Someone told me of an X exchange that took place a few weeks ago in which teachers were saying that their kids found Scratch boring. Well (he says, arms akimbo), here are my views on that.
Read MorePupils working on computers, by Terry Freedman
Click the image to see this book on Amazon (affiliate link)
Review: Coderspeak – The language of computer programmers
This book won’t necessarily help a student pass a computing exam, but it will almost certainly make them a more aware, and thus better, programmer.
Read More![ENIAC. U.S. Army Photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Picture credit for Eniac: This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the …](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53b7d42de4b04cfc3188c6eb/1550079821886-TUICJIDYKXZIXMAK0OZX/ENIAC.jpg)
ENIAC. U.S. Army Photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Picture credit for Eniac: This image is a work of a U.S. Army soldier or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eniac.jpg
Getting touchy and feely about Computing -- illustrated
Making it possible for students to come face to face with real things from times gone by can have an electrifying effect on them. This is especially so when teaching Computing.
Read MoreWhy you should collaborate on a Computing scheme of work (Updated)
In the article 12 Characteristics of a good Computing Scheme of Work I said that people should work with other people on their Computing scheme of work. Why?
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Come back! Drawing by Terry Freedman
Computing in Schools, UK
I've been reading the transcript of a conference called Computing in England's schools, from July 2022. Yes, I'm a bit behind the times on this, so I apologise. However, I think anyone who has been involved in educational computing for any length of time…
Read MoreUsing spreadsheets or Python to process words
A couple of people and I started to discuss how we might use technology to process a block of text.
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Photo by Julius Drost on Unsplash
The Magic of Human-Computer Communication (revisited)
Magicians demonstrate that some kinds of human mistake are not down to stupidity or negligence but about how our brains are wired. Computer Scientists have to understand this too but instead engineer systems so no one makes mistakes – especially in critical situations like a hospital. The machines need to help not hinder. Professor Paul Curzon explains...
Driverless car, by Terry Freedman
Driverless cars: technology trumps experience - again (Updated)
If you want an excellent example of the triumph of hope over experience, look no further than the optimism surrounding driverless cars.
Read MoreKettles and algorithms (Updated and expanded)
Like many English people, the most important thing to me is having a decent cup of tea. So I was delighted when we bought a variable temperature kettle. This doesn’t just heat up the water to boiling point. It lets you select the right temperature for the kind of drink you have. But how does it work?
Read MoreHow can CHatGPT be used in education? And can it write decent book reviews?
I asked ChatGPT, and here’s what it said…
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Quick look: Strange Code
Strange Code looks at esoteric languages and also atypical languages, which are those that are not mainstream.
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Question mark - Terry Freedman
National Coding Week: why? (Updated)
I’ve always been of the strong opinion that (a) people should talk about programming, not coding, and (b) people learn best on a kind of need to know basis.
Read More7 Expectations for Computing lessons (update)
I don’t think rules, as commonly formulated, are very useful in the context of Computing lessons.
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Just because everyone says something is good, doesn't mean it is.
Making and programming
Is 'making' really an effective -- or cost-effective -- way of learning programming?
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Review: A student’s guide to Python for physical modelling
The book’s primary concern is enabling Python to be used for manipulating and plotting large datasets, dealing with image “noise” and other advanced topics.
Read More3 reasons your students are bored in Computing lessons, and 9 solutions
Are your students yawning, checking their email, launching paper aeroplanes in your lessons? Perhaps you’re making one of these mistakes.
Rules, rules rules. Photo by Terry Freedman
21 "laws" for computer users
The next time something goes terribly wrong when you’re using technology, console yourself that it’s happened to everyone!
Read More12 ways to prepare for teaching Computing
If you're told you'll be teaching Computing from now on, but don't feel competent to do so, what practical steps can you take in order to get up and running? Here are 12 suggestions.
Read MoreBritish Gas and the Internet of Things (Updated)
Most talks I have heard on the subject of the internet of things, by which is meant the connecting up of objects with people and other objects through wireless technology, have been completely daft.
Read MoreAda Lovelace Day 2021
Imagine what Ada Lovelace might have achieved had Babbage actually built his “computer” and she hadn’t died at the age of 36.
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