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AlwaysComputing

Average Rating4.39
(based on 170 reviews)

I'm a specialist computing teacher in a large primary school in Bradford, so I basically play around with computers all day! I LOVE anything to do with MakeyMakey and Kodu so a lot of my stuff is based around these programs. I also qualified as a level 2 CAS Master Teacher last year so if you have any tech questions or queries please tweet me @alwayscomputing Please comment and share anything you like!

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I'm a specialist computing teacher in a large primary school in Bradford, so I basically play around with computers all day! I LOVE anything to do with MakeyMakey and Kodu so a lot of my stuff is based around these programs. I also qualified as a level 2 CAS Master Teacher last year so if you have any tech questions or queries please tweet me @alwayscomputing Please comment and share anything you like!
Year 5 - Target Time Morning Starters - Spring Theme
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Year 5 - Target Time Morning Starters - Spring Theme

(0)
6 weeks of daily activity boards to display when the children arrive in the morning. Mixture of quick arithmetic, reasoning, spelling/vocab, and cross curricular questions. Edit the date at the top to fit your class. This PPT was made using the font Sassoon Primary infant, so formatting may change based on the font you use in school.
Hades - Vipers style reading and questioning
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Hades - Vipers style reading and questioning

(1)
Short text based on the facts and stories of Hades from Greek Mythology. There is a powerpoint and question sheet attached that uses VIPERS style questions for the pupils to answer. Lots of opportunity for discussion throughout the lesson. I used the font ‘Sassoon Primary Infant’ for my editing, so some formatting may be needed after download.
Year 5 - Target Time Morning Starters - 32 Days
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Year 5 - Target Time Morning Starters - 32 Days

(0)
6 weeks of daily activity boards to display when the children arrive in the morning. Mixture of quick arithmetic, reasoning, spelling/vocab, and cross curricular questions. Edit the date at the top to fit your class. This PPT was made using the font Sassoon Primary infant, so formatting may change based on the font you use in school.
Makey Makey Starter Pack
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Makey Makey Starter Pack

(2)
For those teachers who are stepping in the world of coding and computing using a Makey Makey board can be a brilliant start. I have created a one stop shop starter pack for those who aren't very confident in how to use them in a classroom. The pack contains 4 lesson plans, complete with hand outs for the children, links to the new computing curriculum, photo guides showing you how to set up and links to pre-built Scratch apps to use with the pupils. Everything you need to get started. I have also included future steps and extension ideas, as with a Makey Makey, the possibilities are endless.
Year 5 Morning Starters - Three weeks
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Year 5 Morning Starters - Three weeks

(0)
Daily activity board to display when the children arrive in the morning. Mixture of quick arithmetic, reasoning, spelling/vocab, and cross curricular questions. Edit the date at the top to fit your class. This PPT was made using the font Sassoon Primary infant, so formatting may change based on the font you use in school.
Computing Skills Assessment Tool - Primary
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Computing Skills Assessment Tool - Primary

(1)
I have used these progression sheets and data charts and shared them with other schools I work with, and it has proven popular. I have gone through the computing curriculum, picking out key skills, and assigning them to to an age range. Having this guide of where your pupils should be at can prove invaluable to non-computing teaching staff in a primary school. It also gives a rough indicator of the type of program or software pupils could be using to get to this skill set. I also still hold much value to the digital literacy skills pupils were taught under the old ICT curriculum. This is why I have included a progression sheet for this too. I use this daily with pupils, and is great for tracking their skills development. Any questions please get in touch @AlwaysComputing
Makey Makey Challenge Cards
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Makey Makey Challenge Cards

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In my classroom I aim for the pupils to independently use the resources available to them in order for them to develop their skills at their own pace. These card are designed to be used with a Makey Makey board and a set of different classroom objects. They should be laminated when printed so thank the children can draw their ideas on them. Challenge pupils to come up with interesting and creative ideas without you having to prod them every step of the way!
Computing Year 2 - The Seaside
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Computing Year 2 - The Seaside

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6 week unit of work for computing/ICT based on the topic Seaside. I have used this with year 2 but it could easily be adapted for different year groups. Resources needed are purplemash and some of the 2simple software products, but again, activities could be adapted to use software you have in school.
Chicken Clicking E-Safety Unit
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Chicken Clicking E-Safety Unit

(1)
The book Chicken Clicking, by Jeanne Willis, is a wonderful introduction to e-safety, and gives children a simple and clear understanding of the dangers when using the internet. The story is well written and the illustrations are great for young pupils. This unit of work goes through the book, with children taking part in different activities, learning about how to keep themselves safe. Included is a unit of work, resource work sheets and examples. If you have any questions please tweet my @AlwaysComputing.
Advertising - Create Your Own Chocolate Bar
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Advertising - Create Your Own Chocolate Bar

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A 4 week unit of work with children designing and planning their own chocolate bar, then they produce an advertising campaign to go with it. It looks at what makes a good advert, persuasive language, letter writing, and some drama activities. It includes 4 weeks of planning, with corresponding PowerPoints to guide you and the pupils through the unit. I have also included a work sheet to print and work with. PLEASE REVIEW! Follow me on twitter @alwayscomputing for more teacher resources and inspiration!
Cryptography and Code Breaking - KS2
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Cryptography and Code Breaking - KS2

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5 different lesson ideas all based around the theme of cryptography and code breaking. I've seen lots of stuff for secondary pupils on this topic, but nothing for primary, so I thought I'd give it a go! This could easily be adapted for KS3 as well too though! The last PPT on steganography needs you to download a little exe application on the computer, so make sure you've done that before the start of the lesson! Please review and give me some feedback as I'd love to add to it and expand on this. The lessons are all on PPT, and then the guides are little sheets for the pupils to use in the lessons to help them. This can be a really fun topic so I hope they come in handy!
Kodu - The Complete Guide
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Kodu - The Complete Guide

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I've been using Kodu for a while now, and decided to pull everything I have together for this starter pack. Kodu is great for the new curriculum as it allows pupils to code and programme a game in real time, seeing how their programming affects the game instantly. In this pack I have included 2 units of work, a beginner and a more advanced level, as well as lots of bits to go with it. For anybody new to the programme, or to computing, this should be a great way to get going. Any questions about it tweet me @alwayscomputing
Minecraft Resource Pack
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Minecraft Resource Pack

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This is a pack of lesson ideas for teachers looking to use Minecraft as a creative outlet for topics, or those new to the software who are looking for an interesting way in. It’s also perfect for lunchtime and after school clubs. The cards could be printed out for pupils to look at and choose their own activity. There are 7 different activities with a worksheet to go with, and a poster for your classroom to show pupils the controls. Please review and share, and questions please tweet me @alwayscomputing
Get Blogging!
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Get Blogging!

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A half term unit of work on creating effective blog spaces with your pupils. Aimed at upper KS2, but can easily be adapted to suit different year groups. Goes through different stages of creating a successful blog post, and how we can make them interesting rather than just pictures of cats!
Kodu Independent Learning Cards - UPDATED
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Kodu Independent Learning Cards - UPDATED

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I have created a set of 8 independent learning cards to be used with the program Kodu. These are designed for pupils to pick up and explore on their own to develop their own programming skills. The cards consist of 5 possible games the children can create, and 3 interesting world maps. They also include a QR code link to a video guide on how to make the game. **The QR codes had failed so this resource has been updated to ensure they are working**
Google Sketchup Introduction Lesson - OFSTED outstanding
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Google Sketchup Introduction Lesson - OFSTED outstanding

(1)
Simple introduction lesson to Google Sketchup. Pupils are asked to create a Lego brick using the software. This works great as they are simple build, use most of the key tools needed in sketchup, and kids LOVE Lego! The lessons works even better if you can source a few bricks to have in the room while you build. Google sketchup can be tricky, but with the introduction of 3d printers in some schools I really can't recommend it enough! I was lucky(!) enough to use this lesson when OFSTED visited a few months ago, and it was graded Outstanding, Yippee! So it's a real lesson, used to real effect, the key thing about using TES for resources. Made by teachers for teachers!
PenguinPig - Esafety Unit of Work
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PenguinPig - Esafety Unit of Work

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The book PenguinPig, by Stuart Spendlow, is a wonderful introduction to e-safety, and gives children a simple and clear understanding of the dangers when using the internet. The story is well written and the illustrations by Amy Bradley are great for young pupils. This unit of work goes through the book, with children taking part in different activities, learning about how to keep themselves safe and whether everything they see is to be believed! Included is a unit of work, resource work sheets and examples. If you have any questions please tweet my @AlwaysComputing.
Viking Longhouses - Google Sketchup Intro Unit - MODELS INCLUDED
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Viking Longhouses - Google Sketchup Intro Unit - MODELS INCLUDED

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A quick introduction to Google Sketchup, with pupils creating a model of a viking Longhouse. Work is set over a period of 5 weeks, with each lesson adding a step and feature. Variety of skills used. Finally managed to work out how to upload Sketchup files so it comes with 2 models. One is a step by step guide, the other is an example. This is perfect for any schools with a 3D Printer!! If you have any questions please contact me on Twitter @AlwaysComputing
Year 5 - Two week Poetry Unit
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Year 5 - Two week Poetry Unit

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Two weeks of poetry taught in a year 5 classroom, tried and tested by myself. The unit includes a variety of poetry styles, with a range of different activities for pupils to take part in. The poems used in the unit are included on the slides, and can easily be printed separately to hand out in class.