#CompSci_Resources

Jan 21 2017

Classroom Techniques, Examples and Research for Better Learning in Computer Science Talk at Bett17

Click here to go to slides.  Thank you to Oliver and the Raspberry Pi Foundation for the opportunity to start to develop this strand.

Only 20% of current 9_1 Computer Science GCSEs are Python… 50% theory means we should be focussed on how to teach theory well and keeping up-to-date with latest techniques to do this underpinned with theory and a shared understanding of what works well.

I hope to make a contribution to this discussion.  Please feel free to join in on #caschat and CAS forum in the next few weeks.

 

By • #CompSci, #CompSci_Research, #CompSci_Resources, #CompSci_Teaching, BETT, Conference •

Dec 20 2016

Sandwich Robot, Etchasketch, Scratch Polygons and Snowflakes

Here I outline how we have used a variety of resources to increase our Year 7 students’ understanding of sequencing and use of loops – as well as having fun and engaging with their learning.

Having reviewed our baseline test at the beginning of Year 7, our Year 7s showed better than expected eSafety, better Scratch understanding, but poorer computing programming and sequencing skills.  I looked at several resources online and have used Phil Bagge’s Jam Sandwich making Robot, Stephen Howell’s Scratch Shape Drawing Activity for CoderDojo; Simon Haughton’s Etch-a-Sketch; and Barefoot Computing’s Crystal Flowers (pdf download) to create the following resources:

“Scratch Shapes” scheme of learning – jam sandwich making robot and Scratch Polygons and nested loops More

By • #CompSci, #CompSci_Resources, #CompSci_Teaching, KS3_Computing, Paired Programming, Scratch •

Dec 8 2016

Scratch Snowflakes

This post was prompted by @clcsimon’s
Festive Computing & Coding Activities and @MissPhilbin’s How to make Snowflakes with Code.

However, we have just completed two lessons with Year 7s drawing polygons and (Barefoot Computing’s) crystal flowers.  I therefore wanted a scratch version of snowflakes – and also code that did a 6 pointed snowflake too.

The basics of @MissPhilbin’s python example is the following:

  1. make 3 ‘sticks’ of distance 30 at 45 degree angles
  2. make 3 twigs going back 30 each time
  3. repeat branch 7 times at 45 degrees (I will need 5 times and 60 degrees for a 6 sided snowflake).

These are the steps using scratch:

1. Choose Rudolph as your sprite:
You can find him in the fantasy animals section of the sprite library.  You need to select him, make him smaller, then move the rotation cross so its still in his middle… More

By • #CompSci, #CompSci_Resources, Code Club, coding, Scratch • • Tags: ,

Oct 1 2016

BBC Micro:bit quests

We are on track to *finally* get our BBC Micro:bits out to our Year 8s… this is how we are going to do it … and we are excited about the Grok Learning Quest challenges for after half term.

Our Digital Leaders are trained up using out 3 step programme www.gr8ict.com/bbc_microbit More

By • #CompSci, #CompSci_Resources, BBC micro:bit, Code Club, Digital Leaders •

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