UK distribution company CPC has partnered with ‘Raspberry Jam’ network founder and Principle ICT teacher Alan O’Donohoe for a new initiative giving teachers a ‘byte’ of coding know-how.
Following on from last year’s BIMA D Day which championed digital education in schools, the initiative is part of a long term mission to bring coding into the classroom by arranging a Raspberry Jamboree with Alan O’Donohoe as part of the 2013 Education Innovation Conference & Exhibition.
The Raspberry Jamboree, taking place on 9 March, will provide hands-on Raspberry Pi workshops to 350 teachers and educators, developing the necessary skills needed to apply their knowledge and teach coding to pupils in the classroom.
As well as providing a lifeline for educators eager for an insight into the skills they will require for the ICT classroom of tomorrow the event is also providing a platform for interactive debate on the future of ICT education. The debate itself, led by a panel including Professor Steve Furber (principle designer of BBC Micro), Pete Lomas (Raspberry Pi co-founder), and young enthusiastic teachers, is set to be amplified and promoted by CPC’s social media channels and a ticketed live video stream broadcast around the globe.
Marketing director at CPC, David Deventer, commented: “In this world of technology, it’s not enough for students to only know how to switch on a PC and use basic office software; they need to understand the science behind it if future generations are to cement the UK’s position at the forefront of technological innovation. With fantastic products like Raspberry Pi, which help students to learn code, we’re halfway there – but we need to ensure that we’re doing all we can to enable teachers to nurture these skills.”
O’Donohoe added: “The Raspberry Pi computer is a fantastic tool to inspire and engage learners to enter the world of computing science with its massive educational potential. The aim of the Raspberry Jamboree conference is to identify and share the impact that this low-cost computer is having on education.
“However, without the passionate work and support from CPC, it would be a real struggle to provide events on the scale of March’s Raspberry Jamboree. It’s refreshing to work with a company that shares the same educational values and interests as those teaching on the ground.”