Creating Rockstar

s!!

Agenda• Why get involved?• What is Code Club?• How does Code Club work?• How do I get started?• What do I need?• Tips for running a successful club• Questions and Resources

Why get involved?

Why get involved?• Opportunity to help children to learn how to code• Start at the age when we can inspire and hook children into coding• Up until the last six to twelve months no provision in schools• New curriculum starting in Schools from September 2014 – teachers

and schools need our support!

What is Code Club?

What is Code Club?• Nationwide network of free volunteer-led after-school coding clubs

for children aged 9-11• Doesn’t have to be schools, could be a community centre or library• Provides projects for volunteers to teach at coding clubs:• Scratch • HTML• Python

• Not for Profit Group• Offers teacher training courses (as Code Club Pro)

Scratch Demo

How does Code Club work?

How does Code Club work?• After-school Club once a week for approximately an hour• Fun and creative club working through and expanding on content

provided by Code Club• Can be structured how you feel it works best, for example:• First few weeks of a term demonstrate and then start pupils off• Later weeks, hand out worksheets and work with pupils directly

Lesson Plan Structure• Work is arranged into 9-week term• Some terms group several weeks into 'levels' of difficulty• Certificates awarded for completing a level / term

Typical Project Titles• Term One - Scratch• Ghostbusters; Fruit Machine; Fish Chomp; What’s That?; Create Your Own

Game

• Term Two – Harder Scratch• Make A Monster; Sound Machine; Frantic Felix;

• Term Three – HTML• How HTML Works; Styling Web Pages; Positioning Elements Using CSS; Design

and Build Your Own Website!

• Term Four – Python• Turtle Power!; Playing Against The Computer; Teaching Turtles

How do I get started?

How do I get started?• Register as a volunteer on www.codeclub.org.uk• Search for venues looking to host a code club• Contact School/Venue yourself or they may contact you!• IMPORTANT: Get a DBS Statement (Prev. CRB Check)• STEMNet is a good avenue for this

• Get the word out about your club – assembly, letters to parents• Choose a time and date!

Why become a STEM Ambassador?• Complete DBS Check on your behalf• Another opportunity to engage and enthuse young people about STEM• Give teachers a unique perspective on how STEM can be demonstrated in

industry• Encourage young people to consider STEM careers and qualifications• Develop employability skills in young people, including confidence, teamwork,

presentation and creativity

Persuading the Boss: Making a Business Case• Get a location - calling or visiting is better than emailing• Run a term as a trial• Team up with a colleague to reduce travel costs• Write on the company blog about your experiences• How your work duties will be affected?

Code Club Website and Process

Running a successful Code Club

What do I need?• DBS Check• A member of staff to be in room at all times• Patience• Most pupils won’t have done any programming before• School systems may not be up to spec or have all the right software installed

so need to check this out• Be aware pupils will work at different speeds

• Positivity• Preparation time

Planning for a Code Club session• Run through the lessons yourself, look for:• Difficult areas• New concepts

• Keep a diary of the student's progress, and how they found the lessons.• Provide feedback to Code Club• Print resources, in colour, and staple them together.

"I'm stuck!"Transition from hands-on to hands-off:• Carefully explain any changes you make• Ask the student to describe the problem• Explain the requirements, with examples• Ask the student to read the code aloud

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Use the checklists!

"I'm finished!"Everyone finishes the work at a different rate, but there is plenty to do!

Recruit a student as a helper!Extension challenges

What’s it really like?

A Volunteer’s experience

Our experience• Very rewarding and humbling• Initially challenging• Managing personalities• Tailoring club sessions to learning styles and needs

• Seeing real progress and enthusiasm• Pupils making progress between clubs and sharing with others• Sadness when Code Club is over for a week!• Giving out certificates of achievement is very fulfilling!

Questions and resources

Resources• Code Club – www.codeclub.org.uk (@codeclub) • STEMNet - http://www.stemnet.org.uk/ambassadors (@stemnet)• Hour of Code – US www.code.org (@codeorg) – UK uk.code.org• Scratch – http://www.scratch.mit.edu (@scratchteam)• Alternative Programs• Apps for Good – http://www.appsforgood.org• Computer Clubs 4 Girls – http://www.cc4g.net

Newcastle Event – 24th April 2014• Code Pub: Newcastle meet-up• Code Club • Thursday, 24 April 2014 from 18:00 to 21:00 (GMT)• Newcastle, United Kingdom• http://codepubnewcastle.eventbrite.co.uk –

http://bit.ly/CodeClubNCL