Discovery Education hosts virtual professional development session empowering educators to teach coding

Pupils may have had a brief respite from school, but summer continued to be a time dedicated to teaching and learning for educators. From 16 June to 31 July, Discovery Education, in its core mission to empower educators with high-quality content and pedagogical strategies, hosted a free, virtual event for its school partners seeking to strengthen their toolbox of strategies for teaching coding, a topic which accounts for half of the new Computing programme of study.

“I really enjoyed working through a cycle of steps to help develop computational thinking. I believe this sequence of working can be used in other areas of the curriculum, and the examples from the websites helped to illustrate the theories underpinning the pedagogy,” explained Coding Camp participant, Sean Hall, IT Coordinator at Scotholme Primary School, Nottingham.

During the 7-week camp, participants studied the six phases of the computational cycle, practical examples and activities to implement during each phase, applications of the concepts, and a scheme of work. In considering the process of planning, developing, creating, and reviewing a computer game, educators thought about how pupils could develop a digital story using the same tools and process. By the end of the virtual professional development, participants created a portfolio of activities and tools to share with colleagues and students.

“As for this school year, I intend to use the knowledge I gained to help other members of staff during staff meetings, inset days, and informal CPD with my colleagues. I think it will improve the teaching of computing, as teachers will be able to improve their own computational thinking to aid questioning and coaching of the children,” Sean further shared.

More than 800 schools, with over 1,100 educators, participated in the second annual Coding Camp, which was free for Discovery Education users. To further support educators in teaching coding, Discovery Education Coding provides complete support for teaching coding in primary schools. A scheme of work, lesson plans, and helpful video tutorials are included in this service, which aligns with the National Curriculum. For more information on Discovery Education Coding visit: www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/coding.

“As we enter the second academic year with coding as part of the National Curriculum, Discovery Education is supporting teachers with high-quality content to enhance the delivery of this complex subject, so their students have a great learning experience and achieve success. Coding Camp exemplifies Discovery Education’s core mission to empower educators with ready-to-implement technologies, pedagogical strategies, and a network of professionals,” said Christine Major, Director of Professional Development at Discovery Education.