Pupils have worked very hard this week on their pianos. They aren't all finished, so next week will be about getting them finished. I'd like them all to have done one crab game and one piano by the time they return after half term. I also need to use them to showcase the AS Computing course to year 9s soon. They have all been set homework, to do the first 4 chapters of the BBCBASIC tutorial and look at chapter 8, and then to write two simple problems: get the width and height of a field and display the area, and get the radius of a coin and display the circumference. Most have already done it.
Today, I gave them all a test. This was the first one on the course and tested a knowledge of a cross-section of the terms we've come across so far. It lasted 25 minutes. I've just marked them and interestingly, I'm failing half a dozen as they just aren't getting the basics clear in their heads. Most, however, are doing staggeringly well. I'm both delighted and relieved that the knowledge is going in for most of them. Next week, I will work closely with the six who are struggling whilst the others get on with their pianos and see if I can help them with some of the basics. I also need to arrange 'Study buddies' for them, other students who can help them revise and who they can ask for help. This idea works well in a Grammar School. On the plus side, they all completed a questionnaire on all aspects of the course so far. Nearly everyone is thoroughly enjoying the course. Most love the challenge, although a few are struggling. They like the resources, the pace is good for most of them and all but one person thinks they are really learning something useful. This is very encouraging but I must work harder to get the ones who aren't so happy back in the groove!
We also did our first introduction to pseudo-code today. We talked about why programmers need to define problems exactly and we looked at an example. I gave them a problem and then asked them to write down the steps in solving it in any way they wanted. After a while, they were stopped, and we looked at their solutions, finding ambiguity as we went. I then showed them a solution in pseudo-code and we discussed that and why it was precise (nearly) and what we needed to do to improve it.
This was really interesting, watching them thinking and discussing how to clearly describe a solution to a problem. I have a feeling that they are going to benefit from practising using pseudo-code to define the solutions to problems in all kinds of unexpected ways. If nothing else, they should after a few weeks start to think more logically, step-by-step, trying to pick holes in their own solutions. I'm quite looking forward to the next few lessons.
