for an hour. So like all good practical subjects:
Before testing it with the students, make it yourself! BASIC PRINCIPLES : CodeOne of the best self-contained introductions to Computer Science is code.org. Click on the link below to sign yourself up, and students. You can create a class that the students can access so you can see and reward their progress
ScratchScratch was a MIT project to develop a way to engage young children in computing concepts, it was an innovator as it set lines of code with in drag and drop blocks. Scratch 2.0 is now "cloud" based, but you can instal a local versions , this is recommend for KS2 as there are still idiots that flame others
Starting from 'Scratch':
http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/979 Try these tutorials: www.code-it.co.uk/year4/scratchprojects.html KoduKodu is a brilliant way to learn control through sequential instructions. This is set in a world that students create and can be as vibrant as their imagination allows!
I suggest students start with Terrain Building and then use the inbuilt tutorials within the program (Load World). You can install the software from the following link:
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