The Northern Ireland Curriculum is underpinned by the development of skills and capabilities and incorporates ‘Cross-Curricular Skills’ (CCS) and ‘Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities’ (TSPC).
Using ICT (Information and Communications Technology), along with Communication and Using Mathematics, is one of the three statutory Cross-Curricular Skills that form part of the Northern Ireland Foundation Stage Curriculum (opens in new window) and the Northern Ireland Key Stage 1 and 2 Curriculum (opens in new window). Across the curriculum, at a level appropriate to their ability, pupils should be enable to develop skills in Using ICT.
The curriculum requirements for Using ICT are set out under the headings of Explore, Express, Exchange, Evaluate and Exhibit referred to as the 5E’s. Explore contains the requirement that pupils should ‘investigate, make predictions and solve problems through interaction with digital tools’. Primary teachers can use programming and computational thinking classroom activities to address this requirement.
CCEA has provided non-statutory guidance for progression for this type of Using ICT aligned to the statutory Levels of Progression for Using ICT. This guidance was originally called the Desirable Features for Interactive Design but the name Interactive Design has been replaced with ‘Computational Thinking and Coding’.
CCEA also advise that statutory Using ICT requirements in primary schools in Northern Ireland can be aligned to a proposed CCEA digital skills pathway for learners.
These are:
- Becoming a Digital Citizen
- Becoming a Digital Worker
- Becoming a Digital Maker
It is within the ‘Becoming a Digital Maker’ strand that the elements of programming, computational thinking and computing are housed. Logical and structured options include pupils exploring coding and programming through interaction with different types of languages and devices.
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We have a small selection of Irish Gaelic resources available which you won't find on our website, please get in touch with [email protected] and we would be happy to send you a copy.