From aspiring to inspiring

24 September 2020

Julie Price is a CAS Master Teacher and NCCE Computer Science Champion. Below she shares her experiences engaging with the NCCE Accelerator programme and the online courses supported by Google, and how it has helped her and the teachers she works with...

Only a few years ago, I was an aspiring — hopefully, to become inspiring — secondary computer science teacher. With the generous support and guidance from some very special people, i.e. Computing At School, I am now in a position to ‘pass it on’ myself. As a CAS Master Teacher, the sheer joy to be derived from ‘being there’ for colleagues across many schools is beyond measure.

When I became an NCCE Computer Science Champion, I had already been awarded the BCS Certificate in Secondary Computer Science Teaching, but I knew that by registering for and engaging with the NCCE Accelerator Programme, I would be in a better position to appreciate and help to resolve any issues raised by fellow participants.

What a very wise decision! I have encountered new learning for myself and also expressions of very familiar content which I have found to be seriously impressive and, in some cases, just amazing. I must say that I am becoming addicted to the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s (RPF) online courses!

I am really rather pleased that, as a participant in the Accelerator programme, I have unlimited access to all the listed courses. Already, I have made very good use of a wide range of the videos, animations, images, and ideas from the RPF’s courses. A particular mention must be made to the Programming Pedagogy in Secondary Schools: Inspiring Computing Teaching — a ‘must’ for anyone wishing to strengthen their key stage 3 programming curriculum (more pedagogy courses have begun to appear — yay!).