Category Archives: coding

Teach Computing Science

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Teaching Computing Science   

Early to second level

Great resource for teachers beginning or experienced to find simple ways to introduce the three Curriculum Organisers for Computing Science into lessons.

The conceptual knowledge gained when working towards the first Organiser, ‘understanding the world through computational thinking’, is required to then understand computing languages and technologies in the second Organiser, before we can then ‘design, build and test computing solutions’ in the final Organiser using those technologies.

The book is arranged to quickly see the connections between the organisers, and there are many resources and activities at the end of the book.

Please click on the image below to download the PDF

 

 

 

 

 

Ultimate STEM Challenge: Wearable Tech 2019/20

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The Ultimate STEM Challenge is back again and bigger than ever before! Now open to pupils aged 9-14, this national competition invites young people to get creative and design a new piece of wearable tech that will improve lives in the future.

Wearable tech is all around us – from smartwatches to robotic prosthetics, the possibilities are endless and now we are looking for the next big thing!

There are some brilliant prizes up for grabs including, an all-expenses paid Hackathon day at BP’s Upstream Learning Centre, where students will discover more about the world of wearable tech and work with scientists, coders and designers to bring their own ideas to life! Plus, two lucky schools will also each win £750 to spend on STEM learning equipment or field trips.

It’s easy to take part, simply,

1.    Download your ready-to-go packs including two lesson plans, homework activity and competition entry forms. (Click HERE for details , use CHROME Browser when entering School postcode)

2.    Get your pupils to capture their wearable tech idea on the challenge entry form.

3.    Send us your pupils’ entries before the closing date of 14 January 2020.

 

Barefoot Promotion (Computational Thinking and Coding)

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Barefoot is currently offering a free ‘New Term Survival Guide’ to teachers who request a workshop before October 31st, and have it delivered before December 31st.

The Survival Guide provides great tools to help teachers get started, including FAQs, top tips, a quick reference guide, five hand-picked resources and Barefoot goodies. Teachers will receive a survival guide with their workshop packs and  can claim one by booking a workshop on www.barefootcas.org,uk and use the campaign code ‘007’.

This is what the pack looks like,…

Free Online Computational Thinking course from Google

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The goal of this course is to help educators learn about computational thinking (CT), how it differs from computer science, and how it can be integrated into a variety of subject areas. As a course participant, you will increase your awareness of CT, explore examples of CT integrated into your subject areas, experiment with examples of CT-integrated activities for your subject areas, and create a plan to integrate CT into your own curricula.

What: A free online course helping educators integrate computational thinking into their curriculum

Who: Humanities, Math, Science, and Computing educators
When: All of the course materials are available as a self-study program.

Click here for access

Computing Science…..without a computer!

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This site has a great collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.

The activities introduce students to Computational Thinking through concepts such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression, separated from the distractions and technical details of having to use computers. Importantly, no programming is required to engage with these ideas!

CS Unplugged is suitable for people of all ages, from primary school to senior phase learners. Unplugged has been used around the world for over twenty years, in classrooms, science centres, homes, and even for holiday events in a park!

The material is available free of charge, and is shared under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence, which makes it easy to copy, adapt and share it.

BBC Live Lesson – Doctor Who and the micro:bit

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Remember to join us LIVE and face one of The Doctor’s greatest foes in our latest Live Lesson all about the BBC micro:bit, hosted by presenter and comedian Iain Stirling and Radio 1’s gaming expert Julia Hardy.

Aimed at 11-13 year olds, the lesson is devised around curriculum areas that cover computational thinking skills and features expert guests from Google, games company Ubisoft and the Department of Computer Games at the University of Teesside.

When: Tuesday, 28th March 2017

Time: 11am (approx. 50 mins)

Where: bbc.co.uk/livelessons (visit the website on the day to access the live stream)

Computational Thinking and Coding Twilights

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dashThe fantastic double act of Dash and Dot have now arrived . Those schools that have attended the CS twilights over the last few weeks keep a look out for them arriving in the school mail.

We will continue to issue a Dash and Dot and a Beebot mat to each school that can attend CS twilights now and in term 4

Using School iPads Dash and Dot can be programmed via a number of free apps including Tickle, Wonder Workshop and Tynker. These robots are perfectly at home in Nursery / Early Years but because of the innovative design can be equally at home and challenging  for older students to program.

If you haven’t already done so, then please check Aberdeenshire Events and book onto a CS Twilight in your Cluster