Tell us a little about yourself and your work.

My name is Daniel Davies, and I am a teacher at a Primary School that teaches through the Welsh language. At the moment, I teach Year 6.

How did you start working with Technocamps?

I felt that my digital skills needed to be improved in order to teach in accordance with the requirements of the framework for primary school children. I researched providers of professional development courses to see who could support schools through various workshops for primary age pupils in this area.

Which part of the work with Technocamps has been most beneficial to you, and why?

Personally, completing the Technocamps Professional Development Accreditation program for primary schools (2023-2024) was an invaluable experience. It had a huge impact on my confidence in teaching digital skills to pupils of all ages. Learning about computational thinking was particularly beneficial, as it helped the Year 6 pupils to develop a structured approach to solving problems, not only in the field of computer science but also in wider areas. Since then I have recently had Technocamps into the school to develop more of the pupils’ digital skills with their innovative workshops.

How do you think the skills and knowledge provided by Technocamps are used in your day-to-day work?

The skills and knowledge I have gained through Technocamps are naturally incorporated into my teaching every day. I use computational thinking when helping pupils to tackle problems in different areas of learning, including mathematics and science. The coding and programming skills I have developed have enabled me to provide practical opportunities for pupils, such as creating and decoding messages using Micro:bits and Scratch. I am also confident in providing training to the school staff about what was learned during the course. In addition, my confidence in using technology has increased, enabling me to make lessons more interactive and engaging.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I could never recommend Technocamps enough to teachers who want to improve their understanding of computer science. The support offered is invaluable, and the workshops offer excellent opportunities for pupils to develop essential digital skills in an easy and practical way.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.