Download the script in pdf here 

 

Welcome to the final module of the course and well done for reaching this point!

 

In this final module we continue to explore some tools and resources that can help you not only address coding or programming related areas but also web editing, internet search, computer networks and esafety. These areas are sometimes overlooked with all the hype around coding at the moment but are no less important to address with our students. 

 

In this module we also have a big activity which has a deadline. The first thing to highlight here is thatwe have extended the first deadline of the course which was originally on the 17th May to the 20th May at 23:59h Brussels time. By this date you need to have submitted your completed Learning Diary. We have seen a lot of great diaries on the course so we don’t want you to feel rushed in completing these, which is why we have extended the deadline. Please note that all other deadlines remain the same. So the final, final deadline to complete all quizzes, activities and in particular to submit the peer reviews is still on the 24th May.

 

It is important that you closely read the instructions for all the different stages of the activity. The first stage asks you to prepare a lesson plan that incorporates some of the ideas or resources introduced on the course. A link to this lesson plan should then be the final entry on your Learning Diary which you have to submit as part of the 2nd stage of the activity. In a 3rd stage, you then have to review two diaries of other course participants. You will be assigned these two diaries automatically as soon as you have submitted your own diary.

 

For the lesson plan and for the reviews you can find an example within the relevant sections. Look at these first to be sure you know what to do.

 

We very much hope that this course has introduced you to some useful tools, resources, activity ideas as well as conceps that can help you in your daily teaching practice. Please continue sharing your ideas and resources from your countries via social media and the Padlets. We will be in touch again via email. Until then goodbye!

In the first two sections of this module we will be looking at tablet-based tools for teaching computing. Tablets are increasingly entering schools across Europe providing clear advantages over the static and often unreliable PC standing in the corner of a class or in a separate computer room. And with a great variety of apps available to explore computing, they are excellent tools to get students engaged in the concepts and ideas of the subject.

In the video below, Neil Rickus, a primary school teacher and university lecturer from the UK tells us about his recommendations for using different tablet-based apps. You can find more information about Neil at his website, http://computingchampions.co.uk. Below the video you will find a list of apps recommended by Neil and the one's he introduces in the video are highlighted in yellow. The table also shows you their availability on Android and iOS, price, recommended age range (in brackets) and if it is required to sign up to use them. Unfortunately, at present most of the apps are only available for ipads so your choice on Android and Windows is more limited. But more and more of the ipad apps are also appearing on Android and Windows or will do so in the near future, so make sure to check regularly to see if the list below is still up-to-date. 

In this second section on tablet-based tools, Neil continues with some interesting apps but also provides advice on resources that are available to help you assess the progression of pupils learning and organize your computing teaching more generally. 

The resources Neil recommends are very UK focused so if you are not based in the UK, make sure to take this into account and consider how they would have to be adapted to make them better fit your context.

The Quickstart Computing Scheme of Work Neil mentions is highly recommendable as a professional development resource providing a comprehensive overview of different computing related topics that should be introduced in the classroom. Make sure to browse through this valuable resources below the video.

More information about the organization Computing at Schools in the UK which Neil mentions can be found here.

In the next two sections we would like to explore some tools and resources that help you focus on areas not directly linked to programming or coding. In this section you will find a short video from James Abela, an experienced primary school teacher and currently Head of IT Bangkok Patana School. James addresses how we can explore the theory and dynamics behind something most of us do multiple times a day: searching the internet. He also looks at some resources for web editing and computer networks. These are three very important topics which are sometimes overlooked due to the hype around coding in the classroom which is why we want to at least briefly address them here.

You can find links to all the resources mentioned by James in his presentation (and many more) in hisScoop.it here. Please note that the video is an edited version of a much longer video produced by James which you can access here.

After watching the video, share your experiences, resources and ideas for teaching these topics in the primary classroom. Have you designed a website with your students? Have you explored how a Google search works? What other tools and resources are out there that we could use to address these topics? Share your thoughts in the Padlet below.

If you remember back to one of the first videos on the course, digital literacy and esafety were components of what is usually understood under the term computing. So in this section we are introducing some resources that can get you started to explore three topics that are important to address with students at a young age when it comes to the safe and responsible use of the internet. 

Make sure to switch on subtitles as the presentation speed is quite fast!

The resources mentioned in the videos can be accessed below. Also make sure to check out the resources from Insafe, most of which are available in multiple languages: http://www.saferinternet.org/resources

Passwords:

• Tool to test strength of passwords (English)
• Tool to test strength of passwords (German)
• Tool to test strength of passwords (French)
• Website showing most popular passwords
• Password Rap

 

Think Before You Post:

• Video: Impact of posting content without careful consideration
• Digiduck’s Big Decision

 

Who am I Talking to:

• The Adventures of Lee and Kim
• The Adventures of Lee and Kim 2

 

After watching these short videos, share your views in the Padlet below on when we should start talking to children about these important topics? At what age of the students and how do you start to address these topics in your classroom? Can you recommed resources from your country?

For the final activity you have to create a lesson plan. The idea is for you to reflect on everything you have learned over the past weeks and integrate this into a final course product that you add to your learning diary and that is directly useful for your work in the classroom.

To design the lesson plan we use a very nice tool called the Learning Designer which was developed by the London Institute of Education. You can see an example of a lesson plan created in the Learning Designer further below. Make sure to scroll around the lesson plan because not all elements will be shown inside the window. 

For an introduction on how to use the Learning Designer watch the video below. Then follow the following steps:

1. Register for the Learning Designer tool here, click the activation link in the email you receive (check your Spam folder if you don't receive an email), and then log-in using your credentials.

2. Prepare your lesson plan using the Learning Designer taking into account the following points:

   1. ​The lesson plan makes direct use of an engaging and innovative tool or method for teaching Computing:

      1. for example, the lesson plan includes the use of a visual programming or game design tool. Or the lesson uses the methods of Computer Science Unplugged, teaching without computers.

   2. ​The lesson plan focuses on the teaching of a concept, process, way of thinking or skill rather than just on how to use a tool or programming language:

      1. for example, the lesson plan objective is to teach students the concept of debugging or decomposition. Or the lesson focuses on the development of computational thinking in general or specific skills such as teamwork, storytelling, planning or problem-solving. 

   3. ​The lesson plan is well aligned with its learning outcomes:

      1. activities and assessment clearly link with the defined learning outcomes and allow the teacher to determine by the end of the lesson if the objectives have been achieved

   4. ​The lesson plan is balanced:

      1. there is a good mix of activities with at least four different Teaching & Learning Activities used (TLAs in the Learning Designer) and none of the Activities taking up more than 35% of the time (see the pie chart for this)

3. Once you have completed your lesson plan, click the share button on the Learning Designer and copy the short URL which is created into your Learning Diary. Clearly identify on your Learning Diary that this is your lesson plan. 

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE TEXT BELOW CLOSELY, so that you understand exactly how to complete this final activity. If you want to receive the course certificate, it is essential that you complete all the steps indicated below.

1. Read the Criteria for a Good Learning Diary below

CRITERIA FOR A GOOD LEARNING DIARY

Here is a list of criteria you should consider before submitting your Learning Diary and to use for your peer review of the Learning Diaries of two other people on the course: The Learning Diary includes answers to the questions raised in each module The Learning Diary shows that the author has reflected about the questions and topics raised on the course in the context of her/his own situation The Learning Diary includes a lesson plan that follows all the criteria identified in section 4.5  The Learning Diary includes resources, posts, ideas, etc. directly from the course, from other course participants or from anywhere on the web that are relevant to the topics discussed.

 

2. Submit your Learning Diary by posting the link in the textbox below and clicking the "Hand-in task" button. Make sure you submit the correct link as once you have submitted it, there is no way to subsequently change it. The final deadline to submit your Learning Diary is the 20th May at 23:59h Brussels time (CEST). However, feel free to submit your Diary before then as the earlier you submit your own Diary the more time you have for the next step.

3. Review two Learning Designs. Wait until you have received an email confirming that you have been allocated 2 tasks of your peers to review. You will then be able to post comments on each of the 2 Learning Diaries of your peers in the text box that will be available below each of the tasks. Use the criteria above to provide feedback and take a look at this document for an example of the kind of feedback that should be provided. Make sure that after having posted your comments in the text box, you click the "Assess" button. The final deadline to submit your reviews is the 24th May 2015 at 23:59h Brussels time (CEST).

4. Read the feedback for your own Learning Diary. You will receive an email as soon as you can look at the feedback that has been provided for your Learning Diary. Once its ready you will be able to see the feedback on this page.

Now this whole activity relies on your integrity and professionalism. Please take it seriously, don't plagiarise and provide valuable and friendly feedback. There is nothing more frustrating than having put a lot of work into a great Learning Diary and then not being provided the professional courtesy by someone who does not take the review process seriously.

The review process is NOT anonymous so you will see the name of the person who has reviewed your Learning Design. But please note that if you are not happy with the review you have been provided, we are not in a position to check this. 

Please also remember that the process of reviewing someone's work is a great learning exercise so participating in this exercise should be valuable in itself, even if you feel the feedback you have received has not been that helpful.

1. Hand in your task >  2. Review your colleagues >  3. Reviews received