Introduction
for teachers
Welcome to Time2Code from Craig’n’Dave. We have been teaching teenagers to code since 1997, and this scheme of learning is the result of continual reflection and trying different methods and pedagogies over the years. This scheme works. We know that because our own students of all abilities have been incredibly successful learning to code and achieved fantastic grades.
These programming tutorials are for schools that are delivering the National Curriculum in England. If you are using Time2Code in Key Stage 3, that means students will be introduced to lists, arrays, procedures, and functions in addition to the basic programming constructs of sequence, selection, and repetition.
If you are using Time2Code with GCSE students, they should already be familiar with these concepts and this scheme of learning will refresh their knowledge and take it further.
Time2Code is for teachers that want to challenge their students, and in doing so achieve higher grades. It is not for teachers who want their students to find the work easy.
If students find using subprograms and data structures hard, it is simply because they have not been taught to structure their programs early enough in their learning journey and have not had sufficient practice at doing so. Subprograms provide decomposition. That should make programs easier to write, not harder! It is these observations and subsequent adaptations to our teaching that challenge established, ingrained practices, meaning Time2Code is a new, more successful way for students to learn to code.
Learning should be difficult. It should progress from prior learning. It should embrace new and demanding problems. It is only when we are stuck that we learn something new.
