{"id":996816,"date":"2022-04-01T09:09:04","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T13:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=996816"},"modified":"2022-04-01T09:09:04","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T13:09:04","slug":"making-the-most-of-hello-world-magazine-hello-world-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=996816","title":{"rendered":"Making the most of Hello World magazine | Hello World #18"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello World magazine, our free magazine written by computing educators for computing educators, has been running for 5 years now. <\/em>In the newest issue, Alan O\u2019Donohoe<\/a> shares his top tips for educators to make the most out of Hello World<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Issues<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Alan has over 20 years\u2019 experience teaching and leading technology, ICT, and computing in schools in England. He runs exa.foundation, delivering professional development to engage digital makers, supporting computing teaching, and promoting the appropriate use of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Alan\u2019s top tips<\/h2>\n

Years before there was a national curriculum for computing, Hello World magazines, or England\u2019s National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE<\/a>), I had ambitious plans to overhaul our school\u2019s ICT curriculum with the introduction of computer science. Since the subject team I led consisted mostly of non-specialist teachers, it was clear I needed to be the one steering the change. To do this successfully, I realised I\u2019d need to look for examples and case studies outside of our school, to explore exactly what strategies, resources and programming languages other teachers were using. However, I drew a blank. I couldn\u2019t find any local schools teaching computer science. It was both daunting and disheartening not knowing anyone else I could refer to for advice and experience.<\/p>\n

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\"An
\u201cHello World helps me keep up with the current trends in our thriving computing community.\u201d \u2013 Matt Moore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Thankfully, ten years later, the situation has significantly improved. Even with increased research<\/a> and resources<\/a>, though, there can still be the sense of feeling alone. With scarce prospects to meet other computing teachers, there\u2019s fewer people to be inspired by, to bounce ideas off, to celebrate achievement, or share the challenges of teaching computing with. Some teachers habitually engage with online discussion forums and social media platforms to plug this gap, but these have their own drawbacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s great news then that there\u2019s another resource that teachers can turn to. You all know by now that Hello World magazine<\/a> offers another helping hand for computing teachers searching for richer experiences for their students and opportunities to hone their professional practice. In this Insider\u2019s Guide, I offer practical suggestions for how you can use Hello World to its full potential.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Put an article into practice\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Teachers have often told me that strategies like PRIMM and pair programming<\/a> have had a positive impact on their teaching, after first reading about them in Hello World. Over the five years of its publication, there\u2019s likely to have been an article or research piece that particularly struck a chord with you \u2014 so why not try putting the learnings from that article into practice?<\/p>\n

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\"An
\u201cHello World gives me loads of ideas that I\u2019m excited to try out in my own classroom.\u201d \u2013 Steve Rich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

You may choose to go this route on your own, but you could persuade colleagues to join you. Not only is there safety in numbers, but the shared rewards and motivation that come from teamwork. Start by choosing an article. This could be an approach that made an impression on you, or something related to a particular theme or topic that you and your colleagues have been seeking to address. You could then test out some of the author\u2019s suggestions in the article; if they represent something very different from your usual approach, then why not try them first with a teaching group that is more open to trying new things? For reflection and analysis, consider conducting some pupil voice interviews with your classes to see what their opinions are of the activity, or spend some time reflecting on the activity with your colleagues. Finally, you could make contact with the author to compare your experiences, seek further support, or ask questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Strike up a conversation<\/h2>\n

Authors generally welcome correspondence from readers, even those that don\u2019t agree with their opinions! While it\u2019s difficult to predict exactly what the outcome may be, it could lead to a productive professional correspondence. Here are some suggestions:\u00a0<\/p>\n