Microbit Workshops
A new and exciting project run by Yarm Preparatory School and local primary schools in the Teesside area to engage and develop physical computing and coding skills with children.
Aims
To provide children with specialist coding and programming teaching, led by one of our computing teachers.
To provide local primary schools with the opportunity to meet National Curriculum computing standards.
To provide professional development opportunities to class teachers.
Background
The project was led by a Computing Teacher from the Prep School. He would visit a class in one of our partnership schools (class selected by the school computing lead), leading a two hour programming session using Microbits and whatever devices the local primary school had access to (this varied from school to school). Children were given the opportunity to programme the Microbit to carry out a range of functions, differentiated to meet their ability.
The key aim was to meet a need among local schools for a specialist computing teacher to provide opportunities for children to use Microbits in a progressive way, which met the needs of the National Curriculum standards as well as providing an opportunity for them to be creative, learn something new and build resilience if/when things did not go to plan. It also provided an opportunity for primary teachers to learn how to use and teach computing through Microbits.
Resources
We provided the teacher to lead the session, with the local primaries providing in-class support with a class teacher and TA, for whom it would also provide a CPD opportunity. The workshops took place at each local school, catering for one class at a time over the course of a morning (two and a half hours per class in total). We also provided the Microbits and other equipment needed for the workshops. Time commitment from staff was a total of three hours per session (eleven sessions in total).
Impact
Improved confidence and enjoyment in pupils when taking part in computing.
Sharing of resources previously not used or available.
Increased motivation levels among the children taking part. “Appropriate levels of challenge and work set so that all children could achieve progress by the end of the session.” Teacher, Egglescliffe CE Primary.
Knowledge and expertise shared by our teachers with local primary school teachers, who were appreciative of the support received, which doubled up as CPD.
Schools got to complete elements of the NC computing curriculum they would not normally cover.
“A great way to launch our programming focus for the term, with the physical apparatus and hands-on learning.” Teacher, Egglescliffe CE Primary.
Firmer links have been established where the teacher is going back into three schools to deliver whole-staff CPD ahead of the new academic year.
Pupil Involvement
Eleven classes from eight primary schools (average of 25 per class) took part in the sessions. Ages ranged from Year 4 to Year 6. Total of 270 across all schools.
Frequency
Weekly during the Spring and Summer terms.