For our final session we got to explore the world of programming and how it could be used within the classroom. The concept of programming sounds intimidating, conjuring up images of an indecipherable mess of letters and numbers. However, it is easy to see how this can be used within the classroom. Programs like Scratch helped to create an easier to use and intuitive interface, where children learn to program with almost jigsaw like pieces.  This is a great way of introducing the subject to a class, as they soon pick up how to create imaginative scenes and games, which can even be shared to other schools through the Scratch website. Having seen this being used first hand, I know just how easily children take to it, and how much they can talk about what they are doing and how they are doing it.

We were also able to use Bee Bots, small robotic bees than can be programmed to move or in the case of my group perform a synchronized dance. Again it is easy to see how this can be used to inspire an interest in programming in a class. Although these are basic entry points into programming, that is exactly what children need at this stage in their computing journey. Hopefully activities like these and the others explored through the seminars will help to inspire children in primary classrooms to continue their interest in the subject throughout their life.

The history of the internet, what it was originally intended for, and what it has become today is an interesting subject. I think it is important to understand this history and the wider topic of how the internet works, in order to fully understand how to get the best out of it.

There is lots to be explored on the subject of the internet. How the internet works. How its different to the web. What infrastructure is put in place to allow the internet to work. How it has evolved over the years. How data is sent from one computer to the other. How the rules for how we use the internet are changing. All these topics can help to encourage a class to gain a better understanding of the internet and hopefully take greater care and respect when using it.

There are also some really fun activities that can be done with this greater understanding. With even a simple understanding of how websites are designed, X-ray goggles can be used to remix and change headlines, or photos.

This was a really fun activity that helped to fill me with ideas about how to use computing to inspire my class. I can imagine that children with really enjoy using the x-ray goggles to remix websites and create their very own fake news.

This was great to see just how easy it is to create and manage data with computing. The google forms software was easy to use and manage  for our particular needs. It was really accessible and I can imagine that pupils would be able to use it in all manner of subjects.

This was also a very interesting example of the valuable nature of cross curricular teaching. Computing can be used in so many subjects to help develop pupils understanding. In this instance, it was great to see how computing could be used  in tandem with maths to explore data.  By encouraging a class to build data using questionnaires, that were easy to set up and managed, the class could then use this data to create; bar graphs, line graphs, tables, pie charts. Then instead of relying on a text book or worksheet to generate questions to explore and read data, you have instant access to endless data that is embedded in context for the class.

It was also really interesting to hear how companies mine and use data to their particular needs, and just how easy it is for them to find out all about us!

Throughout both of my placements in school, I have been lucky enough to see lots of computing in action.

I have been able to see coding programs like scratch in action and have worked on building my understanding of how to teach and use the program for myself.

For the most part, I found Scratch quite straight forward and easy to pick up. It was great at clearly highlighting what each command would do, and it was pretty easy to get my desired results from it. My class certainly agreed and were able to design their own animations with ease, discussing what each command would do and what would happen if they changed the numbers or altered a command.

I have also seen lots of computing used as a cross curricular aid for other subjects. Creating leaflets on purple mash, book reviews on espresso or just research for a particular topic have all been great instances of how computing can help boost another subject.

For the research in particular, I have seen lots that I will use going forward. For instance, in one lesson QR codes were created and stuck on to the tables. This codes were linked to different websites that the class could use for research on their topic. When scanned by the pupils it took them straight to the website, without them needing to type in a long or complicated URL, which was especially handy for the year 2 class.

These are certainly things I will take with me as I continue my exploration of the subject and I hope to learn more in the future

As technology continues to innovate and become more prevalent in society, the access that children have to it increases. This, on the whole, is a good thing; they can discover new countries, travel through history, explore far off planets and more, all from the comfort of a chair.

However, with this technological freedom comes a variety of issues. Should children be restricted for what they can find on the internet? Are they on computers too much, when they should be exploring the world around them? Who else are they connecting and interacting with when they are online?  How are they behaving when they are online? It is important for children and us to know how to stay safe online and how to use this great tool responsibly.

It’s all too easy  to set up filters and restrictions, in the belief that children will be safe in their ‘walled gardens’. However, there will always be someone who knows how to beat these defences and will happily spread the word to anyone who will listen, allowing everyone to jump the wall into the internets wilderness.

Instead, it is important to instill the beliefs that we expect children to use in everyday life; respect, responsibility, awareness, common sense, so that they will continue to behave in this same way online. The anonymity of the internet can encourage people, adults included, to behave in a way they would never dream off doing when interacting face to face. However, with the previously discussed qualities, children are more likely to behave in a respectful and responsible manner on the internet.

Furthermore, it is important that children are aware of the dangers they could face online and how to react to them. Much like with the hedgehog and the highway code, children need to know how to stay safe online. They need to know to never share any private information, to never talk to someone they don’t know and to talk to a parent, teacher or even childline if they do face an issue.

The internet is a complicated place, but its benefits hugely outweigh the negatives it may present, it is just important that we all know how to use it responsibly and how to stay safe online.

Computers and the programs that run on them work by following a strict set of instructions, or algorithms. Understanding how these instructions function and are created is key to understanding the process of computing. It gives us, and children, basic knowledge of computers and allows us to see them as more than an incomprehensible magical box that does our bidding.

Part of understanding how these algorithms work is knowing how complex and detailed our instructions need to be. Enter the Sandwich Bot! By encouraging children, or in this case PGCE students, to create a set of instructions on how to make a jam sandwich and then enlisting someone to follow these instructions painstakingly to the letter, it shows, with hilarious results, how minutely detailed our instructions need to be to get our intended results.

This was a great exercise that was hugely beneficial in showing us how detailed our instructions needed to be, and in turn showed us how complex the algorithms on computers are. I would definitely use this with my class before delving deeper into the topic of computing. Once they have gained this basic understanding or algorithms they could then take their knowledge and use it on programs such as Scratch to develop more detailed algorithms, with a far cleaner outcome then the jam sandwich!

This week we were introduced to interactive whiteboards, and it was really interesting to see how they could be used in different ways. I’ve obviously seen them in schools throughout my time as a student and as a TA, but actually being able to get hands on with them and seeing what could be created was hugely beneficial. Also, I’ve wanted to play around with them since I first saw them, so it was good to get that out my system!

The crucial thing for me was that they shouldn’t merely be used as an advanced power point presentation. There is so much to be created and so many tools included to help create, that limiting your lesson to simply a few slides of information doesn’t make sense.

The possibility of creating sorting games, where there is a clear visual indication of correct and incorrect answers, particularly interested me. The ability to use these whiteboards, and programs like SMART, to create interactive lessons that help to engage the pupils and allow them to take an active part in their learning is also exciting.

I look forward to practicing further with this software in the future in order to create fun and engaging lessons.