Algorithms … not a word that instantly brings joy to many people, unless you’re a geek like me!

But really, what’s not to love about the humble algorithm? None of our useful technology would work without them – and who can’t go through the day without checking their email or browsing social media?

As teachers, we need to embrace the joy of algorithms (or at the very least suppress the fear of them) and open up this wonderful world to the children we are teaching.  There is infinite fun to be had once the concept that an algorithm is merely a set of instructions is grasped by the children – they can program something as simple as a quiz using software with customisable elements, or something as complex as a moving robot.

Logic, reason and critical thinking are key areas the children develop when working with algorithms.  They must be able to logically order the steps of the instruction; they need to reason out why the steps need to be in that particular order; and they must develop critical thinking in order to analyse the output and improve or repurpose their work.

Let’s hear it for the humble algorithm … without it this post would never be published online!