Code:{ish} the art of teaching computing!

Speaking with an eminent colleague at CAS recently, we got to talking about CAS and its roots and how it has progressed. The discussion led to what is it we want to support teachers with? Is it professionalism, meeting the goals that all young people should have access to a world class computing education? Or is it Technical skills, how to do this, instructions and manuals of how to teach, assess and monitor that subject learning is taking place? Or finally the craft of teaching, the ideas and activities that make the subject exciting to teach and learn.

With the NCCE we have certainly developed the professionalism aspect, with teachers trained to develop and implement a  world-class computing education for all young people. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to Technical Skills, the CAS resources Library is full of these. Microsoft, Google, and Adobe all have resources detailing how to use their products, and Raspberry Pi and Micro:bit foundation, and many others have us covered with learning how to teach computing. But where are the resources that relate to the craft of teaching, the exciting and engaging stuff, the stuff that is a ‘bit out there? Where are the resources for teaching computing through film franchises, teaching computer science through Marvel films, or the Harry Potter computing activities?  Taking on a complicated concept, like chaos theory or machine learning, and making it accessible to younger students. Using retro games and computing, anyone doing anything with DOSbox, using old raspberry pi’s to make internet radios, using ham radio, Kodu, Minetest Magicavoxel? What about teaching computing through art or literature? I could go on, but this is the stuff that brought many of us to CAS in the first place.

I am inviting everyone to share their best ‘code:{ish}’ activity or resources. Something you have done in the classroom that was a joy to teach and tweaked your ‘nerd’ gene.

These activities are not necessarily linked to a curriculum or syllabus target. We can retrofit that later. They are not related to any issue of teaching programming or inspection. We do these activities because we enjoy them as much as the students. They primarily drive interest in the subject. As a result, I suspect these activities are going on by stealth. If we highlight them, we think somebody might stop us from delivering them because they are ‘not on the official curriculum.

You all have a ‘code:{ish}’ article in you. So if are interested in submitting a resource or blog. You can do the following:-

Get in touch with me at stuart.ball@bcs.uk with a few lines describing the outline of your idea.

Or

Upload your resource, you might like to write a short post and link to it.

Or

Write a blog post describing your activity/lesson.

Whatever you do, please use the following image as your header image. This will allow us to share the series better, bring selections together as a single resource and highlight the code:{ish} article of the month.

Download your image here