As technology continues to infiltrate our lives, it is increasingly important that our understanding of technology grows with it.
This includes teaching the next generation who may go on to be tech pioneers. With this in mind, Apadmi is to offer courses that will enable computing teachers to coach secondary school pupils in app programming.
The course will cover the development and programming of an app and offer teachers ‘real world’ examples to further their pupils’ understanding of the subject.
Apadmi piloted a series of ‘App in a Day’ teaching sessions in 2013 delivered by their own experts in classrooms across the UK. The new course will expand this initiative by giving teachers the skills and resources to deliver the course in their own classroom.
Howard Simms, co-founder and operations director at Apadmi commented: "As an employer within the technology sector, we have a responsibility to ensure that young people have the opportunity to develop computing skills, such as app development. Our courses have been very successful and we want to build on this by offering teachers the opportunity to be able to deliver the lesson themselves."
Andrew Middleton, director of ICT at Knutsford Academy, a school that has benefited from the Apadmi ‘App in a Day’ course said: "Teachers cannot keep up with the pace of technology and this is where companies operating in the sector can bring the latest skills, experiences and technologies to help teachers offer meaningful and up to date lessons."
Teaching of computing in primary and secondary schools is undergoing its largest ever overhaul with a new curriculum set to be introduced in September 2014. The Technology Policy unit of the Department of Education has encouraged teachers to spend the time before this happens innovating and growing the curriculum by exploring industry created schemes.
Simms added: "There is the potential for our schools to offer a world class education in computing that will ensure the UK has a skilled workforce that competes on a global stage. But this must be done in partnership with specialist companies and not rely on teachers having to play catch up with what is happening in the sector."
