Prepare Your Children to Benefit from their Digital Lifestyle – Computing Skills in Primary Schools

Hi Guys,

I hope all is well.

I have researched some encouraging news about helping children to not be afraid of the new challenge in school - using digital lifestyle to their advantage. The students are challenged to create their digital lifestyle like a new app as well as use apps other people have made.  My research breaks down into 3 parts.

Part 1: I am to follow on with the sentence - 

Children can develop their computing skills by creating computer games and animations!

Have you………..

• Heard that digital (computing) skills are now taught in primary schools?
• Thought about helping your children to learn more about computing?

2 popular brands of coding (programming) known to local primary schools are - A) Codeclub and B) Scratch 

So why is coding even important or beneficial?

BBC News article (21 Jan 2015) - Nicky Morgan says many future jobs will depend on digital industries 

Technology giants such as Google and O2 are to support a £3.6m drive to teach computing skills in primary schools in England, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced.

What is interesting is that there is a predicted "culture change" where niche jobs may become more mainstream. At one time the discriminating term  "geeks" referred to people who learned how to code but what happens if google, facebook, O2 and other similar companies become the big employers of the future driving this change - starting with this £3.6 million incentive to primary schools?

Part 2: So how do we know the "digital revolution" is here?

Check this out scenario out!

"Hey mommy and daddy, can you help me with my algorithm homework!" See the link on the word algorithm for the bbc website description.

Just when you thought the way schools produced maths homework gave you headaches!

So don't worry - just point the students to the csunplugged  youtube channel to start with. Plus there are other channels on you tube. For parents and students - don't worry!!!

Part 3: Finally, don't worry the teachers are up their necks in it as well, plus they are to have "fun" too!  The teachers now have a near impossible task to teach how to phonetically pronounce "algorithm" and other related words so I know they have some big tasks ahead of them.

So to all the primary school  teachers - keep on going! We need you guys to be as successful as possible! Without your phonetics and maths training the students won't have a great chance to create a digital lifestyle - so you guys are doing really well! A really massive big up to you primary school teachers.

Take a look at the following video for the dreams and visions of famous people like Mark from facebook, Bill Gates and even Will.I.am!! 
(And yes it is an American video - google is one of the companies investing money in the UK for coding in primary schools so we don't get left behind!)

Hi and New Launch Date on 28th March 2015!

Hi everyone,

I hope all is well.

Apologies, apologies for the delay since my last posts!

Yes I am still around trying to share learning opportunities for primary school students!

It has been an intensive challenge to find a co-ordinator to help evolve and grow this project that is now evolving into a community group.

The Create and Discovery group has made several changes so as to remain relevant to students and the national curriculum. Some of the changes are that the times are now 1pm to 3pm (instead of 1.30pm to 4pm). Also some of the workshops involve the students working together to create and discover a combined vision during the program (such a a group art or drama production).

The start date Saturday 28th March at 1pm.

In addition I am to post weekly or twice weekly updates regarding what I have found available regarding the digital revolution in schools (yes it is taking place now!) I am to add the details in the following post tonight. In later posts I'm to include updates for what is to take place on the run up to and beyond 28th March.

So take a look at the poster below for further information about the Create and Discovery Group and the next launch date.

Have a great rest of the week!