LGfL History Of Computing offers a full range of KS3-4 and KS5 resources and cross curricular resources to provide context and reality to themes and concepts
LGfL provides a wide range of Computing and ICT resources as well as content that can support the cross curricular use of technology across the school. See LGfL Showcase
LGfL Curriculum Central offers mapping of its resources, materials and software across all curriculum subjects.
Somerset ELIM have developed a Popplet mind map that others can contribute to mapping out what areas a well rounded and comprehensive SOW should cover or include
LGfL provides a wide range of Computing and ICT resources as well as content that can support the cross curricular use of technology across the school. See LGfL Showcase
LGfL Curriculum Central offers mapping of its resources, materials and software across all curriculum subjects.
LGfL VideoCentral HD provides online video hosting. Videos have no adverts or pop ups and can be embedded into web content.
LGfL provides access to a wordpress powered blogging tool; the J2E toolkit. Depending on the ages and skills of pupils, they can access and create using the J2E tools or directly via the wordpress interface.
Robotics
Robomind robotics learning activities
App Design
The wide range of LGfL content and resources can be brought together and used as a content bank through the LGfL App Creator toolkit, which allows students to draw content together from a range of sources on the LGfL and develop a personalised and individual web-app
Code Org offers a wide rage of self guided learning that allow pupils to follow their own interests and understanding, including app development
App Inventor from MIT uses the same content and toolkit as Scratch to develop an App for Android devices, while many users will have IOS devices, the development and publishing restrictions implemented by Apple around its app store make it very difficult for schools to use it as a teaching toolkit
Approaches and content
Discrete or embedded?
Computing is a powerful interdisciplinary subject that has connections to other subjects in the curriculum. The new programme of study is challenging and will require dedicated time in order to deliver it. However, finding cross-curricular links can be of real benefit, especially where they involve pupils applying computational thinking in other subjects. Also, while digital literacy is part of computing, the provision of e-safety education, and the safeguarding of pupils, is an institution-wide issue.
National curriculum or national curriculum ‘plus’?
The curriculum is a minimum entitlement ? what more can you add to enhance your provision? There are many interesting and exciting ways in which you could extend and build upon the programme of study. For example you could use a school drama production as a source of inspiration. Your pupils could record the movements of the actors on stage and use them to create an animated version of the production. Or they could design a media-rich website for the production, containing images, videos of the play, interviews with the cast and crew, and so on, and implement it using a content management system such as WordPress. Or they could write a program to control the lighting and sound cues.
Or create an inventory system for props and scenery. Or design an app that helps actors to rehearse their parts.
Themes?
Using CS, IT and DL as themes is limiting. The most interesting problems involve elements of all three. A more engaging approach might be to utilise themes running through the curriculum.
Pupil-centred?
Encouraging pupils to learn what they need to know by working with the tools and creating the digital artefacts that excite them most is a good way to get them engaged. Building a set of differentiated modular projects for pupils to choose from will allow them to match the curriculum to their own interests and to map their progress against any criteria you provide. Alternatively, you could give a half-termly briefing and let pupils define their own learning goals through enquiry-based learning. You can then plan out a unit to meet the needs and interests of the class.
