This interview is 43 Minutes. To aid the busy Computing coordinator/manager I have created different start times so you can watch the bits that are useful to you.
Phil explains his many roles and his journey into primary computing science 3 minutes
How can we best lay the foundations of computational thinking in primary school? 2.5 minutes
Not all about coding
Links to ITSE computational thinking = critical thinking skills + power of computing
Computational thinking most exciting when it produces something often through programming
only laud computational thinking because it is useful in making digital artifacts
What place do you give to unplugged lessons in your own classroom? 3.5 minutes
Unplugged is an activity that never makes it onto a digital device
Computational thinking that ends in programming is not unplugged although it will often be completed away from the computer
I explain that I do less unplugged and more computational thinking that ends in programming as it has a greater level of thinking.
Are there particular algorithms you would cover with your class? 2.5 minutes
Pros and cons of teaching about sorting in KS2
Talking about this sorting activity
Can you separate coding from computational thinking in the classroom? 4 minutes
Programming is project based
Shout out to Professor Les Carr for his support
Programming is computational thinking + coding
Assessment grid
Talk for computing
What are your tips for helping to teach children to code? 4 minutes
Real purpose
Mixture of instruction & exploration
Not just a set of instructions pupils follow or many pupils see coding as magical
Use one programming language to develop depth of thinking
Importance of teaching skills in all areas of computing
I expand on these ideas in this blog post
How do you teach skills such as debugging and using logical reasoning to detect and correct errors in code? 3.5 minutes
Don’t have to finish every project
Value mistakes (bugs)
Ok to make bugs
Debugging stickers
Minimum viable product
What is learned helplessness? 11 minutes
Types of helplessness
Strategies to help pupils change
Normalising struggle
Importance of training
Helplessness in teachers
Computing science makes you more resilient
Computing science symbiotic with rest of curriculum not a servant to rest of curriculum
Helplessness blog post
Pros and cons of having one person teach computing in primary school 2.5 minutes
Can work for computing science and information technology
Less keen for digital literacy
Needs real connection with whole primary curriculum
How has your approach to teaching computing changed? 6 minutes
Too deep too early
Gradual training approach
Resilience is an issue everywhere
Whole Video