One of the ways in in which you can help enliven the Computing curriculum is to allocate some time in every lesson (yes, every lesson) to news. There are several reasons for this.

First, it will help keep the content of the course fresh. There is always something in the news about Computing or a related topic.

Looking for news is a good thing to do! Photo by Jaume Escofet https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaumescar/

Second, it will help ensure the content of the course is relevant to the lives of students their families and the school. Computing isn’t just about learning how to code, and there is certainly more to it than moving a sprite around in Scratch.

Third, it can help create a sense of excitement when a student discovers something that he or she thinks is newsworthy.

Fourth, it gives everyone the opportunity to start a discussion and take part in a discussion.

Fifth, I am a strong believer in having students read newspapers and books on the subject. See Why your Computing department needs a library.

Convinced? Tomorrow I’ll cover the practical aspects of making this happen.

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