Home teaching week 7

08 June 2020

Hello and welcome to week 7 of our home teaching programme! This week is a re-boot of sorts because we run our schemes of work in six week blocks.

Now is a great time to start something new and work on a project with us from the beginning!

You can get help with all our activities by attending one of our friendly Q&A sessions for all key stages. The timings for these sessions can be found on each key stage's homepage.

Key Stage 1

  • Introducing Mini Missions! This activity is split into six computational thinking concepts: algorithms, abstraction, evaluation, decomposition, patterns, and logic. Each concept is then broken down into five fun activities to reinforce the learning.

Key Stage 2

  • Learn how to code your own musical instruments in Scratch with our Rock band resource. Learn how to interact with sprites, change a sprite's costume, make use of user input, and add sounds into your Scratch program!

Key Stage 3

  • Do you want to change the world? Our new Digital Literacy course is a good place to start. In this unit, you will develop a deeper understanding of information technology and digital literacy by using your skills to create a blog post about a real world cause that you are passionate about and would like to gain support for.
  • If you missed out on the first run of our phone app project and want another chance to join in, check out our fantastic App Development resource, presented by Ben Garside.
  • We will also be re-running our Cybersecurity scheme of work. In this unit, you will go on a journey of discovery into the techniques that cybercriminals use to steal data, disrupt systems, and infiltrate networks. You will start by considering the value your data holds and what organisations might use it for. You will then learn about social engineering and other common cyber crimes, and finally look at methods to protect against these attacks.
  • Python Programming Pathway 1 - this is a great set of starter resources for teachers wishing to introduce Python into their classrooms. These resources were originally used in the previous half-term. If you’ve already completed them, try our new Pathway 2 below!
  • Python Programming Pathway 2 - a new set of Python resources that build on what you learned in Pathway 1. This week, you'll be learning how to create computer-generated art!

Key Stage 4

  • In Networks, over the next four weeks, you’ll learn about the different types of computer networks and their architecture. You’ll explore how data is transmitted through Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, and you’ll gain an understanding of networking protocols.
  • Basics of Python Programming: explore the basics of Python through a weekly online course where you'll learn to code your first program and get to grips with the key programming constructs of sequencing, selection, and iteration.
  • Algorithms and advanced Python programming: take your Python skills further through a weekly online course. You’ll discover how to break down problems into smaller parts, and then design and apply algorithms to data. You’ll also explore list structures and their various uses.
  • Maths & Logic in Computer Science: build your understanding of a range of topics, including using logic and mathematical operators in programming, and converting numbers to binary. Through these practical activities, you will become more comfortable with the concepts of logical operators, truth tables, and logic gates.
  • If you are a GCSE student transitioning to A level, get started with our transition topics on the Isaac Computer Science platform! The first one in our series is GCSE-level Boolean logic. You'll learn about truth tables and how to use them for different scenarios.

Key Stage 5

  • If you're an A level student, why not join our scheme of work on Number bases and algorithms? It's great way to keep things fresh in your mind for next year. This week's lesson is about unsigned and signed integers.
  • We are also going to be running our Object-Oriented Programming course again. This is a super fun course where users can make objects in Python and create their own adventure game!