Chris Sharples gr8computing Blog

Mar 16 2016

Jan 27 2016

Review of #BETT2016 by @gr8ict

Here is my assortment of notes from #BETT2016, including follow-up tweets and next steps. Sorry if I have missed anyone deserving of a mention.

Digital Leaders
It’s my fourth year in a row taking Digital Leaders to Bett, and this time was the best yet due to working with other colleagues and students for both the arena presentation and the #kidsmeet.
Highlights of the arena were @L_S_Stone’s 22 (yes twenty two) Year 1’s invading the arena with an assortment of Beetbots and Spheros, and of course, all our digital leaders standing up and demonstrating all the good work that is going on in these schools – Recreation Road Infant School, Norwich; Myrtle Park Primary School, Bradford; King Edward VI School, Southampton and Lady Lumley’s School, North Yorkshire. Supported by @L_S_Stone, @_Wossername_ and @rlj1981. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet some of my #dlchat colleagues afterwards as one of my year 7s was sick in the toilets. Luckily he recovered to enjoy Bett later. Thanks to @clcsimon, @slr112 and @ThatEdTechGuy for tweets from the Arena.

DLs_BETT16_IMG_2849

Highlights of the #kmbett2016 were seeing the school leadership summit tent overflowing with digital leaders from at least eight schools. Also meeting #nightzookeeper (Paul Hutson) and catching up with @SheliBB and other DL coordinators. A big thank you to the hardworking teachers for bringing students to BETT (@HeadDownEyesUp and @Claire_N_Jones) and the volunteers such as @ictevangelist for giving up their time to provide the activities. Sophie, Karen and i2i made a big commitment to have more students at BETT2016 and I’m very grateful for their help and support.

DLs_BETT16_IMG_2936

Next steps:
> follow up having more students involvement at Bett next year
More

By Chris Sharples • #dlchat, #wellbeing5aday, BBC micro:bit, BETT, Code Bug, Code Club, Conference, Digital Leaders, Physical Computing, RaspberryPi •

Jan 24 2016

#dlchat Storify for #BETT2016

By Chris Sharples • #dlchat, BETT, Digital Leaders •

Jan 21 2016

How we help Teachers and other Students use #edtech effectively – Digital Leaders in Schools from across the UK” #BETT2016

Lady Lumley’s School, North Yorkshire – @gr8ict /Chris Sharples (Secondary) – confirmed 20/10/15
Title – “How Digital Leaders run cracking coding Clubs”
https://docs.google.com/a/ladylumleys.net/presentation/d/1XDE-fyjLTvPN1R4JcBL39oTxi5_oifaUkubXnIG3ouw/edit?usp=sharing
Description – with so much change within Computing at present, a key requirement is to build capacity for learning programming. Y9 LLS DLs will talk about setting up Raspberry Pi’s and using them for Y9 Code Club and then in lessons. Y7 LLS DLs to talk about setting up Y7 Code Club with the approach of the BBC Microbit. They will also mention Makewaves ( 2016 BETT winner for ICT Innovator of the Year) and DL #openbadges.

Recreation Road Infant School, Norwich – Louise Stone (Infants)
Title “Infant Digital Leaders – Getting to Grips with Gadgets” More

By Chris Sharples • #CompSci, #dlchat, #DLOpenBadges, BBC micro:bit, BETT, Code Bug, Code Club, Conference, Digital Leaders, Digital Leaders Network, KS3_ICT, KS4_ICT, Makewaves, Physical Computing, Programming, RaspberryPi •

Jan 20 2016

#BETT2016 and #OpenBadges Slow #dlchat Jan 21-28th 2016

@Shelibb’s background to slow #dlchat

Qu.1
If you (and Digital Leaders) have been to BETT16, what did you find useful – pls cd you link to blogposts.

Qu.2
Can you (and Digital Leaders) link to the reflections of Digital Leaders having been to BETT16? Can we get comments between DLs and their findings in different schools…

Qu.3
Any reflections on how to improve teaching of Computing as a result of BETT16 (even if you haven’t been, there should be lots of useful findings for you from the hashtag #bett2016 )

Qu.4
Any reflections on Hardware as a result of BETT16 (even if you haven’t been, there should be lots of useful findings for you from the hashtag #bett2016 )

Qu.5
Any thoughts on the use of Digital Leader #OpenBadges in the next few months – including new level 3 badges. Especially as @makewavestweets win the BETT16 Innovator of the Year Award.

By Chris Sharples • #dlchat, #DLOpenBadges, BETT, Digital Leaders •

Nov 19 2015

Ways that Students/Digital Leaders can help with #computing / #dlchat Nov 19th ’15

Background – Digital Leader Roadmap

Qu.1
When did you first introduce #computing into your curriculum lessons? and with what examples?

Qu.2
How have students (not necessarily DLs) helped in #computing lessons? Have they added in ways you could not do on your own?

Qu.3
Do you run a code club? What sorts of activities have you covered? More

By Chris Sharples • #dlchat, #DLOpenBadges, Digital Leaders, Digital Leaders Network, KS3_ICT, Physical Computing •

Nov 12 2015

Digital Leaders running Y7 Code Club

Seeing as LLS Year 8 Digital Leaders welcome the Y7s tomorrow to try out Code Bugs, I thought I would start a post explaining our progress which will culminate in a talk at BETT16 in the main arena.

1. BBC #microbit roadshow:

By Chris Sharples • #CompSci, BBC micro:bit, Code Bug, Code Club, Digital Leaders, KS3_ICT, Physical Computing, Programming, RaspberryPi •

Oct 21 2015

Digital Leaders running Y9 Code Club

Meanwhile, Y9/10 DLs are planning Year 9 code club:

…with Python training for the BB8 Sphero,

By Chris Sharples • #CompSci, BBC micro:bit, Code Bug, Digital Leaders, Programming • • Tags: Coding, Programming

Oct 10 2015

A Classroom set of Raspberry Pi’s – part 2

Having explained how I have bench tested and decided on a final Raspberry Pi configuration – in A Classroom set of Raspberry Pi’s – part 1, I took delivery of 18 sets and started putting them together with the help of my Digital Leaders. Here is the description of both the equipment and the setting up.

The standard set-up is this:

Cable tied and velcroed to the wall with toggled switching using the KVM (velcroed to PC box):

By Chris Sharples • Digital Leaders, Physical Computing, RaspberryPi •

Sep 5 2015

A Classroom set of Raspberry Pi’s – part 1

I attended #Picademy North at Easter (2015). I committed then to a post about a Raspberry Pi project which would be a viable method of using Raspberry Pi’s in the classroom – initially for a coding club and subsequently for KS3 lessons. Six months later I have sources spreadsheet for all the components; completed my testing, and linked my updated KS3 scheme of learning. Here are my Raspberry Pi setup notes too and Physical Computing Notes.

My aim is two stage –

Support my Digital Leaders with using Raspberry Pi’s with the Coding Club on Thursday lunchtimes
Integrate the use of a half class set (x16) of Raspberry Pi’s for KS3 class use. I have worked out that this will be for 2 teaching units, one in Year 8 – using the Pibrella to model traffic lights using Scratch GPIO tied in with Flowol; and a Year 9 Control Project unit using Python, the RaspIO Protection board and the ModMyPi Raspberry Pi YouTube Workshop Kit (see bid).

By Chris Sharples • #CompSci, Digital Leaders, Physical Computing, RaspberryPi •

Talks for Computing Conference 2016 – Leeds Learning Partnership