Picademy – Free CPD for Teachers
**Update 28 March: Entries are now closed. Thanks to everyone who applied, you’ll be hearing from us very soon.**
I am very pleased to announce the first ever Raspberry Pi Academy for Educators!
The Raspberry Picademy will be a free professional development experience for primary and secondary teachers, initially for those here in the UK. Over the course of two days, (14th – 15th April 2014), 24 applicants will get hands-on experience here at Pi Towers, and discover the many ways in which the Raspberry Pi can be used in the classroom, working with our team of experts.
Raspberry Pi robotics at Kimbolton School
We will be looking to select 24 teachers for this program who meet our criteria and demonstrate a passion for education and for sharing practice, whatever their level of computing experience. In particular we are looking for teachers who:
- can demonstrate experience of leading inset training sessions or running workshops – we would like our teachers to be able to train others
- can reach large numbers of educators – through Twitter, teachmeets, blog posts, jams, CAS hubs etc. to spread the love
- can demonstrate experience in using technology in the classroom – does not have to be Raspberry Pi!
- are positive role models to young people
- love challenges and overcoming problems.
We want to build a wider community of pioneering educators through this program, and it would make us all really happy if after the two day event, they go on to:
- create a scheme of work for the Raspberry Pi Educational Resources section of our new website (coming soon!) that meets the new Computing curriculum programme of study
- have a positive impact on their community with Raspberry Pi
- take an active role in the Raspberry Pi Education Forum to help inspire others.
As well as training, educators will have access to a forum to share ideas, get some Raspberry Pi goodies and a special badge.
If you think you might be one of our superteachers, then you can apply by filling out this application form. Please note that although this training is provided free of charge and we will provide your meals, you will have to make your own transport and accommodation plans (we’ll be making information about where you can stay and how to get here available to the people who take part). The deadline for applications is Friday 28th March.
40 comments
Jim Manley
Although I’m not eligible for this due to what would be a horrible daily commute from the Best Coast, and I’m not fluent in whatever language it is you speak there, we of an educator persuasion elsewhere will be enviously jealous of the UK educators who will be participating in this. There’s mention of the existing “Raspberry Pi Education Forum” but the next line down it says, ” … educators will have access to a forum to share ideas, get some Raspberry Pi goodies and a special badge.” Will that be a second forum only accessible to the participants, or could at least read-only access be provided to educators elsewhere so that we don’t have to play catch-up and/or reinvent the wheel if/when this might expand beyond the UK? Will the badges be Adafruit-style embroidered skill badges, fantastic Jamboree-style laser-cut, LED-illuminated badges, or just old-timey, boring card-in-a-plastic-sleeve kind of badges. The Pi goodies and badges are the most important aspects of all of this, naturally! :lol:
Jim Manley
OK, I’m pretty sure I properly encapsulated the link within an href tag, but it is early here on the Best Coast. A comment preview mode sure would be nice for those of us operating at a sleep deficit … :lol:
Jim Manley
There’s definitely something broken in parsing href tags here, and no, I’m not going to try to create another one until you get it fixed – grrrRRR!!! :roll:
Carrie Anne — post author
There will not be a second forum, but we hope that participants of this program will have their own tag. We believe in an open and friendly sharing community as you know.
We blame Ben for all website related issues. :)
Jim Manley
Thanks, Carrie Anne! Open and friendly sharing, what a concept – I highly recommend we apply that idea to code and call it something like “open source”. You heard it here first, folks :lol:
If you haven’t seen my PM from last week and Clive, et al, haven’t mentioned it, I’m suggesting we edumacation types get together at/after the SF Maker Faire on at least Saturday night to swap stories and otherwise share what we’re discovering. I’m also inviting folks for a special personal tour of the Computer History Museum just down the street from the Googleplex, which could include a presentation and demo of Babbage Difference Engine Design Two, Serial Number Two.
Raspberry Pi Staff liz
CA, Clive and Dave: you REALLY should take Jim up on this offer. He has special backstage privileges, don’t’cha know. :D (Thank you very much, Jim!)
clive
I already signed up! As a bonus it’s about a mile from where I’m renting my Electra Glide from :D
ukscone
Not going to be fixed as it’s all a consPIracy against you. The Raspberry Pi Foundation isn’t really all about education, kids & computers (making) it’s a secret cabal of anti-jim manley forces :D
Jim Manley
” … it’s a secret cabal of anti-jim manley forces … ” As there should be! :lol: Hey, Russ, you’re allegedly a mod (either that, or you’re celebrating St. Patty’s Day with a green handle ;) ), so can you see an obvious glitch in the text of my post, and perhaps fix that if that’s the problem? Otherwise, I’ll just send a virtual ghost to haunt Matt – oh, what the heck, I’ll do that anyway! :lol:
Jim Manley
Not Matt, Ben. What the heck is in my orange juice this morning? Oh, that’s not just orange juice, it’s a Screwdriver! Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliars. Is it Tuesday yet?
ukscone
I think i’ve fixed it how you wanted it in the OP but i’ll leave the others as is so you don’t look like a complete goofball for whinging about something that doesn’t exist :)
[there was no closing tag and it’d chanaged your test to be the link title]
Jim Manley
Thank you, suh! You’re a gentleman and a scholar, no matter what they’re saying about ya on 52nd Street :lol:
clive
They’ll have a ‘tag’ on the forum as Carrie Anne says because the certification will say very positive and specific things about that person, of course in the Raspberry Pi sense but also as an innovative educator and valuable community member. And we’ll be spring cleaning and reinvigorating the education sub-forum generally!
Michael Horne
That’s just fantastic news. Brilliant idea. Hope you get lots of willing victims :p
RaspberryPiIvBeginners
Sounds great really interested in learning what needs to go into a scheme of work.
Gabe Lee
Good afternoon any chance you will be doing anything simliar for US teachers in the future? I have used Raspberry Pi a few time in class demos for my students and they loved it!
Chris Evans
CPD = I presume: Continuing Professional Development for those who don’t recognise it. I had to look it up, so I thought I might save others who wondered. n.b. I do realise the target market for the post will know but do wish acronyms were more often explained!
Sandra
Hi, where are you based? I would love to apply but need to look at accommodation costs if I was lucky enough to be chosen to take part.
Thanks
Sandra
Raspberry Pi Staff liz
We are in Cambridge. We’ll be looking into sourcing the accommodation for all those who will be invited to attend (which you’ll have to pay for, but if we manage this properly it shouldn’t be crippling), so please apply; we’ll be giving details out if you’re selected.
Georgina
Is an email sent out in reply once the application has been submitted? Hope my application was received!
Raspberry Pi Staff liz
Hi Georgina – no, there is no email confirmation, but we did receive your entry.
Georgina
Thank you for the confirmation :) much appreciated!
Ann
I didn’t receive a confirmation email either – did you get mine?
Raspberry Pi Staff liz
I’ve just replied to your email. As I said below, that form does not issue a confirmation email, so nobody will have received one.
James Robinson
I hope you got mine too, bet you’ve had tons of applications?
Raspberry Pi Staff liz
Yes to both questions!
James Robinson
Cool thanks
John Wilkinson
Hi Liz,
When you say soon, will this be before Friday as a lot of schools Finish for Easter then.
Regards
John
Nicholas Hughes
Hi
When will people be know if they where selected?
Thanks
Zali Collymore-Hussein
Hi
Just looking for an update – have the lucky 24 been contacted or is that yet to happen. Thanks
Allan Carrington
G’day from the colonies downunder.
Have you guys got any plans to do a Picademy in this end of the world aka Australia. I would be your first registration. When I first saw the video I even thought about registering for the next one in the UK but the bus ticket of A$2000 would never get past the wife :-)
I would also like to interview any of the Picademy workshop team about this for my learning and teaching blog if possible.
Regards
Allan
Andrew
Hi, Unfortunately I cannot make it to the picademy. As a teacher with little experience trying to introduce coding and Raspberry Pis into my school, will the resources from the day be made available to all?
Ben Nuttall
The workshop material is usually things our team and contributors have put together so you’ll find some in our resources. There are also talks and there’s discussion and networking.
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
A lot of the learning is hands-on and one-to-one, so you won’t get the same experience online. We’ll be making more dates available later in the year, though, so please keep an eye out if you’d like to attend.
claire taylor
Will you be running another picademy soon in the UK?
Ben Nuttall
Yes, definitely. We’ll announce dates as they’re decided.
Edward Gunn
Hope about a picadamey in the North East? I would love to attend but having to travel to Cambridge is just not doable. If it helps I can find a venu and I can also spread the word. How about just a simple introduction over a day run by someone local who is using them in school, this may then lead to more products bought a shop could be popped up during the event. Put me in touch with a local Raspberry Pi guru and I will make it happen.
Sandra stones
Very difficult to get released from school, any chance of something in the holidays?
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
We’re thinking about it – we tend to get better uptake for termtime sessions, but if there’s enough demand we may open up holiday dates too.
Russ McAnulla
Hi
Can non-teachers get onto one of these courses? Although I am well past my sell-by date I would be happy to get involved with a local school to pass on my newly learned skills (no jokes about old dogs please). I have a reasonable amount of professional programming experience, but only for PC type applications, so I am wanting to experience a second childhood (not too far off I fear) and get involved with Pie-making!
Russ