To borrow from Mark Twain, reports of the death of Visual Basic for Applications as a viable programming language to teach in schools are exaggerated.
Read MoreA self-marking spreadsheet UPDATED
I like a challenge so I thought I’d try to create a self-marking spreadsheet in Excel. I was inspired to have a go at this by someone called Lee Rymill, who uploaded a self-marking spreadsheet to the CAS resources area. However, I wanted to take it a few steps further, using the Visual Basic for Applications programming language.
Read More
The UserID interface, by Terry Freedman
Useless utilities, pointless programs -- and why we should encourage kids to create them
We should encourage pupils to write useless bits of code. Here’s why.
Read More
BBC Basic screen, by Terry Freedman
Make your own: where programming is relevant, useful and fun
To learn programming, it’s best to have some real problems which need solving. This article looks at several examples of the applications I’ve created, and why.
Read More
Working together as equals can produce excellent results. Image from Pixabay.com CC0
My best and worst IT lessons #1: VBA conundrum
In this new series I look at some of my best and worst lessons in ICT and Computing, and analyse what caused them to work -- or not.
Read MoreWelcome back, VBA!
To borrow from Mark Twain, reports of the death of Visual Basic for Applications as a viable programming language to teach in schools are exaggerated.
Read MoreIdeas for the computing curriculum: #4 Fun and pointless? Why not?
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!Computational thinking and spreadsheets
One way you can “get into” computational thinking is through spreadsheets. Taking a practical view of what “computational thinking” means (see What is Computational Thinking?), I’d say that spreadsheets definitely fit the bill. In order to try to solve a problem using a spreadsheet, which is a tool for modelling or simulation, you have to do the following things:A self-marking spreadsheet
I like a challenge so I thought I’d try to create a self-marking spreadsheet in Excel. (Look, some men like fast cars, some like sport, and some like womanising. Me? I like spreadsheets. OK?)
I was inspired to have a go at this by someone called Lee Rymill, who uploaded a self-marking spreadsheet to the CAS resources area. However, I wanted to take it a few steps further…
Read More