Who Should Teach Our Children Computing - A Very Different View - Podcast
Who Should Teach Our Children Computing - A Very Different View - Podcast and Article
The Article
"A one-man war against decay—I enjoy life the hard way!" Are any of you familiar with the remarkable Salford poet John Cooper Clarke? What an intriguing way to kick off a blog from 2017, where I passionately looked at the state of digital skills in schools. It felt like there was an alarming indifference within the digital community around Greater Manchester, England. But there's more to this story. I've reposted that original blog, and you can dive into it using this link: Manchester's Forgotten Digital Generation.
Was I too harsh? Looking back now, I don’t think so. Instead, it underscores my relentless drive to ignite schools' interest in adopting what I termed "21st-century learning platforms." My vision wasn't just about lowering IT costs; it was about empowering children to explore a new way of learning and move beyond the limitations of iPads, which, in my opinion, have done little to enhance true digital skills. This approach could have given some of the most underserved schools and students in Greater Manchester a significant advantage. I delve deeper into this in both the blog and the accompanying YouTube video.
A Missed Opportunity
Fast forward nearly 13 years, and I find myself pondering: has anything really changed in the landscape of primary school education in the UK? Based on my recent visits, it seems not much has. When COVID struck and schools were suddenly thrust into the world of "home learning" in March 2020, many state schools were caught off guard. Despite having links to a "VLE" (Virtual Learning Environment) on their websites, few had ever truly integrated it into their teaching. It was more of a cosmetic addition, a way to "keep up with the Joneses." The idea of children accessing work from home was practically alien.
By then, I had spent about six years championing the use of cloud-based educational platforms, particularly Google's G-Suite for Education, as it was known back then. I even organised several "Google Showcases" at schools that were already excelling with Google's cloud platform.
But who attended these showcases? Mostly private and independent schools—state schools were largely absent. When the lockdown was lifted and the DfE (Department for Education) released the results for home learning, it was clear that state schools had not fared as well as their private counterparts. The usual excuse was a lack of funding, yet the very platforms that private schools had embraced years earlier were completely FREE! The real issue, in my opinion, was a lack of interest and a series of missed opportunities, which have led to the ongoing challenges we face today.
Another missed opportunity came when many state schools hastily abandoned the cloud-based platforms rolled out for free by the DfE during the lockdown. They turned them off, never to be used again.
School IT: Always Moving Up, But Never Moving Forward
There’s no doubt that IT systems in many schools have advanced, thanks to initiatives like the DfE’s connected classrooms, which provided top-of-the-line Wi-Fi and faster networks. However, for schools that haven’t adopted cloud computing, they’re essentially stuck in the past, operating as they did when the first computer suites were introduced in the mid-1980s. It’s astounding that, in the 24th year of the 21st century, many children still can’t access their work from home, despite the availability of cloud-based systems. Isn't this how everyone works today?
A New Approach to Teaching, A New Kind of Teacher
I never attended university, don’t have a degree, and I’m certainly not an academic. I don’t even have a teaching qualification, yet here I am, teaching computing to about 450 children each week, from Year 1 to Year 6. I believe that my non-traditional background has allowed me to bring a fresh perspective to teaching computing.
My background is in business IT, with 25 years as a field engineer and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certification since 2000. I’ve also dabbled in electronics, web design, video editing, and graphic design—basically, I have a deep passion for all things computing and electronic. Given the breadth of today’s computing curriculum, even at the primary level, some might argue that these skills are perfectly suited to the fast-paced world of education.
The scope of what’s expected in computing lessons far exceeds what teachers are required to cover in subjects like geography or science. So, why are schools so eager to hire specialised coaches for sports and music, but there’s no equivalent for computing? It’s a question worth considering.
Because of my extensive experience with Google Cloud, I began introducing cloud computing to the schools I supported. The reactions varied widely—some were enthusiastic, while others were resistant. Fortunately, I ended up working with two schools that were eager to embrace cloud computing, allowing children to access their work from home. It was in these schools that I refined my approach, supported by forward-thinking headteachers and SLTs (Senior Leadership Teams) who recognised the transformative potential of this technology.
The Legacy
So, what have we accomplished, and how did we do it? I’ll be honest—things aren’t perfect. I can’t claim that all the children I teach are coding prodigies or graphic design wizards. Every class has a mix of abilities, but I’ve developed a system that works. It’s based on solid foundational skills, ensuring the right tools are in place, and giving children the chance to master the latest technology, including the recent addition of AI.
I strive to make lessons enjoyable and creative. For example, in a recent series of lessons on AI, children used Suno to create music and songs. Some even collaborated at home to produce a CD! Because they’ve been using Google Cloud since they were seven, by Year 6, most students are proficient in teamwork, collaboration, and sharing their work on Google Drive. These are essential 21st-century skills—why wouldn’t they know how to do this?
Because nearly everything I do is cloud-based, students often try things out at home and eagerly show me their work in the next lesson. Some of their work is truly outstanding, and they’re building crucial skills for the future. Here in the North of England, where a digitally skilled workforce is desperately needed, these efforts are making a difference. It’s a journey that brings me back to my original blog post from 2017.
I Am Unemployable in the Field of Education
We often have visitors at our school, and they’re always shown the computer suite and introduced to me as a driving force behind our computing achievements. Many of these visitors express regret that they hadn’t known about me sooner—they would have offered me a job. I can’t help but smile as I tell them that over the last decade, their schools probably received 20 to 30 emails from me, seeking employment, without a single reply. I also share a simple truth—if I were to lose my current positions, I would never work in education again, no school would ever employ me. I might end up stacking shelves at a supermarket instead.
And that raises an important question: Do we need to rethink who we’re hiring to teach computing in the UK? It’s a question worth exploring as we look to the future. You can view some of my work by visiting The Learning Zone and 2010it
John Goodier