Launching Picademy@Google Leeds
Apply for Picademy@Google Leeds now!
We love introducing educators to the Raspberry Pi; that’s why the education team are always on the road, at conferences, shows and events, sharing the Pi’s learning potential. Last year, we started a teacher training programme, and invited educators from all over the world to our headquarters for some fun hands-on learning. We called it Picademy. It’s been hugely popular, and so far we’ve trained around 200 teachers through seven events in our own unique way. The feedback has blown us away. Of those who completed our feedback questionnaire:
- 97.5% stated that they were now likely or very likely to use Raspberry Pi in their classroom, and
- 98.8% stated that they were likely or very likely to share the training received with other teachers.
So we have a problem. We want to train thousands of educators – no – hundreds of thousands of educators, and that’s not possible for our tiny education team, even though it’s made up of a cracking bunch of superstars. Picademy is always oversubscribed.
We have huge ambitions for education. Thanks to the generosity and support of Google, we think we are heading in the right direction. Today we are excited to announce our new Picademy@Google programme for educators, kicking off in Leeds, UK. This is another opportunity for primary, secondary and post-16 teachers to attend Raspberry Pi-flavoured computing and science training, but this time at a Google Digital Garage near where you live. The Digital Garages are a group of pop-up spaces – this first one located in Leeds Docks – which will help 200,000 British businesses learn crucial skills for the digital age, and use the power of the internet to reach more customers and grow faster.
“Google.org has supported the Raspberry Pi Foundation for the past two years in its mission to equip primary schoolchildren with affordable computers and has been impressed with their outcomes,” said Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org. “Raspberry Pi is leading the charge on what it takes to teach children computational skills but perhaps more importantly how to equip teachers with much-needed subject matter expertise. We’re thrilled to support them again.”
Here is Raspberry Pi Foundation trustee Pete Lomas with representatives from Code Club Pro and Computing at School (who will also be offering teacher training opportunities at the Digital Garage) at the launch event in March.
The Picademy@Google courses will be run by hand-picked community members and educators, and will be a a mix of hands-on making, project-based learning and general hacking (think Picademy meets Raspberry Jam!) They will run alongside our definitive Picademy course and are, as always, completely free to attend for teachers.
We will be launching Picademy@Google in other UK cities as Google Digital Garages open over the next few months – to be informed about when one opens up near you, please sign up to our education newsletter.
The Leeds Digital Garage will be open for six months, and we’ll be running a number of Picademy@Google courses there, so start spreading the news: sign-ups for teachers are open!
30 comments
Kratos
Those statistics are awesome!
Carrie Anne Philbin — post author
Thank you. A lot of time and effort goes into each and every Picademy. We are very proud of what we do.
Simon
“97.5% stated that they were now likely or very likely to use Raspberry Pi in their classroom, and
98.8% stated that they were likely or very likely to share the training received with other teachers.”
These are great stats! How do they translate into real life ie how many teachers actually do use Raspberry Pis in the classroom or have trained teachers directly as a result of graduating from Pi Academy? Also how many completed the questionnaire, how many didn’t and when do they complete it? My bachelor’s thesis is on educator training and this would be really useful, thanks.
Lucie deLaBruere
Is this open to US educators?
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
If you are a teacher and you can get there, yes; we also make sure that there are a couple of places available for overseas educators at any Picademies we hold at Pi Towers.
Jim Manley
So, you’re saying that someone from the Best Coast, who is unemployed during the months of June and July for some strange reason, can wander over and knock on the door at Pi Towers and they’ll be welcomed by the Educational Crew with open arms, tea, scones, marmalade, and a sandwich … with wheels? Where do I sign up??? :D
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
https://www.raspberrypi.org/picademy/, you big noob. Knowing you, I’d be very shocked if you’re not already signed up to the education newsletter; that’ll tell you when applications open. (The next Pi Towers Picademy people will be applying for is in mid-July; May is Picademy North in York, and June will be in the West Country.)
Colin Smith
Amazing news and in my home town too, I could not fill in the form fast enough!
Spencer Organ
Having attended Picademy this sounds really excellent. I can’t begin to say what a great piece of CPD this is. The best bit of it is the passion that the delegates then have to run their own events afterwards. This is a great model of disseminating knowledge and skills and this new strand of Picademy@Google will only help this.
Andreas Kopp
Any plans to expand this to other countries?
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
We hope so; we do have some plans at the moment, but they’re in the very early stages. I wouldn’t expect us to be firming anything up for some months yet.
Tony
Great news, and in my wife’s home town too. However we will be floating around the Indian Ocean then, so n/a! Liz, you mentioned possible ideas of doing something in other countries; have you thought of offering a DVD/download of a session, or even a video conference type event? This, although not quite as good as actually being there, could open up your superb training to others, especially if there could be an ‘apparatus required’ list sent ahead. This would allow remote participants to try things along with the DVD or video stream.
On a different subject, any idea when you might announce the chosen participants in the weather station educational project? I’m waiting with baited breath, and turning a funny colour!
Thanks,
Tony.
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
Tony – did you notice that there are a series of dates? She can apply for any date between May and October – I’m sure you’re not floating for six whole months!
I’m afraid we can’t set up things for remote participants; it’s something we’ve explored, but Picademy involves a lot of hands-on, one-to-one learning which really isn’t suitable for webcasting or similar. We might look at videoing some of the talk sessions in the future, but the whole Picademy experience wouldn’t work as a video or online course.
Weather station will be a little while yet; there’s still a round of applications to go for Oracle Academies, so it’ll be at least a few weeks before we and Oracle can start processing the entries. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!
Dylan Kyle
Is there something like this that non-teachers could attend?
Raspberry Pi Staff Liz Upton
There are workshops, talks, classes and much more at many Raspberry Jams – keep checking the map and calendar, which are updated regularly, to see if there’s one near you.
Allan Fernandes
Hi
Your EDuVENTURE sounds inviting
Any plans to set up a trek in India !
while also letting some non-teaching enthusiast jump on-board the Safari-Pi
Welcome to the land of the Tiger.! (before they become extinct)
Thanx
Allan.
Ben
Hi, Is it open to just the Teachers or is it also open to the Technicians.
(Science, DT, ICT)
You know the ones that will actually be doing all of this as the Teachers come and go. And the onse that have to prepare and setup and transfer knowledge, since the Teachers never actually have the time.
It would be interested to hear real take up of the use. So many say it will be good, to suddenly get back to actualities of Teaching. I.e. no time to implement. So ideas and excitment fizzle out.
Carrie Anne Philbin — post author
Hi Ben, thanks for your interest in Picademy. Fun fact, I was an ICT Technician at a school before I trained to be a teacher, so I appreciate your concerns.
The course is not simply a how to use Pi in the classroom, i.e. setting it up. We talk a lot about programme of studies, lesson plans, pedagogy and so on. It’s tailored for teachers to meet the needs of the new changes and our funding is dependant on us delivering Picademy to teachers.
I know that there are a number of technicians who also deliver lessons to students in schools. If that is the case for you then I’d encourage you to apply for a place. I can’t guarantee a spot, but it’s always worth a try.
Alternatively, if Pi is something that you are interested in learning about, especially in supporting your teachers and administrating then Picademy is probably not for you. I’d recommend instead attending a Raspberry Jams event or becoming an active member of our forums.
Ben
Probably a crossed purposes of what the Picademy is for.
I assumed it was to show, teach and support educators throughout schools in any subject that could make use of a Pi. I have not been to the Picademy website, I had just read this post. I see it is transferring a Schemes of work and showing how it can be done for ICT through the years.
I guess if that’s what the funding is for then that it was it is for, perhaps they (the funders) should look at the wider education picture though and realise that somebody needs to properly support the people who will actully be doing the had work to keep the motivation going. Unless the individual teacher is enthusiastic, they’ll just be left on a shelf by the other Teachers unless there are people to support them in the schools, teach them how to use them, show them where they can be used and then rig it all together for them. That is left to the technicians of the subject, hence why they are called Technicians. Teachers just deliver it, they are mostly far to busy to learn a new system.
I don’t think a Jam is the right place for them to be, they are not there to show and hack and play around with our recent ideas.
It would still be interesting to see actual take up of their use after being to Picademy, I hope it stays high as they are a useful teaching (and not just to learn programming) tool.
Keep up the good work.
Simon
“It would still be interesting to see actual take up of their use after being to Picademy”
I too would like to see this (and asked in the comments above), but probably not going to happen- feedback questionnaires like this are well intentioned but pretty meaningless. The stats look good but enthusiastic intent after an event simply doesn’t reflect what actually happens afterwards. This isn’t a criticism of the Academy which looks like a great course, just a fact of surveys.
David Reese
I help run a children’s science company. If love to be able to do something with this in the US. Can you point me in the right direction?
amy cornelisen
PLEASE let me know if you are ever coming to New Zealand! I run an educational charity and can help with logistics, if needed.
Benjamin Odoi-Lartey
I’m ready to fly all the way from Ghana to learn and share the knowledge with my folks back home…
Can’t just wait any longer!
OPENSOURCE holds the future
Vuuummmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason Wyatt
Hoping to get over from Jersey to do a Picademy. Please can you clarify whether participants in the Google-run courses earn ‘Pi Certified Educator’ status, like with regular Picademy? No mention in the description.
Carrie Anne Philbin — post author
Completion of the two day Picademy@Google course = Certification
Peter Jago
Dear Carrie, I applied for the Picademy at Leeds (8&9th June)a few weeks ago. Any news on if I have been successful in my application? School are currently timetabling me for exam cover and I would need to apply for time off. Thank you.
Peter Jago
Just got an offer of acceptance on the Leeds Picademy course. Thank you very much. I look forward to meeting you all.
Chandi Tome
I am so impressed by what the folks at Raspberry Pi are doing. I come from Western Kenya’s innovation and technology hub, LakeHub, where we are currently exploring ways of transforming the local community with the help of freely available and affordable ICTs. We are keen on including the Pi in our next projects!
Diane Cusworth
Hi
I registered for the event on the 4th/5th August about 2/3 week ago and I am just wondering when I will find out if my application was accepted or not?
Kind regards
Diane
Carrie Anne Philbin — post author
Hi Diane, we will not begin selection for August until places have been finalised for July. This is likely to be around the start of July.