Author: George Milliken

Computing in Primary Schools: teacher survival kit EARLY LEVEL

This series of resources is designed to lay the foundations of learners developing an understanding of what computers are and how they work. This level introduces the concepts of:

  • computers are machines designed to do jobs
  • computers have instructions to tell them how to do those jobs

The learning will be about identifying the different jobs computers do in their lives and the wider world. It is important to link between the physical computer (parts) and the instructions (apps/software) that controls them.

 

 

For the teacher

For the teacher:
Computers are machines that are designed to do specific jobs. Some computers, such as tablets, mobile phones and PCs, are general purpose and can do many things. Others are dedicated and only do one job, such as washing machines, air traffic control or a wristwatch.

Every device is made of components called hardware which make up the physical computer system. Every computer then needs instructions to control the hardware, this is called software but more recently the term ‘app’ is used (short for application, another name for software). 

Apps, or software, is written in a special language called code which helps the user to give the computer instructions in English-like language, which would otherwise have to be written using complex maths. 

Identifying computers and what they do

These links explain what computers are:

What is a computer system? – BBC Bitesize 

What is digital technology? – BBC Bitesize 

 

These activities provide a concrete learning experience for learners

Ruby – computer safari  

Ruby – make computer model  

Computers have instructions to tell them what to do

What is a computer program? – BBC Bitesize 

 

 Sequencing with Scrat #4 – Code.org 

Checking learning

Learners should understand that computers are used in the world all around them and can classify things which have computers in them, are computers or are not computers:

They should also be able to differentiate and sort computer technology as being a computer or an app:

 

teacher digital skills toolkit user story form milngavie primary

Using the Teacher Digital Skills toolkit to identify and support staff needs

This is a user story provided by Milngavie Primary School, East Dunbartonshire, that used the Teacher Digital Skills Toolkit to inform their professional learning.

The school’s ‘digital leader’ explained how they used the toolkit:

“I ran the session for collecting the data during the February in-service. It was very easy to use and being able to have the document to use alongside the Forms meant that I could explain what was meant by certain questions if anyone was unsure.The data collected on the duplicate form will be used to offer training to those with gaps, either individually or in small groups, starting with the essential skills. I will also direct some staff to online resources available to increase their skills rather than give personal training – whatever fits their needs. If there are areas where the majority of staff require support I will be able to deliver professional learning during an in-service day. to develop those skills.”

Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us and share it using this form: DigiLearnScot – Get Involved!

Woman holding iPad digital pencil case

Essential Teacher Digital Skills

Learning activities for teachers to develop skills and knowledge needed to be meet GTCS standards for registration.  This includes learning platforms and video content from external organisations. 

  back to Teacher Digital Skillsipad showing a search request with replies

Visit the Barclays Digital Wings site to view tutorials and learning resources for fundamental digital skills. This requires a login with email, name and password.

Go to Barclays Digital Wings

How to use a computer – Beginner’s guide
Learn Microsoft Excel
Learn Microsoft OneDrive
Explore Google Workspace

learn my way

Learn My Way is a website of free online learning for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. Some aspects of this page may require a login.

go to Learn My Way site

device basics
communicate with colleaguesUse teams with learners
use classroom with learners

Teacher Digital Skills toolkit

The teacher toolkit documents provide guidance on the skills and knowledge that teachers should have to meet GTCS standards for registration.

The skills are organised into three levels:

  • Essential skills that are required by every teacher to engage with daily work routines, such as passwords and emails
  • Core skills that most teachers should have to effectively prepare learning activities and resources for learning, including using devices and apps to create presentations
  • Enhancing Learning and Teaching, which provides an overview of how digital skills may be used to improve learning, teaching and assessment

This document is part of a series, view the other documents here: Digital Literacy Series

  back to Teacher Digital Skills

English version

Gaelic version

VIEW THE DOCUMENT AT EDUCATION SCOTLAND:

Teacher Digital Skills Toolkit | Resources | Education Scotland

View the Gaelic document as PDF
DLT Teacher Digital Skills Toolkit Gaelic version PDF

Checklists for individuals (requires a Glow login – opens a Microsoft Form):

Essential skills online checklist

Core Skills online checklist

Enhancing learning and Teaching online checklist

Checklists for schools or local authorities (creates a duplicate in Forms for your own data collection):

Essential Skills online toolkit

Core Skills online toolkit

Enhancing learning and teaching online toolkit

post by andy mclaugjlin, what is digital literacy

What is Digital Literacy? A guest blog from Andy McLaughlin, University of Aberdeen

The presentation in this post was created and shared by Andy McLaughlin; a lecturer at the School of Education at the University of Aberdeen. He is a former teacher and leader in schools where he had a particular interest in digital pedagogies. Andy has been exploring the misalignment between national policy and classroom practice when it comes to developing digital skills in schools, and casting a critical eye over the influence of ‘Big Tech’ on education.

The following presentation was recently delivered to Education Scotland’s Digital Literacy exploration group as a provocation for discussion around Digital Literacies. In it, Andy shared some interesting research that has been carried out recently around the world.

If you would like to know more, or get in touch with Andy, you can find him on LinkedIn with this link.

 

family learning cyber aberdeen

Supporting Children in the Digital World: a user story from Aberdeen City Council Family Learning

This guest blog post was provided by the Community Learning and Development team at Aberdeen City Council.

Supporting Children in the Digital World is a four week course developed by CLD Family Learning Aberdeen to help parents keep their children safe online and develop strategies to manage device usage.

 

The course was created in response to a need identified by parents/carers who wanted to understand the technology their children using.

Over the course of four weeks we cover:

  • The technology children and young people are using
  • Digital footprints and being a good digital role model
  • Understand the risk and reward of devices
  • Know how to respond to negative online experiences
  • Discover age appropriate online safety resources
  • Learn about online safety strategies

The aim of the course is to ensure parents feel more empowered to manage device usage in their homes and give their children the skills to self-regulate and make good decisions while online.

We deliver this course to parents/carers in Aberdeen out in the community as well as online, to ensure we can reach as many parents/carers as possible.

 

One parent who attended the course said:

“I feel a lot happier that I now have the skills and information to tackle internet safety with my child, and will be a lot more relaxed having conversations which will in turn will benefit my child and make them more likely to approach me when they need support.”

 

We are further developing the course to create two one off information sessions, for those who cannot commit to the full four weeks. One of these one off sessions will focus on pre-school children and device usage and the other will be a more general information session condensing the content of the original course.

If you would like to know more, get in touch with the team by email: familylearning@aberdeencity.gov.uk

What Digital learning might look like

Digital Literacy projects and resources

This section contains some recommended project-based learning resources and activities that teachers might use with learners who are secure in their digital competencies from the previous page.

Digital literacy moves beyond the technical competencies in the Learner Digital Skills Toolkit and develops into critical and social skills that are relevant and representative of the realities that people live (Marín & Castañeda). In short, digital literacy should enable people to fulfil the four capacities and participate fully in society.

These resources are designed to cover a combination of the three digital literacy Experiences and Outcomes. 

back to digital literacy home

4 capacities

Resources

Learning with Data – Data Education in Schools

Lessons | Project Real

Living In A Digital World – Daydream Believers

Assemblies & Lessons – TechSheCan

Make It Happen

Primary Computing Resources | Barefoot Computing

Digital Ethics | iDEA

Learning Center – Apple Education Community

cyber resilience

Cyber resilience – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand the risks of being online and the cyber security steps they should take to reduce these risks. They should know how to set up accounts and devices securely and how to report and recover from any risks they encounter.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-03a. 

back to digital literacy

safe and secure mindmap

Where to start

BBC Bitesize has useful information on how computers and the internet work.

Go to BBC Bitesize

 

Visit the Barclays Digital Wings site to view tutorials and learning resources for fundamental digital skills. This requires a login with email, name and password – teachers should check their data protection policy before registering learners.

Go to Barclays Digital Wings

Get started online

Cyber secure

learn my way

Learn My Way is a website of free online learning for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. Some aspects of this page may require a login – teachers should check their data protection policy before registering learners.

go to Learn My Way site

CyberFirst is the national cyber security education programme from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Their CyberSprinters game and teaching resources is an easy place to get started with cyber.
Go to CyberSprinters

cyber toolkit

Our Cyber Toolkit provides more practical advice on teaching learners about staying safe and secure when online.

Go to Cyber Toolkit

Every secondary school has copies of Your Money Matters textbooks and resources:
Go to Your Money Matters Scotland

Learner Digital Skills Toolkit: where to start when planning digital literacy in Curriculum for Excellence

The support document aims to make clear the digital knowledge and skills that learners require to be digitally competent. Being digitally competent means being able to use the most common devices and apps. It is an essential step to becoming digitally literate.

Being digitally literate means being able to independently use and critically engage with digital technology and society, such as data literacy and information literacy. We are developing guidance to support educators deliver this.

Ideas and resources for teaching digital literacy can also be found here: Digital Literacy for Learners.

This document is part of a series, view the other documents here: Digital Literacy Series

Please use this form to provide feedback on the document with this link:

Learner Digital Skills Toolkit feedback form (MS Forms)

 

  back to Learner Digital Literacy

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