Year 8
May 2024 - Parents' evening brief.
This year has seen year 8 undertake a series of units, including units on Physical Computing using Microbits, Game Development using Scratch or Makecode Arcade, Spreadsheets using Excel and a Python programming project. We are finishing up this year with a creative unit based around Canva.
In November of year 9, the students will choose their GCSE choices. Within the bracket of computing, they currently have 2, Computer Science and Information and Communication Technology, (ICT). One of the biggest questions we are asked is what is the difference?
Computer Science has 2 exams, one on the hardware and software of a computer (what is a computer and the other one is on algorithmic thinking (how do we get the hardware to do stuff). Both are paper-based. More can be found here.
ICT has 3 exams, one of which is on paper, and 2 are practical. These are less about what is inside a computer and more about being a skilled user of pre written software. More details can be found here.
The skills taught in years 8 and 9 are designed to give a flavour of both courses, with Microbits and Python being Computer Science skills, and Graphics and Excel being ICT skills.
Parental assistance - The age-old question, "How can I help"
At this stage we are helping the students to discover what interests them - if they show no interest in Computing, then nothing you (or I) can say will make them change their mind. However, if a spark is shown, then we can nurture it.
If the spark is programming, perhaps have a look at any one of the resources that are available here.
If the spark is ICT, then it depends. Web Development can be explored here, graphics here, and excel here for example.
As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to message me on the email in the footer, or ask your young person to come and see me in class.
The purpose of this page is to detail some of the work that is produced. I will try and remove names wherever possible, but some will inevitably creep through - if this causes an issue please let me know as soon as possible on the email listed in the footer.
Summer 2023 - Blender
Students learned Blender, which was enhanced by the week without walls activity. On this page you can see some of the outcomes from this session, repeated below for ease.
