In common with all the Foundation subjects Computing has 2 pages within the National Curriculum.
These give a broad overview of what should be covered by pupils at both KS1 and KS2. Below are the stated aims:-
The National Curriculum for Computing aims to ensure that all pupils…
- can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
- can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
- can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
- are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology
It then goes on to give more details for both Key stages which to be quite honest are NOT very easy to follow or understand unless you know something about computing!
Problems!
There are a variety of problems concerning the computing syllabus and these are:
- Equipment
- Teacher knowledge
- Teacher training
- Assessing
Equipment: This is or can be a big problem for many schools. Years ago there existed a “ring fenced” budget allocation given by the government to allow schools to get kitted out with computer equipment. This was really pre- laptop era and so many schools, mine included, set up computer rooms with multiple workstations and server fed programmes. It was all very professional and very expensive. Smaller schools or schools with space limitations tried to cram these computer rooms into any small space that they could but often were only able to provide 6 or 7 workstations due to the space.
From a HT point of view the funding came in for a few years which allowed for expansion and development but schools were looking ahead because of replacement costs for this equipment further down the line.
The next development came with laptops and this solved the “computer room” problem as multiple laptops could be stored on trollies charged and then taken to classrooms for use. Again expensive and reliant on the laptops being charged when you got them and whether they all worked! Again schools were looking at budgeting for replacements in addition to the spiralling costs of support from LEA ICT departments!
Once the Government ring fenced grant was removed this spelt trouble as effectively the funding for computers vanished. As such, little by little, the schools computers became old, broken down, damaged or unable to cope with more modern programmes. In effect slowly the teaching of computers was dying out. due entirely to lack of funding / equipment.
Now this may or may not have been the case for your school, but I do know of many schools who will say ” we have NO computers in school” – and surprisingly some of these are Academy schools!
Some schools have tried to use ex – industry laptops, but then there is the problem of reconfiguring and setting up and this will bring with it associated expense for what is often a poor solution.
Ipads – I am sure there are schools out there that have kitted themselves out with class Ipads – whether these are school shared as with laptops and transferred from class to class or maybe every class has these – but the budgeting problems remain for replacement and there is also the problem of just how robust these are for school life. My own ipad screen broke just by landing face up on a soft carpet! In addition- are ipads able to provide access to the curriculum requirements for computer programming or are they just being used to information access the internet?
Teacher Knowledge and training: In any school there has got to be 1 teacher who knows what is going on with computers. When they go wrong – what to do (apart from switch it off and back on again!) and to give advice on where to look for things or how to approach computer related topics. If your school has no person for this then someone needs to be appointed and sent for training courses. I really think that it is not enough in this particular subject, to expect someone to be the coordinator and understand all about its technicalities without proper training and guidance….its just too technical.
Once this person is in place then I would seriously consider buying in a whole school teaching programme which will give not only guaranteed NC coverage but also link towards other areas of the curriculum whilst providing planned progression of both skills and knowledge.
One to mention here would be this – however there are many alternatives and it really is a case of asking around for other schools experiences.
http://www.icompute-uk.com/
It is then a gradual process to acquaint staff with the scheme and also to give further in school training and support.
I have to say that most colleagues will be like myself. We are ok at using computers in the classroom as a pupil research tool for projects / topics and can teach all the aspects of safety and technology use in our lives etc but for anything technical in the computing NC we are going to need quite a bit of guidance!
Assessment: By looking at the NC curriculum guidelines there is a combination of skills and knowledge contained in the computing programme. Any assessment will therefore be on both a practical and knowledge based / written (or oral) level. This may be contained within any scheme of work that the school has purchased and is following or may need developing by the coordinator in school.
In summing up – Computing is a very definite subject within the National Curriculum and should certainly be covered at Primary School level. However it remains the technical outsider for many colleagues who have no experience or base knowledge of this subject. Is it taught in University or College teacher training? ….I have no idea!
It therefore presents quite substantial problems of staff training to meet the requirements for successful teaching. However there is always the basic and overriding problem (especially now in these times of educational financial cutbacks) that many schools just do not have the funding to provide the computers or equipment necessary to approach this subject fully or in some cases at all.
The starting point for the teaching of Computing has got to be actually having the computers – and some schools don’t even have this!
