Secondary ICT

Introducing Very Simple Computing

Computing in the curriculum is a really hot topic at the moment and one which is worrying a lot of ICT teachers, who may not have a computing background. There are many of the ICT teaching fraternity who are completely self taught and this is another opportunity to gain some… Read More

Secondary ICT – Developing the shape of ICT

With the new academic year upon us, I wonder what troubles lurk ahead and in particular the developing shape of the ICT/Computing curriculum. As indicators of progress in alternative designs to the computing curriculum, I’ve just been reading reports of progress which have been written by the “Computing at School”… Read More

Secondary IT- IT departments step up to the plate

Following the theme of my previous blog, I’ve been mining seams of statistics.  There certainly seems to be a problem in recruiting suitable talent to work in the IT industry, the Office for National Statistics figures show current vacancies hovering around 26 to 30 thousand each month over the last… Read More

Teaching The Basics Of Computer Networking

Computer networking is something which many ICT teachers shy away from and even some of the most knowledgeable computing teachers have only covered the subject briefly during their degrees, often only covering the theory. There are various places which networking comes into at both GCSE and A level, with various… Read More

Outstanding ICT Lessons

As the Olympics becomes a memory of an amazing summer in Great Britain one word has been brought to the fore, Legacy. You might be wondering how this relates to ICT, but a lot of what has been on display in the games is synonymous with outstanding achievement in many… Read More
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Changes to the ICT Curriculum

With the new academic year upon us, I wonder what troubles lurk ahead and in particular the developing shape of the ICT/Computing curriculum.   As indicators of progress in alternative designs to the computing curriculum, I’ve just been reading reports of progress which have been written by the “Computing at School”… Read More

Secondary IT- Terminology plus Change equals outcome

It’s August and I have traded the office for mountains, beaches and the bike.  The result is predictable; gone is the daily time compression, replaced by, I hope not an illusion, but a more expansive assessment of what we are about. I muse about terminology and how change, gradually and… Read More

Secondary ICT – Waiting for the writing on the wall

A pressing need, following Michael Gove’s speech to BETT in January, has been the need for defining a new direction for the ICT curriculum. In the purest sense, the speech does require a complete rethink of the curriculum: blank paper, sharpened pencil and all. I suspect the outcome of these… Read More

Secondary ICT – Michael Gove at BETT 2012

Well, Moses has descended and we have listened; the problem is what does he mean? We have the commandments, “Thou shall honour thy computing”, “Thou shall not worship false idols such as IT or even ICT”. We might like these commandments, but how do we make a religion from them?… Read More

Secondary ICT – How to deliver ICT projects

In the last blog I offered a case for using less control in the classroom. I wasn’t thinking of starry-eyed notions of freedom associated with the educational elites of yore, where students select the subject they need from a pick and mix open timetable. My point was restricted to the “ownership” of… Read More