Introducing Python into primary schools in Brisbane. Emily De La Peña - founder of Coding Kids - takes a look at how far they have come and looks towards the future: integrating Python in schools.

1. to primary schools
Introducing
Emily de la Peña
Founder, Coding Kids (QLD)
@EmilyFdelaPena

2. Our Journey
March - Nov 2015: CoderDojo

3. Our Journey
January 2016: 2 schools & 50 students

4. Our Journey
Aug 2017: 20+ schools, 400+ students
and Regional QLD tour

5. Changing Educational Landscape
Two New
Subjects
(Prep - Year 6)

6. Queensland Journey
2016
17 trial primary
schools
2017
All schools
involved
Assess and
report
2020
Full
implementation in
all schools

7. Experimenting with Python in Primary Schools
Extra Curricular
Integrating into
the curriculum
Digital
Technologies
and English
(Year 6)
Digital
Technologies
and Science
(Year 5)

8. Digital Technologies Tracking Tool

9. Experimenting with Python in Primary Schools
Solar System Quiz:
Digital Technologies and Science Outcomes (Year 5)
•The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star
(the sun) (ACSSU078)
•Design a user interface for a digital system (ACTDIP018)
•Plan, create and communicate ideas and information,
including collaboratively online, applying agreed
ethical, social and technical protocols (ACTDIP022)
PLAY QUIZ
IDLE or trinket.io

10. Experimenting with Python in Primary Schools
Text adventure game:
Digital Technologies and English Outcomes (Year 6)
•Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements
drawing on previously solved problems (ACTDIP017)
•Explain how student solutions and existing information systems are
sustainable and meet current and future local community needs
(ACTDIP021)
•Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations, selecting
and sequencing appropriate content and
multimodal elements for defined audiences and
purposes, making appropriate choices for
modality and emphasis (ACELY1710)
PLAY QUIZ
IDLE or trinket.io

12. Limits to IDLE and trinket.io
Great for
beginners
Limited turtle
functionality
Small subset
of Tkinter library
Pygame not
available
Lack of
extensibility

13. Regional Queensland
Training

14. What’s next?
Experimenting with:
• Python and Pepper robots
• Python and MicroBits
• WinPython using USB
• Depth vs Breadth

15. What do you think?

16. Emily De La Peña
Founder of Coding Kids, Advance Queensland’s Community Digital Champion
codingkids.com.au
facebook.com/codingkidstutoring
@EmilyFdelaPena & @coding_kids
linkedin.com/in/emilydelapena/
@emily.f.delapena