NEWS
Over 100,000 schools and students are learning to code with Rapid Router
Code for Life, a voluntary-based initiative launched by the Ocado Foundation to support the new primary school computer science curriculum, is announcing that it has set a new record for the number of students using Rapid Router, the free and open source game developed by Ocado Technology together with specialist ICT and computer science teachers.
Over 100,000 students, teachers and even parents now regularly use the Code for Life primary school resources that help users understand the basics of computer programming and Python.
The news comes as the biggest ever update to the Code for Life portal is launched. From today, Code for Life users will enjoy a new and improved user experience which will make computer programming even easier and more fun to learn. The new website has been developed by Ocado Technology, after extensive user research and testing with students and teachers in the UK. The significant update involved over 2000 hours of development time from the Code for Life team and Ocado Technology volunteers, and features: • A refreshed homepage that provides helpful information to users and contributors, clearly directing students and teachers alike to their respective interest areas.
• Improved access to teacher resources, including documentation and videos embedded in a web viewer on each page to ease the navigation between related teaching materials. • A streamlined registration process, including a step-by-step guide for user onboarding; teachers can also better manage their classes and invite colleagues from the same school. • The teachers’ only Solution Loader: a new button on the menu allows teachers to quickly load a solution for every Rapid Router level. • Improved responsiveness and a better UI for users accessing the Code for Life website and resources on mobile devices.
• A new logo to better reflect the Code for Life mission and vision.
The Code for Life resources include a fun coding game called Rapid Router featuring more than 100 levels that help teach children the principles of programming. Students can also build their own challenges and teachers have access to extensive documentation, including full lessons plans, classroom activities and tutorial videos. Code for Life users can also access a series of videos where various computer programmers explain how they use coding in their careers.
http://codeforlife.education
Starting school young can put child wellbeing at risk
New research has shown that the youngest pupils in each school year group could be at risk of worse mental health than their older classmates. Starting school young is an exciting but sometimes challenging milestone for children and their families. Some children will be nearing their fifth birthday as they enter foundation classes while others will be only just four. Now, a study led by the University of Exeter Medical School which investigated more than 2,000 children across 80 primary schools in Devon, has found that children who are younger than their peers when they start school are more likely to develop poorer mental health, as rated by parents and teachers. Overall the effect was small, however researchers believe the additional stress of keeping up with older peers could prove a “tipping point” for vulnerable children, such as those with learning difficulties or who were born prematurely.
The research team was supported by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme and the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula (NIHR PenCLAHRC).
The research, published in the journal Child
Care, Health and Development, could have implications on parents’ decisions on whether to defer their child’s school entry for a school year, permissible under guidance introduced in 2014. The findings could also influence how teachers interact with younger children, particularly those with additional complex needs in the class, and on assessments and teaching and support structures within classrooms.
Professor Tamsin Ford, of the University of Exeter Medical School, oversaw the research. Professor Ford, a practising child psychiatrist, said: “Being relatively younger could be the tipping point for some, but certainly not all, children. For most it would just be something for teacher’s to be aware of but for children with other needs or who were born prematurely this difference could be significant. Awareness of this issue among teachers and educators means measures can be put in place that could help to mitigate this effect and get the best outcome for children.”
www.exeter.ac.uk
Period taboos holding girls back from participating in sports at school
New research released this week by period education programme, betty for schools, shows that high numbers of young women are being held back from participating in sport at school due to taboos around periods. Of the 2,000 women polled by the organisation, almost half (46%) stated that they had used their periods as an excuse to skip PE classes, even when they felt well enough to take part. The top reason given for skipping sports classes was a fear of leaking, with two in five (39%) admitting that this was a serious concern for them. Around a quarter of women (24%) also said they excused themselves because they were too scared of their sanitary pads being visible to others or slipping around as they exercised.
The importance of better education about periods for young women was something the majority of respondents emphatically agreed upon, over two thirds (68%) said that if girls were better educated about periods and how they affect their bodies, they wouldn’t be so reluctant to take part in sports at school. Education around the specific benefits of exercise while menstruating was also seen to be lacking; almost three in four (73%) believe that more needs to be done to teach girls about the benefits of exercise while menstruating.
Andrew Goodlad, PSHE & Citizenship Co- ordinator at Parrenthorn High School supports this idea. He commented: “The best thing that
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www.education-today.co.uk July/August 2017
teachers and parents can do to help is to have honest and open conversations about periods with their children. Teachers and schools need to provide an environment where girls are given the information they need and the chance to ask what they don’t know. This means teachers of both genders should be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to openly engage in the conversation.”
Becky Hipkiss, Education Manager at betty for schools, said: “We know the value of exercise for our bodies and our minds – at all ages – and it’s really worrying that so many girls are finding that the weight of taboo around periods prevents them from participating in sports.”
www.bettyforschools.co.uk
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