One of the most difficult challenges that teachers face today is that we are trying to prepare our pupils for a world
where science and technology, lifestyles and careers are all changing at an incredible fast rate. When I went to
school, mobile phones were the size of bricks, I didn’t know what the internet was, and the term ‘social media’ had
not yet been invented. Things have changed so much in such a short space of time and the pace of change is only likely
to increase as our children make their way through school and into their future careers.
The one thing that we can predict is that computers and various forms of communication technology will almost
certainly assume a central role in our children’s lives and their chosen professions. Whether your child becomes a
doctor, an architect, a scientist or a computer programmer, they will use computers in some form or other. At Huili,
we are equipping pupils to thrive in this unpredictable world and I believe our ICT course is one of the most
exciting and challenging available in schooling today.
“In fifteen years we’ll be teaching programming just like reading
and writing and wondering why we didn’t do it sooner.” - Mark Zuckerberg
Pupils at Huili don’t have to wait fifteen years for their school to start teaching programming, it is already
an integral part of their ICT lessons. The benefits of this approach have been proven by many studies, as research
suggests that learning to program can increase problem solving skills, logical thinking, creativity and collaboration
capabilities. ICT is an essential component of a well-rounded education and preparation for a career in tomorrow’s
world.
So what can you do at home?
“Don’t just buy a new video game — make one. Don’t just download the latest app —
help design it. Don’t just play on your phone — program it.” - Barack Obama
In the last few years, there has been an explosion of new apps and software on the market to help pupils learn
to program, these range from basic ‘shape’ programming tools for primary school children, to learning whole programming
languages for junior high and senior school pupils. I have outlined some of the best resources and how you can access
them below.
Age: 6+
Cost: free
Devices: iPad and android
Description: Scratch JR is a drag-and-drop programming environment based on the
popular, powerful Scratch system. Users choose characters and backgrounds and then drag
and drop pieces of a programming script. Each piece causes the chosen character to perform certain actions -- jumping,
moving forward and backward, disappearing and reappearing.
https://scratch.mit.edu/
Age: 8+
Cost: free
Devices: Windows and Mac computers
Description: Scratch is a free, downloadable application that lets users combine graphics, photos,
music, and sound to create simple interactive animations, games, and slide shows. Users create scripts by dragging and
dropping graphical blocks that snap together like puzzle pieces.
Age: 8+
Cost: free (or paid subscription)
Devices: iPad and android
Description: Kids create games and animations with Hopscotch by dragging and dropping
commands and instructions into a script. Kids choose characters, colourful monsters, animals or their own images. A
subscription is required for some of the personalisation.
Age: 9+
Cost: free
Devices: iPad and android
Description: The user chooses instructions for moving the turtle around the screen. This can include
using graphics, colour, sound and more. It is possible for the user to create their own programmes from scratch and
view examples of pre-written programmes.
Age: 10+
Cost: free
Devices: Windows store (PC only)
Description: This powerful drag-and-drop user interface allows pupils to design their own game
environment and then programme their characters to move and interact with each other. Games can be made increasingly
sophisticated by adding variables and different levels.
Age: 11+
Cost: free
Devices: iPad and android and website
http://www.codecademy.com/
Description: Designed to introduce new users to the world of written programming, Code academy provides
interactive lessons on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Probably the best resource for pupils and parents is the excellent https://code.org/. This website is a
platform and portal for an array of coding games, programs and activities. They organise their annual “Hour of Code”
where millions of pupils try coding for the first time and they have lots of themed activities for all ages.
