Introduction
Self study resources
A Beginners Guide to Scratch (Raspberry Pi Education Manual). Can be used without a Raspberry Pi as an introduction to the fundamentals of computer science.
Example of how pupils can program! Pupils beat companies to win award to create their own apps from scratch. The developers who supported them (not teachers) were amazed by what they could do. Motivational.
TEDX Talk: Mitch Resnick: Let's teach kids to code. Outlines the benefits of teaching kids to code, so they can do more than just “read” new technologies -- but also create them.
Reviving Papert's Dream - article by Mitch Resnick setting out why children should learn to program with Scratch
Evaluation of Computer Games Developed by Primary School Children to Gauge Understanding of Programming Concepts Paper presented at the 6th European Conference of Games Based Learning (Wilson, Hainey & Connolly, 2012). Ideas for assessing children's programming ability and a useful table of programming concepts found in Scratch.
Link to free download of Flowol for trainee teachers. Resources for Flowol.
MSW LOGO - a free LOGO programming environment from Microsoft. LOGO is a natural follow on from BeeBots and 'robot' role play activities.. On line user guide - this is an excellent reference that gives an overview of LOGO an some very simple ideas for using it with young children. Click to download the application. YouTube video guides: Getting Started, Using Colour, Repeat, Procedures, Arguments, Saving and Loading.
Creative Classroom Online - Self-study resources for using Imagine Logo
FMS Logo is an easier version of MSW Logo to use with children. The program has been combined into one window although it retains all the functionality of MSW Logo
Robomind and starlogo are alternatives to scratch. Find out more on the crowd sourced computing doc
Blocky is a web-based, graphical programming editor from Google. Users can drag blocks together to build an application. - Suitable for KS2 and pos KS1 (G&T). The 'Puzzle' and especially the 'Maze' are a great place to start.
If you have some advanced Scratch programmers who are ready to move on to a scripting language Stencyl is a great place to start.
Watch this video for instructions on how to download Stencyl for free and get started.
Use the Preview Code button for script viewing and editing. The code used is Actionscript 3 (a species of JavaScript).
Resources for lectures or group study
Excellent set of resources curated by Leicester PGCE tutor Doug Dickinson.
Computing A simple Prezi explanation of four elements of computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithm design).
Fun Programming: 141 videos aimed at 10 years + for learning creative programming. Make short programmes to create beautiful graphics and music using the simple Processing programming language. More tutorials here. (Link contributed by Keith Manville @open_sen). Find similar use of Processing on Khanacademy.org/cs/ and interesting interactive toys on zefrank.com (choose these carefully for content).
Flipped lecture on Software Development from University of Roehampton.
Resources for teaching Scratch, to use with children or to run a Scratch workshop for teachers, parents and children.
Pinterest collections of resources for Primary Computing and for Beginning Scratch.
Resources for use with pupils
Programming Basics A Prezi guide to some programming constructs with simple Scratch examples.
The six videos (see the six wmv files at foot of page) teach Scratch basics - they should be used in this order:
Scratch 1 - New sprite
Scratch 2 - Joke
Scratch 3 - Wink animation
Scratch 4 - Move animation
Scratch 5 - Loop
Scratch 6 - Many sprites
Khan Academy Computer Science: an engaging and fun computing environment that has a coding pane and a canvas. You can change things in real time and explore how patterns, drawings, simulations and animations interact by changing core variables in Javascript or Processing. Watch the code and what is running simultaneously. This encourages you to experiment and make it your own, save to your profile and then share. You can listen to a tutorial as you interact on screen.
Redware lesson plans adaptable for upper KS1 and great for KS2 on Scratch.
A series of Scratch lesson plans aimed at KS2 and used with Y4-6 following the principle of not always showing pupils how to create each block
A series of Python lessons taught to Y6 pupils. Python needs more teacher time investment to teach successfully at KS2
Scratchel: introduces computational thinking through a series of problem solving activities set in Scratch based around Scratchel the robot and his friends.
Teaching LOGO in Lower KS2 series of lesson plans taught using programming principles
Series of Scratch Projects created by Phil Bagge and used in Y4-6.
Espresso Coding - sequence of online interactive programming activities, free until Oct 2014.
Sonic Pi worksheets - these were written as supplementary pupil resources to compliment the Sonic Pi Key Stage 3 scheme of work. Although originally intended for KS 3 the scheme of work is suitable for Year 5 and 6 children. Sonic Pi is an engaging way to introduce textural languages and a great link between Scratch and Python. Lessons 1 and 2. Lessons 3 and 4.
Pinterest collections of resources for Primary Computing and for Beginning Scratch.
2Simples Purple Mash 2code (subscription required)
Blocky. Online programing that takes you through a range of concepts. More KS2 as you get to levels 6 and on. Or G&T.