ICT - how much time does your year 8 get?

[tougholdbird]

I am fretting about DS only having one session every two weeks for ICT (or computing, not sure what the difference is). There is no other related activity available, such as a coding club.

It feels inadequate, given other subjects, such as RE, have at least two sessions over the same 2 week timetable. Very interested to know if this is the norm in year 8 across the country?

The school I work in is phasing ICT lessons out altogether. We're supposed to cover the skills through the rest of the curriculum.

manic that leaves me speechless, I just don't understand how such a vital set of employable skills can be sidelined in that way. Have any of the parents commented?

DS has similar. When it genuinely becomes 'computing' - as in programming, rather than 'using a computer' - then I will agree with you that it is insufficient. As the syllabus at the moment seems to be very light on 'hard core' coding, development etc, and much more about 'using and applying the skills of using different programmes with a bit of hardware knowledge added in' the time spent on it seems fine given that they use computers in prety much every other subject.

Dd has an hour a week plus IT club (another hour) - not sure what they actually do (dh is a programmer but I have zero interest) - she says building websites (don't know what with), scratch, spreadsheets

So...in essence, the skills I want DS to develop, the coding and stuff, I may as well forget pushing the school for these things as they are not actually on the syllabus?

He and DD will miss out then, as neither DH or I have these skills.

Under the new ideas for the curriculum ICT will become Computing again, and will cover things like programming. I can't see how schools will be able to cover that as easily through cross curricular though, so you may see more discrete computing/ICT lessons returning.

1 lesson every 2 weeks (y7 & y9 DC).

We have 1 hour a week. ICT is how to use computers and software especially, Computing is studying how they work. I should imagine until the new Programme of Study comes out at Sept 2014 at the earliest, they will cover a mixture of both. Hope this helps.

New curriculum is coming. Then they want Reception children to do programming. It's a bit of a dramatric pendulum swing!

DS does it through all the other subjects power point presentations etc

The ICT curriculum is useless at present. When the new ICT curriculum comes out it will be much better.

This sounds hopeful! Would it be ok do you think, to ask my school what prep they are doing ( recruiting teachers, whatever) for this change next year then?

I already do simple coding with Y2, using Scratch.
Many schools start algorithms before that anyway using Beebot and similar control type toys, etc. I guess it will just be an extension of that or making it more explicit. Foundation do this using remote control toys, etc.
Looking at draft schemes, etc. it looks like there will still be the use of software packages - presenting information, databases, use of internet searches, online safety, charting (spreadsheets) etc. as well as algorithms being more explicit and coding starting lower down.

Does your child want to learn programming, or do you want them to?

If they're keen there's bucketloads of teach yourself stuff on t'internet.

Any more then an hour a fortnight doing spreadsheets an word processing is a total waste of time.

tougholdbird - our parents don't know yet!

our year 8s get 1 lesson a week - this includes what peripherals are, simple coding, but also some office based skills shock, horror as no matter what is promised in other subjects/home students are not taught correctly.

ICT is more than just creating slides on powerpoint or being able to chat on facebook! We take it for granted that as our DC have all this access to ICT that they know how to use it correctly, use it to improve what they are doing, use it efficiently.

If I had a £1 for every time I have seen a maths teacher saying that before every formula in a spreadsheet you need to use =sum (even for a subtraction!!!) I could retire very happily!

titchy he wants to learn (so he can work at google ) and yes there is loads of stuff available for him to teach himself, but then the same could be said for any subject.

From your replies generally it seems we get less time than most - whether it be coding or ICT. thank you all.

Y7 DD has 3 lessons over her two week timetable.

Am really surprised that manicinsomniac's school is phasing it out.

My yr8 has one lesson a week but this is only every second half term, so effectively for half the year. It swaps with performing arts for the other half terms....

DS is not a fan of performing arts!!!

My DS has one, 50 minute lesson a week which I think is rubbish. He wants to work with computers or do programming at further education and is missing out by not having more. The lessons are not good and quite basic, he is bored and very demotivated

An hour a fortnight.

It's not ideal really but I didn't learn to program until my 30s, so I don't worry about ds picking it up if and when he actually needs to.

There's more to programming (critical, creative thinking, logic, general problem skills) than knowing C++ or whatnot, and if you can learn one language you can pick up another. Databases are really important though.

Aren't all programming jobs outsourced to India these days for peanuts?

no, outsourcing is very problematic & competent programmers still command good salaries in the UK. dh is a programmer & heaps of jobs for people who can do sql-java-c-variations-php, other thingies in the UK.