After finally hooking up my RaspberryPi to my new projector, The first thing I installed was Minecraft Pi version. It was nice to get back to dabbling with a bit of Linux, it’s been way too long since I got under the bonnet as it were and I really felt pleased to be where I prefer to be!
The hectic day to day race of coursework, assessment, planning and reporting has really inhibited the time available to tinker with technology. I was delighted, yet not surprised to see pupils across the class popping their heads up wondering what I was doing. “What’s that?”, “What you doing sir?”, “How have you done that?” All questions being fired at me just because I hooked up the pi!!
I wasn’t surprised but it did confirm what i suspected, I can really kick start computing at Ysgol Bryn Elian, not just through extra curricular coding clubs but through truly engaging pupils in the setting up of hardware too, not through learning code rote fashion, but through full on unashamed downright exploration and discovery of code. At 14 I wasn’t taught to code and I don’t believe you truly can be. I experimented with code, tried things out and learnt from what worked and what didn’t, cementing my own learning. There was no assessment, grade, level, star, wish, flag mark, or effort grade, just experience of coding through enjoyment of the highs of success and brief frustration of the lows of things not quite going to plan.
It is this skill that I want my pupils to develop, with no pressure of attaching a grade to it. I aim to start this with my willing and able Digital Leaders who will hopefully help me kick start the revolution of bringing computing to YBE!
So a few hours later, I have a set of RaspberryPi’s on order, watch this space!!
My Digital Life 