History lesson, by Terry Freedman
One of the apparently insoluble problems of the age is how do you encourage more girls to take up Computing? I think a lot can be done, and have done so myself, but I wonder how far a lot of the effort fails to get to the heart of the issue, which could be the curriculum itself, the way it is taught, or a combination of the two?
Read MoreA 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.
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 MoreHere 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 MoreWhat 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.
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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:
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.
History lesson, by Terry Freedman
One of the apparently insoluble problems of the age is how do you encourage more girls to take up Computing? I think a lot can be done, and have done so myself, but I wonder how far a lot of the effort fails to get to the heart of the issue, which could be the curriculum itself, the way it is taught, or a combination of the two?
Read More(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved