Tag Archives: resources

Writing books – Thanks, but this isn’t for us

While the previous writing-related books I’ve reviewed have been suitable for any active writer, this one isn’t for the faint-hearted! I would definitely suggest that Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us by Jessica Page Morrell, subtitled A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing Is Being Rejected, is aimed at the more confident, polished writer who is nearing the point of either seeking an agent or publisher or getting ready to hit the self-publish button.

Written by a developmental editor who claims to have been called the Angel of Death by a critique group she ran, this book goes through all the common problems she sees in manuscripts. For each category she looks at, such as first impressions, she gives a detailed explanation of that aspect, why it is important and what it needs to include. She breaks down the categories of what she sees as the dealbreakers (dud prologues, trying too hard, not enough happening, too much happening), all with detailed explanations of how and why they are a problem, and then gives options for improving that aspect (dialogue, anecdote, suspense, theme, setting). Examples are given from published works and from novels she’s come across that have problems (heavily disguised so as not to embarrass anyone!). Each chapter concludes with exercises and tips for your own work, and a list of further resources.

The fourteen chapters include first impressions, plot, style and language, conflict, avoiding dialogue disasters, characters and writing memoirs. The final chapter is entitled Driving an Editor Crazy: Goofs, Gaffes and Howlers That Sink a Manuscript (dippy and oddball names, creepy sex scenes, fact checker breakdown, head hopping, inconsistent voice…).

There is also an epilogue that covers living the writer’s life, with tips and advice on how to make writing more than just a hobby. The first section, entitled Toughen Up, maybe should have been at the front! The book concludes with a glossary of relevant words – “The lingo of writing; The lingo of publishing” – which covers relevant words or phrases, such as crucible, inciting action, subtext, earn out, imprint, remaindered; all the vocabulary that the author wants to be able to use intelligently in discussions about their craft – or rather about their business, because this really is the attitude that the author is expecting from her readers.

There is a lot of valuable material in here, to the extent that I feel it would be off-putting to the writer who is relatively new to the craft. The author really does not pull her punches, and is almost intimidating in her fervour (“If I sound like a badass on these pages, keep in mind that I’m a pussycat compared to the suits in the publishing world. You know, the folks who send out the rejection letters.”). However, close reading and analysis would probably help any writer on the cusp of publishing standard to figure out any remaining problems and tidy things up.

If you’re putting your first novel together, then there are plenty of other books out there to hold your hand and guide you gently. If you’re submitting and not getting the results you want, or are about to take that first step of sending your work out to find a publisher, then this book would be a very useful addition to your library. If you’re self-publishing, then the responsibility to make sure your work is of publishable standard rests on your shoulders.

The interior of the book is clearly laid out, with clear headings and subheadings. Checklists are included for your own work. The writing style is clear and to the point. I love the simple but effective cover design on the paperback, and at just under 350 pages it’s a fair-sized book. The kindle version isn’t much cheaper than the paperback, and in this case, as in most writing books, I’d definitely recommend getting the paperback version.

Writing books – Writing Active Hooks Book 1: Action, Emotion, Surprise and more

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This is one of a series of books by Mary Buckham. She has books on writing active hooks, and writing active settings, and I think I’ll be working my way through them. This one is on Active Hooks, covering action, emotion, surprise and raising questions, with mentions of other types of hooks (book 2 in the series includes unique character hooks and foreshadowing among its topics, as well as placement of hooks). This book is only available as kindle version, costing around the same as a posh coffee, although I note that there is an omnibus edition available of the Active Settings series, with the Active Hooks as a bonus, in both ebook and paperback format, and I’m very tempted.

Hooks are “tools to engage readers and keep them engaged”, and the examples include ideas on how to control the tension within the hook, depending on what genre you’re writing in.

Each hook is introduced clearly, with each chapter including examples from popular fiction, plus worked examples where a simple sentence is enhanced to include a hook, or a variety of hooks, that pull the reader forward and make them want to read more. There are then practical assignments, such as going into a book shop, to a shelf you don’t normally read from, and picking up books at random to read their opening sentence.

This isn’t a particularly long book, but it provides a lot of detail on a specific topic, and is worth a look at if you feel your writing needs a little more jazz. As it’s a short ebook, it’s ideal to have on your phone app for those moments you’re out and about and need something to read. By itself, it’s not going to have a major effect on your writing, but if you’re at the stage where you’re confident on the basics of plot and setting and just want that extra oomph that will pull the readers along, then this would be well worth considering.

Writing books – Blueprint Your Bestseller

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I have a large and growing collection of writing-related and editing-related books, and i thought it might be useful to review a few of them.

The first book I’m looking at is Blueprint Your Bestseller, by Stuart Horwitz. This book is aimed at considering the overall structure of your book. It applies to both fiction and nonfiction – this book itself was written using the same methodology – and does not touch on topics such as point of view, dialogue or showing and telling. Instead, it shows how to break down your work into series, scenes and an overall theme. By considering how these series develop, and the scenes in which series converge, you can reach a deeper understanding of what your book is about, and how to improve it.

This book is best used once you have a rough draft – action step zero is to write around a hundred pages, so it’s ideal for helping you to make sense of your nano novel, for example. It then gives you 22 steps towards improving the structure and strengthening your content. These steps are practical and straightforward, when read in conjunction with the main text, and provide a clear way to produce a multi-threaded story, where the threads (or series) back each other up and support each other. For example, one step is to draw a target representing the theme that you’ve worked out, and to consider how close each scene is to that target.

Like many “structure” books, a worked example is given, but unlike some that rely on you having at least basic knowledge of the story under analysis, this one works with a commonly known fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling, and includes the full text of the tale, in both simple and annotated versions.

This is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine, and the techniques included are proving very useful when I carry out developmental editing.

Getting started in Scrivener

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With Nanowrimo almost upon us, many people are trying out Scrivener for the first time, so I’ve put a guide together to help you. Click on any screenshot to see it larger. You can also download a PDF version Getting started in Scrivener if you would rather print the instructions out to have next to you.

First download and install your Scrivener trial – currently the best link is from http://www.literatureandlatte.com/nanowrimo.php – this is a special nanowrimo trial that will last until 7^th December.

Creating a new project gives you a few options. I would suggest sticking to Fiction for nano if it’s your first time using Scrivener.

Give your file a name and choose where to save it – I always save mine to Dropbox as I can then access it via PC or laptop.

When you click Create, this is what you will be faced with. On the left is the Binder, which organises all your documents. Use the triangles to expand and contract your structure. Typing happens in the main area.

Building your structure

Click on Manuscript in the Binder. Click on the triangle next to the green Add Item button and choose New Folder. There is already one there, called Chapter.

Name your folders as your Chapter titles.

On each folder, click on the green Add Item button (or on the triangle next to it and select New Text) to create a scene in the chapter, and give each scene a name.

Your organisation can be as complex or simple as you like – here, under Manuscript I have two chapters (folders), each with one scene (text document), but each chapter can contain several scenes. Just add a new one when you need it, via the Add Item button. You can drag and drop folders and files in the Binder to change the organisation.

There is also a folder labelled Research, where you can create and store any documents containing notes rather than actual manuscript. Ignore any other folders for now – just worry about Manuscript and Research.

Click on Project/Project Targets and set up your manuscript target as 50,000 and your session target at 1667 (or whatever your daily/session target is). See those bars change colour as you get closer to your target. Scrivener will keep track of your overall word count for the project and each session, whether you work on one scene or split your time between several.

Click on the scene you want to write and get started! Jump between scenes by clicking on the scene name in the Binder. Add a new scene/chapter as you need it or set up your complete structure in advance; the choice is yours.

Don’t worry about saving – Scrivener saves as you go along. If you are switching machines and using Dropbox or other cloud storage, just give your machine enough time to sync between closing Scrivener and shutting the computer down, and between turning the next one on and opening the project.

Using the Inspector

If you want to make fuller use of Scrivener, I suggest you start with the Inspector.

Click on View/Layout/Inspector to turn on the Inspector pane on the right. This gives you options to record information about each section.

Here I have added a synopsis of the scene. There is meta data that you can play with, to label the type of document (scene, character notes, idea, notes), and a status you can set. You can use the ones already created, or you can create your own by using the Edit button at the bottom of the list of options.

Click on a chapter folder and then Corkboard button on the top middle of the screen to see the synopsis cards. You can drag them around to change their order.

Or click on Outline View to see a different view of your structure. You might have to resize columns so that you can see all of them in the window. You can use Outline View on your Manuscript and expand each chapter, to get an overview of your complete novel, as well as on individual chapters.

Click back on an individual text file to continue working on that file.

It’s a good idea to compile your project every so often to produce a backup version. Click the Compile button or choose Project/Compile. There are a variety of settings – I usually use these for backups. This produces a straightforward text document that can be read in most word processors.

Most of all, have fun writing!

The new computing curriculum and web science

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There have been many arguments over the new computing curriculum. The more I look at it, the more concerned I am that it appears narrowly focused on programming, whereas computing can involve so much more.

One case in point is the course I’m currently studying at FutureLearn, the Open University’s contribution to the MOOCs (massively open online courses) currently sweeping the web. This particular course, sponsored by Southampton University, is called Web Science: how the web is changing the world. It looks at the effects the world wide web is having on society, and how we have influenced the web.

The topics it covers are ones that are important to understand, and that I spent time in the classroom trying to get across – that technology is new, but pervasive, and affects our lives in more ways than we can imagine. In fact, the same topic is covered in a book I’m currently reading in order to review: Digitized: The Science of Computers and how it shapes our World.

If children are truly to understand the importance of coding, and to be able to express themselves effectively using digital media, then they also need to understand the deeper concepts of computing, for example how it can help us to build a better world, and to better understand our own minds.

I haven’t done much resource creating for the past few months as I left my teaching post in July and have been focusing on other aspects of my business, but after a break away from classroom technology and learning for a bit I’m now getting restless and starting to look for ways that I can help schools make the move forward from office-based computer skills to real computer skills. If anyone has any suggestions – or anyone in the Canterbury, UK area (or online) would like practical help – then please do get in touch. I will be resuming my quest to produce teaching materials in January, but not being in a classroom regularly makes it a little harder to keep up with the practical side of things.

Incidentally, there’s another MOOC coming up that ICT teachers really should be seeking out: Teaching Computing part 1 (part 2 to follow) from the University of East Anglia, which aims to prepare teachers to teach the new computing curriculum in both primary and secondary sectors. The course lasts for 4 weeks and is expected to take up around 4 hours per week, but of course anyone seeking to teach computing should be prepared to devote time to it – my biggest fear is that computing will go the way of ICT, with too many non-specialists stumbling through and not giving the subject the rigour that it deserves.

More on BBC Basic

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Since my previous post about BBC Basic I’ve been looking into the topic further, and it appears the language might have something going for it after all – it’s very similar to the pseudocode used by OCR, and OCR seems to be supporting it, as they have provided training materials using BBC Basic to illustrate solutions.

One problem the language does seem to have is a lack of materials available, so I decided to have a go at remedying that, and have produced a KS3 workbook, similar to my Python workbook, which provides guidance into the first few steps of programming – input, output, variables, IF statements and loops – using BBC Basic, including simple exercises. My intention is that the booklet provides enough information for the more able students to progress by themselves, while others will benefit from extra guidance from their teacher.

I myself missed out on BBC Basic, as by the time it was introduced in schools I was at the top end and about to leave, but I did start off with Sinclair Basic, which was very similar. I do miss the old days of line numbering, but I have to admit that these days it’s far easier! If there is a generation of teachers out there who need to learn how to teach computing in a hurry and they’re already familiar with – or even just have a passing acquaintance with – BBC Basic, then capitalising on that would seem to be a viable way forward.

I intend to look further still into BBC Basic and pseudocode, as students are expected to understand pseudocode anyway for OCR GCSE Computing, and being able to write programs in pseudocode that translate directly into executable code would be useful, but I do feel that there needs to be some sort of introduction to another language as well. Watch this space for more news on training materials.

I remember reading once (a long time ago, admittedly!) that universities don’t want students who have already learned a programming language because they get confused when learning a second, but on the other hand those who already have experience in two find it far easier to learn a third. I myself have found that it’s the thinking and planning skills that are vital – once you understand exactly what you are trying to do, finding the exact syntax in the language of your choice becomes the easy bit. It’s like learning to drive a car – when you first learn, you’re bothered by every small difference in another car – the side the indicator is on, the biting point of the clutch – but once you gain more experience you’re aware of the differences and can work better with the similarities.

Hopscotch – programming on iPad

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Hopscotch looks similar to Scratch in many ways

I’m always on the look-out for interesting ways to introduce children to programming, and recently I came across Hopscotch, a free iPad app.

At first glance, Hopscotch looks very much like Scratch, but it is much simpler, while making full use of the interface possibilities of an iPad.

Blocks available to use are limited to

motion: move, rotate, set heading, change x by, change y by, set speed
lines: leave a trail… end, set line color, set line width, clear
controls: repeat… end, wait
looks: scale by, set opacity, change costume
operators: random

Each script starts with an event trigger:

When play button pressed
when I shake the iPad
When I tap the stage
when I tilt the ipad down/left/right/up
when I tap the object
when I hear a loud noise
when [this object] collides with……
The program can produce simple graphics

One sample program that came with the app produces this output, by using several sprites to each draw a section of the image:

My first reaction was that not having the full functionality of Scratch is a real disadvantage – there is no possibility of embedded maths, for example, because the only operator offered is one that generates a random number.

Part of the code for the Sydney Opera House program

However, on reflection, this could also be a strength, as limiting the code that can be used forces attention on those that can be used, so the coder can really explore the possibilities without getting too bogged down in complicated code blocks.

It’s my impression that the app is constantly under review and development, as since I first investigated it the collision function was added, so it’s very possible that within a few months Hopscotch turns out to be a fully developed, child-friendly graphical app design tool.

Tabs show different sprites in the program, while a simple diagram helps with placement on screen

In the meantime, it does offer basic functionality that enables creators to create interactive animations and activities involving basic logic. Its Event -> Action format would also serve as a good introduction to Gamemaker or other similar products, and of course the drag and drop graphics make it very easy for even young children.

I suspect that older children would find this rather limiting after a while, but I would certainly recommend it at key stage 2 for exploring possibilities in programming, and even as a cross-curricular maths tool, exploring distances and angles, for example giving a drawing to copy and seeing if children can describe the sequence needed to draw it. Results could of course be recorded by screenshot and drawings to copy can be as simple or complex as needed, leading to natural differentiation by task.

There is a limited selection of cartoon-like graphics that can be added to projects, plus a text object. This limits what can be done rather, but again I suspect that this could well be developed in the near future, including hopefully the ability to import your own graphics.

There is a limited selection of objects available, plus a text object

In summary, a basic tool that provides a good introduction to programming for younger children and has strong possibilities, but which at the moment is likely to be rapidly outgrown by anyone who has already experienced Scratch, as the interactivity offered by the iPad is negated by the limited instruction set.

If you have a class set of iPads, then this is would be useful. If you haven’t, then you’re not missing very much at the moment, but this could well be one to keep an eye on for the future.

Gamestar Mechanic and the new computing curriculum

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One resource I was pleased to come across was Gamestar Mechanic. This is a purely web-based resource that teaches elements of game design. It’s aimed at 4-9th graders (I make that 9-14 year olds) and offers them a chance to move from playing games through fixing games to making and sharing their own. Of the many resources I’ve used with key stage 3, it’s the one I see consistently used voluntarily by the students outside of formal lessons. As we’re partway through our year 7 computing unit, which so far has looked at Scratch, I thought I’d take a closer look at GSM and see exactly what offers in terms of learning and how it fits in with the new computer-orientated curriculum.

One feature that makes GSM easy to use in class is that the registration system does not require an email address. It does, however, have a system to recover passwords that depends on students being able to remember a username and sequence of favourite colour, subject and animal, which isn’t ideal (it can change from attempt to attempt, let alone lesson to lesson!) so this time round I intend to make students make a note of their user name and passwords somewhere secure. They can use any nickname as their user name as long as it’s not already taken, but often it’s easier to tell them to use their school log-on names and passwords rather than spend hours trying to think of something suitable.

Once registered, the student is presented with a quest to work through. There is one quest available free, while others are available for those with premium membership ($19.95 for premium membership, and it may well be that students are interested enough to get their parents to pay for it, but free membership is plenty for school use).

There are two other areas of the site that will also interest users: in the workshop they can create their own games, while in Game Alley they can publish their games and try out those made by others, but more of those later.

Episode 1 screen

There are teaching materials provided by the website to serve as an introduction to the site, in the form of five lessons. Lesson 1 works through episodes 1 and 2 of the quest and then provides an opportunity to reflect on learning so far. The resources provided for lesson 1 are a set of cards that can be printed and used for matching – one set provides images of various concepts, while the other set provides names and explanations of those concepts, which are grouped into mechanics, space and components. For example, under the space group you will find bounded and unbounded space, under components you will find health meter and avatar, and under mechanics you will find collecting mechanic and exploring mechanic. This will give the students a whole collection of key terms and concepts to build the rest of the unit on, but I wonder just how many they will be able to take in and remember. The suggestion is that in small groups they work to pair up concepts and images and then everyone goes through the answers. I’m considering giving them worksheets with the concepts on and the cards with the names on, so they can fill in their worksheets and keep them for reference.

Lesson 2 introduces the core design elements, which are defined as space, components, rules, mechanics and goals. Episodes 3 and 4 of the quest provide a chance to investigate ways of changing each of these and showing the effect on the games. The resource provided for this lesson is a graphic to serve as a reminder of the core design elements.

Lesson 3 looks at balance, investigating how the different core design elements balance a game to achieve the right level of difficulty. This focuses on episode 5 and then gives students the first opportunity to build their own game. This ability is there right from the beginning, by the way, via the workshop, but each challenge the player completes in the episodes unlocks another feature they may use, either a different sprite, different background or something similar, so the further through the quest they get the more they have to use in their own games.

Games creation screen

Lesson 4 gets the students to design their own game, and offers challenge cards for different themed games should you wish to use them.

Lesson 5 encourages students to play-test each other’s games and give feedback via the sheet provided. This guides them into answering questions like “What were the core mechanics of the game?” “how well was this game balanced?” and “how could this game be improved?”.

So far so good, but what got me really thinking was when I started looking at the new computing curriculum and how Gamestar Mechanic might be considered to fit into it, because that was when I struggled to find anything in there that would link easily to games design. While games design is only a small part of what computing offers, at the age of these students it’s their most immediate attraction and links in most closely with what they already enjoy doing, so whether it fits into the computing curriculum or not, I feel it has a lot to offer.

One aspect of the computing curriculum is to use two or more programming languages. Does this provide a programming language? Well no not really, but it does provide objects that have attributes. By changing those attributes the student interacts with elements of the game and causes changes. While this does not count as a programming language, I would certainly argue that it is an important step towards moving into object oriented programming in systems such as Greenfoot, by providing a way to play with parameters and settings in a very controlled and accessible way.

Object oriented programming gets no mention in the computing curriculum, which is a shame. I’m starting to get the impression that it was written without the needs of children in mind; I can’t imagine too many children being excited at learning sorting algorithms, but give them a chance to learn games programming and they’ll be much more engaged (I know that object oriented programming and games design are not the same, but the latter provides a very good way into the former). What they learn via games design can then be applied more widely as they develop their skills.

Game Alley – published games

What about the creative element of the computing curriculum? Undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using and combining multiple applications … to achieve challenging goals… well it’s selecting, using and combining multiple elements and experimenting to see how they work together in order to achieve a playable game, does that count? It’s not really multiple applications, although it is multiple elements, which can include sound. What students can’t do with this, as far as I can see, is design their own elements. I’ll be taking a look at Gamemaker very soon, which is a natural successor to Gamestar Mechanic and does offer this facility.

Create, reuse, revise and repurpose digital information and content with attention to design, intellectual property and audience – well it’s doing some of that, not intellectual property maybe, but attention to design and audience, and combining the elements in a suitable way, particularly if you use the challenge cards to set a specific purpose or setting for the game.

Maybe Key Stage 2 would fit it better? After all, if the students haven’t been through computing at key stage 2 there’ll be some need for overlap for a year or few. Here we have solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts, use sequence, selection and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output, use logical reasoning… I would argue that it covers all those, although maybe not in the way those who created the curriculum were expecting them to be covered.

What it does do is provide a common language and set of concepts for games design that can then be developed further in many directions, so that students can move on to programming their own objects while already aware of concepts like level design, object interaction, responding to events and parameters.

Key stage 4? Here we fare much better. It should provide a chance to develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media and information technology and to develop and apply their analytic, problem-solving, design and computational thinking skills, all of which I would say it does. Considering the restrictions on it, however, I would suggest that GSM would need to be used as a springboard to Gamemaker, Greenfoot or Scratch, all of which are much more versatile and provide more opportunity to incorporate a wide variety of imported assets. It does, however, have the advantage of allowing students to focus on the game design elements and how they interact without worrying too much about how they create them, so they are not trying to learn everything at the same time.

So strangely, this seems to fit in far better with the older key stage than with the younger ones (although, of course, the key stage 4 curriculum was deliberately left very vague in order to fit in with the many ICT and computing qualification courses already available).

Each games designer earns badges as they learn

Looking at the old ICT levels, Gamestar Mechanic seems to fit in much better: strand 1 covers planning, developing and evaluating systems, using feedback to develop work, strand 2 covers creating sequences of instructions and changing variables and explaining the impact, and strand 3 covers presenting information in a range of forms for specific purposes and audiences.

In summary, while GSM doesn’t completely seem to fit the new computing curriculum, it does seem to have a lot to offer as an introduction to game making, and as part of a larger unit or with explicit teaching on various aspects such as changing parameters and looking at audience and purpose, it does have a place in either late key stage 2 or early key stage 3 learning. More importantly, I would argue, it engages students and keeps them coming back for more, and shows them the satisfaction of creating their own games for others to play and comment on. Any frustration they eventually feel at the limitations of games created through this method can then be directed into Scratch etc, where they have much more control but need to create the behaviours themselves.

Game review screen

And that reminds me of another aspect that appears to be missing from the new computing curriculum: there is no mention of collaboration in there, of working together as a team to achieve a common goal and of supporting each other in their learning. This was present in the old system (use ICT to communicate and collaborate) and would appear to be a vital digital literacy skill, considering the extent to which young people use ICT to share ideas in the real world. In Gamestar Mechanic they have a chance to do this by writing reviews for games.

Still, until the new computing curriculum is confirmed and we have more concrete information about what it entails and how to deliver it I’m happy that my students will indeed experience the games design fun of gamestar mechanic.

Python at Key Stage 3

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I recently had the pleasure of introducing some year 8 and year 9 pupils to Python. They had previously dabbled in Scratch, but the idea of writing formal text-based programs was new to them, so we took it slow and steady.

The first lesson was mostly taken up with getting to know Python – we started by typing commands directly into the shell, and then they learned how to open up a new window, type a simple program into it and run the program. By the end of the first lesson they could type up print statements and simple maths statements into a program listing, save it correctly and run it.

Lesson 2 introduced the idea of variables and input. I reminded students at the beginning of the session how to start up a new window and create a program rather than type into the shell, and how to save their program with .py on the end to conserve the colour coding. They were also starting to discover the pleasures of debugging, and learning to look carefully at their code to spot errors. They helped each other out with this, and I showed them how to check not only the area of code that Python highlighted as a concern, but to check just before it as well, as often the error was missing speech marks or closing brackets.

Lesson 3 was where the real fun began, as we looked at if statements. Combining these with input meant that we could create a question and answer program, and combining that with a variable called score gave them the option of creating their very own quiz. Reactions varied, as some struggled to get their program running and grew frustrated while others started to really fly, creating inventive listings that checked for a user name and password before allowing access to the quiz. Generally, they seemed to enjoy the sessions, and my favourite reaction was that of frustration expressed as the code refused to work, followed by that surge of satisfaction and achievement as the error was spotted and fixed.

Our work developed by way of writing programs to solve problems, and for this I used my flash resources. This had the advantage of offering different levels of challenge and support, so that those who were able could work at a higher level while I could help those who were really struggling. By the end of the sessions all students understood a little more about how programs are made and they had learned that little details like capitals and spelling really matter. Most were starting to see how their program worked and how to fix errors and develop the functionality, while a small number really enjoyed the unit and were starting to come up with their own ideas and solutions.

This was only a very brief introductory look at programming, but it was enjoyable and worthwhile as a taster of computing rather than ICT, especially for those going into options, and encouraged students to think carefully and increase the accuracy of their written work. I saw expressions of satisfaction from both ends of the ability level, as those who struggled finally got something working while those who experimented showed off what they had managed to work out for themselves. Students whose first reaction as “This is stupid” moved over to “Oh, I see what the problem is”, as they learnt that the computer would do exactly what was it was told to do, and discovered for themselves the harsh realities of Garbage In Garbage Out. Even if they never see another Python statement, I believe they’ve taken away the understanding of how carefully you need to express yourself in order to be properly understood and how accuracy leads to better results.

As a result of my experiences I’ve developed a workbook and some flash resources, which you can find on my website here.

The new computing curriculum

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Back when I was at school, people suggested to me that I could work with computers. Believing that working with computers consisted of entering data and typing, I rejected that option outright, unable to think of anything more boring.

Then I got my hands on a ZX81, and I discovered that while using a computer might be boring, someone actually had to write the programs for others to use. That was where my interest lay, and where I found real pleasure.

I completed a degree in computing and IT, and by the end of it had a growing understanding of how much society is dependent on computing systems, and of how problems are solved by careful thinking and planning.

At this point I was also trying to earn some money, and extended the childminding training I was doing by getting a job teaching in adult education. I was teaching beginner IT classes, so while I had done all this marvellous learning, I was now teaching how to use a mouse and use basic spreadsheet formulas. It wasn’t the most inspiring of subjects, but it was enjoyable, and at least in the early days I was learning more about my subject all the time as I came across problems that others were having.

I went further by qualifying to teach in a secondary school; the business ICT was not the most interesting of topics, but there was the creative and computing sides to tempt me. The first school I trained in used Flash and Fireworks, and the second had a strong control element, and both of these encouraged me to believe that the subject was well worth teaching.

It seems to me that the trouble with ICT is that it’s easy to teach but hard to teach well. Most people these days have some level of ICT skills, but generally the subject seems to have a bad reputation as far too often it’s taught by people who have no real training in it and don’t have any real knowledge to pass on (I rush to add that this is the general impression I get, not from my very limited first hand experience).

I have sought to keep a balanced curriculum, including creative, business and more technical elements, within the current guidelines, and I feel this is really the best way to go. The skills of word processing, basic spreadsheets and (to a lesser extent) databases are still important, even if you’re only running a home. Being able to balance a budget using a spreadsheet, write a well laid out letter, use the web efficiently and understand the consequences of using ICT for a business will be applicable to everyone, surely. Being able to express yourself creatively using ICT is also important; I’ve long had admiration for those who take ideas from the world around them and modify and develop them through use of technology, and I feel creativity is essential to living well. That’s not to say the new curriculum is wrong: you can’t possibly make the most of computers without having at least a basic understanding of how they work and the implications of them.

Now the curriculum is being completely overhauled. I should be rejoicing: it’s changing to embrace the side of the subject that first attracted me. I only became interested in computers when I found that I could write my own programs; surely I should welcome the chance to encourage that interest in others?

Sadly, things are not that straightforward. The draft curriculum does seem to be written in a rather biased way; maybe this is simply a reflection of the extra detail needed for the new elements, but it would be a shame if in the pressure to include computing elements the creative side was lost, not to mention the less interesting but still important business ICT.

Partly prompted by these changes, there are discussions taking place on the future of the subject: there are fears that the focus on computing will drive students away, or that the lack of teachers available to actually teach computing will mean that the subject will become still more watered down and weakened. I was shocked when I did my training to discover that while to teach maths you had to have a degree containing at least 50% maths (and that means maths, not accounting or economics), to teach ICT all you needed was an A level or equivalent experience.

There are already schools where ICT is taught in a cross-curricular way rather than in discrete lessons, and this worries me; while there are teachers who will encourage the use of ICT to complete work, are they actually prepared to teach the ICT skills needed, or are they dependent on the skills the students already have? Will they merely take advantage of the fact that students have a basic ability to type and correct documents, or are they willing to spend time teaching how to use audacity, for example, to create a podcast, thereby increasing oral skills? As long as there are discrete ICT lessons where the students can learn these specific skills, I can imagine some teachers taking advantage of those skills, always assuming they have the knowledge themselves to support them, but I don’t see much space in an already crowded syllabus for the extra teaching of ICT skills alongside the specific subject knowledge, which is a shame as using two separate skill sets will surely develop students’ thinking skills and ability to relate learning to different areas.

The new curriculum is still under consultation, and I have to trust that by the end of the consultation period it will feel more balanced. In the meantime, I intend to do the best I can to encourage good ICT and computing teaching, by developing and offering materials to help support teachers in the new curriculum, including cross-curricular learning. It worries me, for example, that primary teachers are expected to teach computing, which for many must be completely new and alien. I also see many opportunities to combine ICT with other subjects, but feel that often teachers just don’t have the time to investigate and create materials suitable.

I’ve no idea how this will pan out, just as I had no idea when I started this blog how it would develop, but it’s a good excuse for me to put my own skills and creativity to use, and to extend my own ability and knowledge. And so www.coinlea.co.uk is born. Not much there yet, but I’ll be adding resources as I develop them (or find them in my filing system!), safe in the justification that as I’m offering them to others I don’t need to feel that time spent on them is mostly wasted.

Feel free to take a look, make use of anything you fancy and suggest anything you’d like to see in there.

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