Computing in the Primary Curriculum

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Computing in the Primary Curriculum

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What changes have been made?

The subject of ICT is being renamed to computing; it will remain a statutory subject for all pupils in primary and secondary school.

The Department for Education (DfE) state that changing the subject name to computing will not only improve the status of the subject, but also more accurately reflect the breadth of content included in the new proposed programmes of study. The draft curriculum has a strong emphasis on the principles of computer science and practical programming.

One of the key changes in the shift to computing is the expectation that pupils will learn how to write code. According to the curriculum documents, pupils aged five to seven will be expected to “understand what algorithms are” and to “create and debug simple programs”.

By the age of 11, pupils will have to “design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems”.

The updated curriculum also highlights the importance of using technology safely and keeping personal information private, which will be introduced as a topic from the beginning of primary and continue to be emphasised at each key stage.

When is this going to happen?

As of September 2014 the new programmes of study will be expected to be taught, although many schools will start making the switch as early as possible -- especially in the core subjects.

Why the shift to computing?

The Government says that the curriculum changes are designed to catch up with the world’s best education systems. The new curriculum is aimed at helping prepare students to understand and change the world through logical thinking and creativity, making explicit links with maths, science and design technology. It is also hoped that the new curriculum will prepare young people for the future by getting them to understand how digital systems work, equipping pupils to create programs and systems with a range of media. More importantly, it ensures that young people become digitally literate, enabling them to use and express their ideas in a safe environment.

At a meeting of the Computing at School Working Group in January 2012, Michael Gove described his intention to establish computer science as a new foundational element of the school curriculum.

“We are encouraging rigorous computer science courses… Although individual technologies change day by day, they are underpinned by foundational concepts and principles that have endured for decades.

Long after today’s pupils leave school and enter the workplace – long after the technologies they used at school are obsolete – the principles learnt in computer science will still hold true.

“We want our children to understand and play an active role in the digital world that surrounds them, not to be passive consumers of an opaque and mysterious technology. A sound understanding of computing concepts will help them see how to get the best from the systems they use, and how to solve problems when things go wrong.”

The programmes of study for the new National Curriculum will be sent to all primary schools by autumn 2013, subject to parliamentary approval. TES Connect has put the following information together to help you understand how changes to the ICT curriculum will impact you, your teaching and your school.

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Do we need to start again?

You will find that you should be covering many elements of the new curriculum in what you already teach. Although there is a greater emphasis on using programming and computer systems with your pupils, the curriculum still addresses areas of ICT, including video editing, website design, creating podcasts, exploring maps and using office-based software for publishing documents and presentations.

Many of these areas will be taught across the curriculum and embedded within other subjects.

How will it be assessed?

By the end of each key stage, pupils will be expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. The attainment measures are still to be developed.

Pupils should be taught to: Definitions and example activities

Understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions.

Definitions

Algorithm: A list of instructions to complete an activity.

Activity ideas

Ask children to carry out a set of simple instructions, eg, create a route within the classroom, defining a start and finish point, eg, forward five steps, turn left, forward two; how could you get the Bee-bot from here to the other side of the room?

Relevant resources

Turtle to go: A collection of resources on Bee-bots, Pro-bots, Logo and many more.

http://www.tesconnect.com/turtle

Create and debug simple programs. Definitions

Debugging: The process of identifying and removing errors from instructions or programs.

Activity ideas

Ask a child to direct their partner around the room. Write the instructions beforehand so that it can be debugged afterwards.

Bee-bot lesson plans: A selection of lesson plans using Bee-bot.

http://www.tesconnect.com/bee-bot Use logical reasoning to predict the

behaviour of simple programs. Definitions

Logical reasoning: Applying rules in a systematic way to complete a task.

Activity ideas

Predict the outcome of a set of instructions, eg, a sequence of instructions that generate simple shapes, eg, a square.

What are the expectations of the new computing curriculum?

Key stage 1

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Key stage 1 continued

Use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content.

Activity ideas

Use a branching database for sorting minibeasts selecting “Yes” or “No” to answer questions

Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private;

identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Recognise common uses of information technology beyond school.

Activity ideas

Discuss with children what things count as personal information. Discuss with children who they would speak to or what they would do if they came across anything online that upset them.

Explore e-safety in the classroom with this collection of resources.

http://www.tesconnect.com/saferinternetday

Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems;

solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts.

Definitions

Physical systems: Anything that we can attach to a computer other than a screen, eg, lights, buzzers and motors.

Introduction to Scratch: These online PDFs offer an introductory guides to one of the simplest free programming languages.

http://www.tesconnect.com/scratch

Computer-control Scratch: Fun and engaging introductory lessons.

http://www.tesconnect.com/scratch-lessons

Scratch curriculum guide: A series of 20 lessons to teach pupils Scratch program developing.

http://www.tesconnect.com/scratch-curriculum

Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output.

Definitions

Input: Adding data into a program or computer system. Use a programmable floor robot such as a Bee-bot and progress to a Pro-bot.

Output: Information provided by a program aimed at the user, this can be visual, (eg, onscreen text) or audio (eg, a beep). One form of output is to the screen but we can also output to basic control items such as motors and buzzers.

Bee-bot lesson plans: A selection of lesson plans using Bee-bot.

http://www.tesconnect.com/bee-bot

Pro-bot activities: A good starting point for a Pro-bot is this resource, shared by Digital Schoolhouse.

http://www.tesconnect.com/pro-bot

Key stage 2

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Key stage 2 continued

Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs.

Definitions

Algorithm: A precise method of solving a problem, eg, following a recipe, route finder, changing a wheel on a car, etc.

Relevantresources

Putting computers to work – Algorithms: Section two of this 111 page document gives activity ideas for working with algorithms.

http://www.tesconnect.com/algorithm Understand computer networks including

the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web and the opportunities they offer for

communication and collaboration.

How the internet works: A module created for older primary students to help them understand how the internet works.

http://www.tesconnect.com/internet

Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked and be discerning in evaluating digital content.

Searching the internet: Step-by-step guides for students to search websites and complete a series of tasks.

http://www.tesconnect.com/searching-internet

Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/

unacceptable behaviour and identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Teaching e-safety in the classroom: Teach your students about e-safety using scenario-based responses.

http://www.tesconnect.com/e-safety

Anti-bullying videos: Find out how to stop bullying at your school, including advice on staying safe on Facebook, with these anti-bullying videos, resources and tips from TES Connect.

http://www.tesconnect.com/antibullying Select, use and combine a variety of

software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

TES ICT and computing: Join hundreds of ICT teachers in the TES Connect ICT and computing group. Find lesson ideas and inspiration, share best practice and get your questions answered by your peers.

http://www.tesconnect.com/tesComputing

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How do you...

Program? – The good news is that you probably do this to some extent; you need to get students familiar with how simple programs work and how they can lead to simple outputs like controlling a Bee- bot.

Create digital content? – You are likely to be creating digital content already and your pupils certainly will be producing their own content and sharing it with a wider audience through a variety of media such as text, images, video and sound.

Organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content? – Although this could include storing files online using tools such as Google Drive, Office365 and iCloud, it also includes loading and saving work on your school’s network. There are many children saving work online using tools such as Purple Mash, so you may already be meeting this objective.

Keep safe online? – This is something that pupils really need support with; it will range from basic things like keeping their stuff private (which they may already do) and logging on to the computers on the school network to more complicated issues such as updating privacy settings on social network sites.

Where can you go for help?

TES ICT & Computing Community:

http://www.tesconnect.com/tesComputing

Find lesson ideas and inspiration, share best practice and get your questions answered by your peers.

@tesEdTech:

http://twitter.com/tesEdTech

Discover the latest resources and chat about education technology- related issues on Twitter.

TES Connect computing resources

http://www.tesconnect.com/computingresources

Over 1000 free computing resources, including games, worksheets, activities and ideas for revision.

Primary 2013 Curriculum

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_

data/file/210969/NC_framework_document_-_FINAL.pdf

Download the full draft programme of study published by the DfE on 8 July 2013.

Computing subject knowledge

http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/

CSSubjectKnowledgeRequirements.pdf

Subject knowledge requirements for entry into computer science teacher training