VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM l attended some of the initial training run by


Computing at Schools (CAS) - a grassroots organisation supporting teachers from the bottom up - and was given several devices by them so was able to play around and test their functionality before they were sent out to schools in 2016. Today we’re lucky to have a fair amount of


physical computing devices around at school – including around 40 BBC micro:bits - and they’re useful to engage with all learners, challenging children’s thinking and taking their learning further. It also means I’ve been relaxed about allowing the children to take the devices home. For example, I sent every Year 4 child home with a BBC micro:bit so we can do some live lessons after Easter. They were really excited about being given free rein to experiment and understand the functionality by themselves.


Can you describe some classroom projects that have worked really well using the BBC micro:bit? Learning about computational thinking has got the children involved in some really exciting creative projects. We often start with straightforward stuff such as making text scroll across the screen and make images appears when buttons are pressed. Getting that micro:bit moment is important to spark kids’ interest. Robots are my thing. I’m obsessed with them


and do a project in Y4 where we link Computing with DT to make moving creatures – big animals with moving parts, wagging tails, light up eyes and moving arms – we use the BBC micro:bit as the controller. The challenge with combining Computing with DT is to make sure you get the balance right. So I normally spend a couple of weeks teaching the BBC micro:bit in computing lessons and then move that across to DT to apply those skills into making the moving creatures. Physical computing brings back the wow


factor. When the BBC micro:bit flashes and makes something happen it reintroduces the wow by getting the children really focused and engaged.


How useful have you found the new micro:bit classroom tool in a classroom setting? I saw micro:bit classroom demonstrated live at micro:bit live in Manchester and could instantly see the benefits I like how everyone can be given the same


starting point and the ability to see the live code everyone is working on. You can easily see at a glance what work the


children have done and then restart the lesson, which is an interesting time-saving feature for teachers. The ability to save pupils’ work, and give it back to them is also useful.


How easy has it been to adapt to a remote learning setting and what has helped you adapt? As I’m Head of Computing there were lots of questions initially put to me about what to do, which was challenging. Fortunately many staff in my school had already started on their Google classroom journey, but not all were at the same stage, so I had to ensure all staff were up and running at a similar speed. We did a lot in the last 3 weeks to achieve this as we knew we wouldn’t


October 2020


be in for the rest of the term. I created guides for my school which I shared with colleagues and I’m also supporting other schools through my consultancy work. It’s been a very challenging time for many teachers, but it’s also been interesting to try different ways of teaching. I’ve been impressed with how well the


micro:bit classroom is working remotely. Using Google Classroom as our communication tool I have been able to work with kids in real time and help them with their code. It’s like you’re in the same room looking at their screens. I can see this being beneficial to many other teachers, especially when paired with a feedback/communication tool.


What challenges do computing teachers face today and how have you overcome them? I know a gender gap exists in some secondary schools, but I don’t personally see that at primary level. I’m passionate about technology and have a good balance of girls and boys in the robotics club I run. In my experience I have found girls to be much better at Computing than boys at primary level. What happens to turn children off Computing? I’d be interested in finding out why that is and perhaps they need some exciting creative projects to inspire them.


Finally, what impact do you think this time of remote learning will have on education? I’ve been working in ed tech for over 10 years and can see some positives will arise out of this. When we return it will make the topic of technology and remote learning much more relevant. Even schools who didn’t already have systems in place will hopefully be more interested in exploring the options. It will shift the conversation. Schools will look at what tech they have and hopefully think more carefully about how they should allocate spending on technology. Parents have been very supportive because they recognise this is an unprecedented situation and everyone is doing their best to continue with the teaching and learning. However, this pandemic has also highlighted


the disparity between different groups of kids - that’s a big issue. Not everyone has access to an internet connection in their house, nor digital


www.education-today.co.uk 17


devices, so how do we ensure that every house has the tools they need to access home learning? I recommend the BBC micro:bit to teachers as


it’s easy to learn to use and can open children’s minds to a world of creative possibilities. The website has a wealth of ideas to inspire children and teachers alike.


With funding from Nominet, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation has recently released a free comprehensive educational platform to empower every teacher to deliver creative coding projects and computing lessons suitable for both the classroom and remote (home) learning. The platform includes micro:bit classroom, a unique tool that makes managing and reviewing students’ code for the micro:bit quick and easy – set up takes just two minutes for MakeCode and python.


uVisit microbit.org/ for further details.


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