CAS Tenderfoot Unit 1 - Laying Firm Foundations
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Last edit: 13 May 2022
This resource is for CAS Tenderfoot trained or experienced trainers. It gives access to the full portfolio of resources that supports the whole-day Unit and the Sessions that can be delivered as separate CPD events, of about 2 hours.
This video (4 minutes) introduces the Unit. It can be used to introduce the whole-day Unit or contextualise shorter Sessions. Alternatively, the URL can be sent to attendees for viewing before the CPD session.
The first section of this page contains the materials required to run the FULL session i.e. in a whole day. The remaining sections have the resources split up into a number of shorter sessions ideal for delivering in a twilight session.
Whole-day Unit Materials
Individual Session Unit Materials
Session 1: Concepts And Continuity
First, we consider the bigger picture – why teach programming at all? Secondly, we need to consider the fact that students will come from primary schools with very different experiences and exposure to Computing. Seeking to address the challenge of that Key Stage 2 to 3 transition, this Session starts with a brief history lesson looking at the development of visual languages such as Scratch. It traces their origins back to the pioneering work of Seymour Papert and Logo, emphasising his approach to learning through doing.
By stating the intentions, it helps avoid getting side-tracked into discussing the detail of individual classroom activities. The primary aim is to educate teachers and illustrate the breadth and depth of Computer Science. The specific outcomes for teachers from this session are to:
- Understand the key concepts required to write programs
- Recognise the three key constructs in every program
- Become familiar with functions and procedures
- Recognise their role in structured programming.
The purpose of Tenderfoot is to equip trainers with resources to broaden the outlook of teachers new to Computing. The intention is to provide a buffet of resources on which teachers can draw, to enrich their Computing lessons, at the same time as meeting the key aim: providing greater depth of knowledge for teachers themselves. Developing teachers is the focus, not providing activities for pupils or suggested schemes of work. It is for teachers themselves to judge what might be appropriate for their particular classrooms, and at what age activities might work best.
Session resources and handouts
Session 2: Structured Programs
A central idea that goes hand-in-hand with algorithms is the notion of data structures. Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs is an old, but a well-known book written by Computer Scientist Nicklaus Wirth. The title summarises the challenge facing programmers.
They need to develop algorithms that manipulate data. The preceding Session had a focus on the three key constructs for building algorithms (sequence, selection and repetition). This Session considers how data is held in a program, that is, the Data Structures in Nicklaus Wirth’s equation. It emphasises a simple, but absolutely key concept: the notion of a variable. This is the idea that any data we wish to hold in a program must be put into a named ‘container’. This is the simplest data structure, on which many more can be built.
The primary aim is to educate teachers and illustrate the breadth and depth of Computer Science. The specific outcomes for teachers from this session are to:
- Recognise the three key constructs used in every algorithm
- Appreciate the centrality of a variable
- Become more familiar with functions and procedures
- Recognise their role in structured programming.
Session resources and handouts
Additional Resources
This video introduces the session and its activities and just how it enables teachers to further progress their pupils learning of Computer Science in Key Stage 3.
Session 3: Transitioning To Text
This final Session in Laying Firm Foundations analyses the cognitive load involved in stepping up to writing text-based programs. It suggests a staged approach, starting with writing html; a set of simple mark-up instructions. The practical challenges here use a tightly restricted environment, RoboMind, which removes the need for variables and focuses solely on the algorithmic constructs of sequence, selection and repetition.
The primary aim is to educate teachers and illustrate the breadth and depth of Computer Science.
The specific outcomes for teachers from this session are to:
- Apply the key concepts required to write programs
- Recognise the three key constructs in every program
- Become familiar with flowcharts articulating the constructs
- Have considered some challenges posed by text-based coding.
Session resources and handouts
04 RoboMind Line Following Guide
Additional resources
This video is a quick-paced flyover of the session and its activities; as well as how it can enable teachers to further progress their pupils learning of Computer Science in Key Stage 3.
This short video explores some points to ponder around the approaches to helping pupils transition to text-based coding.
Introduction to Robomind
This short CAS TV video looks a little at one of the transition friendly environments explored in the Tenderfoot sessions. It is a quick look at RoboMind, developed by the University of Amsterdam specifically for pupils new to text-based coding, which offers some distinct tools to help them along the way.