2022 has only just begun, and we are already back in full swing during our Computer Science lessons at Durston House Pre-Prep. All the form teachers are putting a lot of hard work into getting the pupils acquainted with new technologies every week.
Throughout a boys time at Durston House Pre-Prep boys use the Interactive White Boards and participate in activities and games. Boys also learn to manipulate the screen and open and close a variety of the programmes incorporated within the Curriculum.
Reception
The pupils in Reception have been spending time on popular cloud-based application Purple Mash, which provides myriad of tools for writing, drawing, coding, animating and more. They have been designing and colouring pictures, as well as drawing, solving puzzles and completing counting games. Using tablets, they are learning basic, yet essential ICT skills, such as how to turn them on, pinning apps and how to use swiping gestures on a touch screen. Helping them interface between the digital and physical world, they have been using Bee Bots. They allow them to build programmes which then run on the bee-shaped robot, following the sequence of instructions the user has written.
Year 1
A great way to develop a child’s motor skills and coordination is the general use of computers. As such, Year 1 pupils have been learning how to use a mouse and trackpad. This skill will substantially improve their productivity on a computer as time goes on, which becomes evident when they arrive in Junior School and start using a portable computer every week. Speaking of which, they are also learning how to properly turn devices on and off, as we want them to understand these devices are shared with their schoolmates, and need to be looked after.
The pupils are also starting to venture into and explore digital technologies such as Microsoft Word, getting to know its interface and seeing how what they type is represented on the screen.
Year 2
Revisiting Bee Bots, the pupils were learning how to programme a sequence of events with the robots, as well as starting to learn some basic coding skills online using their tablets.
Overall, the entire teaching Pre-Prep staff has been masterful at getting the pupils engaged with Computer Science and ready to take on additional challenges as the year progresses! Continuing their foray into productivity and text editing, the students have worked using Microsoft Word to help familiarise themselves with the use of a keyboard and mouse.
Find out more about our Computer Science Curriculum in Pre-Prep