Helena Gillespie
Professor of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Academic Director of Widening Participation at UEA in Norwich. Former MOOC lead (Teaching Computing)
Lecturer, Scholar, Tech devotee, Mum.
Location University of East Anglia, Norwich. UK
Activity
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Thanks to everyone for their participation in the course :-)
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You're welcome - good luck!
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More on that later in the course.
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Totally agree!
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Some serious challenges yes - I am aware that some schools are doing a lot in this area - but there are so many competing pressures.
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
I hope you enjoy this film - one of my favourite pieces of content reminding us why computing is so important!
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Delighted this is useful. It took the course team ages to come up with, we had so many debates! Hope it causes you all to think too :)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Sarah Wilton
There's a PDF download below - do download and share :)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Victoria Gray
You're welcome :)
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Good to hear you are all enjoying this film - Simon reflects the passion many of us have for computing. More of him later in the course.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Adam Foster
Hi Adam - I agree - its great to have a global perspective.
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Hello everyone - what a diverse bunch! Welcome one and all!
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Helena Gillespie replied to Greg Schroeder
Sorry - that's up to the BBC
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Good morning everyone and welcome!
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Looking at your comments here - many of you have made a start but still need more help. If you haven't already I really advise that you join the Computing at School community http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/
Its free and there's resources, discussion and like events all over England. Hope this helps!
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Thanks everyone - very useful feedback.
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Cheers! Nice to have some input from Auz.
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Thanks for the good questions and answers :-)
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Thanks :-) Our friends at BT told me Tommy Flowers' wonderful story.
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Thanks Joe - is there an online link to that?
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Helena Gillespie replied to Jason Wong
This is a good point - parent education is really lacking.
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I'm hoping this course at least tries to fill the gap!
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Thanks - these look like very useful ideas.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Helena Gillespie
You can see all the activities using the week tabs. This isn't a programming course though, it's course about teaching the new curriculum.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Rachel Spence
Download Scratch for desktop here http://scratch.mit.edu or go to the App Store and search for Scratch Jr. There's loads of help and activity ideas on the website. And it's all free - so enjoy :)
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Morning early birds!
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Helena Gillespie replied to Rachel Spence
You're very welcome. There are lots of free resources for computing so hopefully you'll be able to find some useful things. Have you got Scratch?
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Good morning early birds! Best wishes to you all from a damp and cold Norwich this morning. Looking forward to learning with you!
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Helena Gillespie replied to Angela Feenan
Pick one programming environment to start with and explore the activities on the website (maybe Scratch Junior with your year 2's) thrown in a few off-screen activities too. See what fires their interest - and yours :)
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If your certificates don't arrive then use the grey feedback tab on the left of your browser. I can't help here (certificates come from FutureLearn) but they do want the system to work well so do alert them to problems. I'm going to take a screenshot and email it to them too. I'd like you to get your certificates folks :)
Thank you all so much for taking...
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This isn't what I'd hoped for. Unfortunately the assessment is a bit of a black box for me, but you could try submitting again? Sorry this wasn't great feedback you've made such great contributions to the course.
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Thanks Clara :)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Peter Lowe
Peter thank you! If you could add me that would be great. Is it ok if I send the link round in the end of course email? I'm glad you want to stay in touch :)
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Thanks for the great explanation Bev!
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Is that still running?
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Helena Gillespie replied to Beth Evans
I'm really glad that's useful to you . When planning the course we wanted to help promote understand between primary and secondary :)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Diane Porter
Thanks for this really helpful post.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Derek Ross
You'll have indefinite access to the materials so don't worry. Most people 'complete ' within a week of the end date though.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Andy Yule
There's a few projects going on - CAS / BCS are involved in most of them - make sure you stay in touch with their website
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Helena Gillespie replied to Clare Heyes
Clare if you're looking for lesson ideas you need to sign up for CAS -http://www.computingatschool.org.uk - it's free and it's packed with ideas :)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Clare Heyes
What you looking for Clare? Planning and assessment in part 2, along with e-safety and digital citizenship.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Lynn Emery
Thanks for this detailed and positive feedback - and well done on your achievements!
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Helena Gillespie replied to Peter Lowe
Do go ahead and start a LinkedIn group - or you can keep in touch using the course hashtag #FLTeachComp if you are on twitter. But you should all join CAS ahttp://www.computingatschool.org.uk nd go along to you local meetings.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Andy Yule
Lots of money going into training at the mo - less into kit!
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Helena Gillespie replied to asma pandor
I'd recommend downloading Scratch or Scratch Jr and trying out some of the projects on their website .
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Helena Gillespie replied to David Hopkinson
That's a tricky question. I think the key is using the right vocab for concepts and doing lots of off screen work - both will build transferable skills. Practically, displaying in your classroom some key concepts, for example like repeat in several languages including a text based one will help too.
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Twitter is a really useful way of getting news and ideas.
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Quite agree - you'll have to add the layer of reflection on yourself. The intention is only to get you reflect :)
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Good suggestion!
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Great to hear of the buzz!
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I like your point about 'real' world here - there are good reasons for using the other programming languages (accessibility, cost) but your point makes it clear we must make sure the skills are transferable.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Samantha Wood
Thanks for helping folks.
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If you read ''Microserfs' by Douglas Coupland - the answer is they play with Lego. Maybe be a bit dated now but I still think it's true that real world modelling makes sense?
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Glad this lesson is going down well. If it seems a bit daunting remember Jerome has been doing this for years - and the 'three ring circus' was somewhat for the be got of the video - he wanted to get across the TRANSFERABILITY of the skills between modes of programming. It's not necessary to have every lesson quite as multi layered as that :)
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Sounds like a good approach to me. Mistakes are fine - quite agree! We need to help pupils feel this way :)
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Go for it. I got mine from iBooks. Depends if folk like to read on a device I guess.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Margaret J
It's still got to make an impact in the classroom though .... Or at least most classrooms I go into.
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Helena Gillespie replied to Clara Cordero
Great links thanks for sharing!
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By us - certainly! Tim would be pleased he likes to evangelise. Hope that you can get FutureLearn though your school firewall (if you have one?)
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Welcome everyone :)
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Great insight thanks.
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Brilliant to get an international perspective once again on the curriculum. Thats for the insightful comments all.
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
If you are busting to make progress, you can head over to week two now....
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Helena Gillespie replied to kyra tweddle
Take a screenshot for us and post it on padlet with your code :-)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Jacqueline Stone
Glad to hear it - hopefully it'll be occasionally enjoyable by week 4 :-)
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Helena Gillespie replied to Donna Greenacre
Yes do please share as widely as you like within your schools and networks - and tell them they can still sign up to the course!
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You are right Lionel - Simon does know how to talk. He's a great chap and I saw him yesterday at a meeting and told him how well he was going down here :-) Thanks for this insightful contribution.
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Really good report - thanks for sharing.
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We're here to help :-)
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Afternoon everyone!
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Helena Gillespie replied to John Bolton
You don't have to wait - just click on week 2 - go right ahead but it will take me a little time to catch up with you!
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Helena Gillespie replied to Kelli Haggett
Great thanks!
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Helena Gillespie replied to G. John Crumpton
Good plan - thanks :)
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I think it's a hit Katharine - thanks for allowing us to share. So everyone - think about sharing your own resources on padlet - see step below :)
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Totally agree - what a great opportunity we have!
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Helena Gillespie replied to kyra tweddle
We'll try and get you up to date :)
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Hope this helps ( and you don't find yourself doing too much of the course in the wee small hours!)
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
PDF of glossary now created and attached at the bottom of the article. Thanks for the feedback folks.
What do you think of the terms? Do you use them in your lessons?
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Helena Gillespie made a comment
Ok - I will conjure up a PDF for you :)