EI607 assignment 2014/15

Essay

"In the emerging, highly programmed landscape ahead, you will either create the software or you will be the software. It’s really that simple: Program, or be programmed. Choose the former, and you gain access to the control panel of civilization. Choose the latter, and it could be the last real choice you get to make."

Douglas Rushkoff, Program or Be Programmed: Ten Commands for a Digital Age, 2010

Discuss. (2,000 words)

Assessment Criteria 1. critically analyse recent policy developments and current curriculum

expectations for Computing at KS1 and KS2 2. provide a clear rationale for the development of pupils’ digital literacy AND

computational thinking 3. critically analyse effective pedagogy for Computing through the synthesis of a

range of relevant theory

Guidance 1. critically analyse recent policy developments and current curriculum

expectations for Computing at KS1 and KS2 To do this you will need to have a good knowledge of the influences on current policy. Some of these influences are described at http://goo.gl/v3XzES (a blog post that Jeremy Burton wrote back in Jan 2012) and at http://goo.gl/lnC9pZ, a report by Charlton and Luckin at the Institute of Education. In both, you can find links to further reading. The Royal Society’s Computing in Schools report (http://goo.gl/Hc9Xn) is a particularly important influence on policy but was itself influenced by other reports and wider developments. Clearly it is essential that you are familiar with the aims and expectations of the programme of study for Computing (http://goo.gl/8Jy4nU). 2. provide a clear rationale for the development of pupils’ digital literacy AND

computational thinking You need to demonstrate that you are familiar with some of the key arguments for developing children’s computational thinking and digital literacy/literacies. Some of these arguments are presented in the literature and speeches mentioned above but you will need to read more widely in order to gain a fuller knowledge of the key arguments and to develop a more critically informed perspective on these. Doug Belshaw’s work on digital literacies is very relevant but you should also engage with other literature (e.g. from the Aspire reading list: http://goo.gl/83DUkT). There has been much debate about the balance of the new curriculum in addressing these two areas (digital literacy and computational thinking) and this is something you may wish to discuss in relation to LO1. 3. critically analyse effective pedagogy for Computing through the synthesis of a

range of relevant theory To do this you might want to reflect upon your own experience (including experiences of the practice of other teachers). Alternatively you may want to talk more hypothetically about effective pedagogy for Computing. This section of your assignment should be informed by wider reading. Some good starting points are:

CAS/NAACE (2014) Computing in the National Curriculum: a guide for primary teachers (http://goo.gl/GH95V7);

Brennan, K. & Resnick, M. (2012) New frameworks for studying and assessing the development of computational thinking (http://goo.gl/hKpudx);

DCSF (2018) Safer Children in a Digital World | The Report of the Byron Review (http://goo.gl/Gy65vj)).