14 Issue 1404
been a long process to get to this point, and no one wants to
risk derailing the process so early on.
To explain, when it was announced in the UK that the ICT
curriculum was being torn up andreplaced by a computing
subject, it scared a good number of teachers. They were
used to showing children how to use the tools that had been
created by others but not so hot on how those apps were
developed in the first place.
There was also a great deal of anxiety that their pupils may
well know more than them, but the Raspberry Pi Foundation
was able to step in at the right time and not only bring
educators up to speed but show that fostering an environment
of mutual learning in the classroom could be widely beneficial
to all sides.
Over the years, Picademy has runs dozens of workshops for
teachers and suggested projects they can try. There has been
a strong tie-up with Code Club and an emphasis on what the
Pi Foundationrefers to as the “maker approach”. These kinds
of programmes are important if teachers are going to be able
to continue their work, but the key is for the Pi Foundation to
keep the education and theroll-out of new machines in step–
something thatrequires ongoing funding and effort.
If the Raspberry Pi becomes too advanced, someretraining
of those who have already gone through the process may be
necessary. There is also a risk of making the machines appear
too complex. There could well be a line that the Pi crosses at
some stage in the future, which starts to move the computer
further and further away from its core aims without being able
to bring teachers up to speed in time. That time hasn’t come
yet, though.WellIntentioned?
Is the greater goodreally areason to spend 30 notes ona
new computer?To some degree, yes. In an interview witha
leading gadget magazine, Upton said the UK government had
declined to provide funds for the Raspberry Pi project a couple
of years before it was launched, which is a pity. It appears the
government believed there was no market for the computer,
and the door to that particularrevenue stream appears to have
been closed ever since. There’s still a technology skills shortage,
and computers such as the Raspberry Pi 3 help to form bridges
over the gaps and foster learning among the young. If that’s
not areason to buy, we don’t know what is.
Of course, the more money that’s invested, the greater
chance of the Pi being enhanced in the future. Upton hasThis is thefirst Pi you
can stick behind your TV and
completely forget about