A comic strip that, for me at least, encapsulates what has befallen the Computing curriculum in England.
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Photo by Jills, issued on a CC0 licence.
The Computing curriculum in England: A timeline of hopes and experience
Has the Computing Programme of Study been an unequivocal success? In my article It Wasn’t Me Wot Done It, Sir! The Depressing State Of Computing As A Subject, I said that many students were voting against Computing qualifications with their feet, and also that girls were under-represented. Moreover, I stated that the situation was entirely predictable (many of us indeed had predicted it).
In this article I set out what I see as the key milestones in the journey to where we are now. I have included quotes from the sources, and also given the source in each case so that you can check out the sources yourself.
Read MoreIt wasn’t me wot done it, Sir! The depressing state of Computing as a subject
Here in England, students are voting with their feet: the numbers studying Computing at higher levels are going down. I hate to say "We told you so" but....
It's not as if nobody warned 'them'.
Read MoreThe challenges of implementing the Computing curriculum in England
What challenges have you faced in implementing the Computing Programme of Study? What alternatives to ICT at GCSE and A Level have you considered? Please take a moment or two to fill out this survey. Results are open for all to see.
Read MoreTaking stock of the new Computer curriculum: 5 key questions
Now that the new Computing curriculum in England has been running for nearly a term, it's a great time to stand back and take stock. Actually, I recommend doing that even if you are not in England and/or have not needed to change anything. Here's a list of 5 questions you might care to ask yourself:How are schools coping with the new Computing curriculum?
Now that a term has elapsed since the new Computing curriculum was introduced into schools in England, how are things going? I’ve been collating the responses to a call I made a few months ago to readers of my newsletter, to find out how people were preparing for the new curriculum. The results are very interesting, and I intend to share them very soon – I just have to tidy it up and make sure people are happy with any changes I’ve made to their submissions.
Read MoreIdeas for the computing curriculum: #0 What box?
In this series I’m going to be making some suggestions, putting out some ideas. These are based on presentations I’ve given. I can think of how these ideas, or their implications, might be applied in the classroom. However, I think it better if I stand back and let you do that part of the work!
One of the most depressing things for me is the degree of conformity I come across.