Review: Teaching Computing in Secondary School

Click the cover to see the book on Amazon (affiliate link)

Click the cover to see the book on Amazon (affiliate link)

Divided into three parts covering planning, delivery and leadership and management, this book offers useful and very detailed advice on all aspects of teaching Computing.

While the author is an experienced teacher and subject leader, what is striking about the book is the extent to which his suggestions are grounded in academic research. 

Starting from the broad overview of the Programme of Study for Computing, it then looks at a possible five year scheme of work and delves right down into the detail of lesson planning. Assuming you know your Computing stuff, this book will certainly help you teach it.

The leadership section contains good advice on both personal leadership and leading others, and contains much common-sense.

It's a shame the author has dismissed the teaching of ICT as largely concerned with office applications, which was less true than some suggest. But it's a good book in spite of that.

Reviewed by Terry Freedman

Details

William Lau, Teaching Computing in Secondary Schools: A Practical Handbook, Routledge, ISBN: 978-1-138-23806-0 £19.99

This review first appeared in Teach Secondary Magazine.