At Bealings, as in all subjects, computing is taught because there is a real reason to use it! The computer suite, set up for the weekly timetabled lessons, was scrapped in the early 2000s when technology had become an important resource in every day life. We realised if technology was to be useful to the children, they needed to be able to put their hands on it whenever it was needed. Now, each classroom is equipped with at least one iMac and each class has their own set of iPads. Laptops and Chromebooks are also used in Key Stage 2. Each class also has its own iPhone which can be used by both children and adults for photography and quick internet searches – just as we do in the real world.
E-safety is a huge priority for us at Bealings and we talk to the children about this regularly when using devices. All devices are secured by the Suffolk LA recommended screening service and pupils know when and how to report any inappropriate content. We use our Mantle of the Expert organisations to enable us to teach internet safety when looking at emails, websites and considering social media, including how to keep passwords safe and how to protect our personal information.
Technology is used in a variety of ways, for example: Scratch to programme an animation about an episode in our drama, iMovie to create an advert for our organisation, a programmable robot to allow a camera to enter an unsafe site needing to be inspected, stop animation to make an episode for our tv production company etc.
Finally, computing is always taught collaboratively. As Mitra’s ‘Computer in the Wall’ experiment showed, children can learn so much more from each other, through play and investigation, particularly when compared to a teacher standing at the front of the classroom giving out closed instructions.
We learn through necessity, desire and most of all…collaborative joy of the exploration.