Computing and society - A Practical Guide to Teaching Computing and ICT in the Secondary School - page 133

suggested as a viable solution to this problem. The Pi is a slot-together device
that you can add to, in which the parts are clearly visible ( see Chapter 6 ). The
connection with computer architecture is not difficult to make ( see Resources: Rural
Farming). Another context which raises similar issues is the use of social media and
web pages to strengthen cultural and linguistic bonds for speakers of a minority
language which is in danger of dying out. Currently, the language of the tool to
make these things possible will doubtless be English. Pupils might be encouraged
amongst other things to explore whether Computing technology supports more or
less inclusivity. What both of these contexts provide is a clear link to many subjects
in the curriculum. Where possible you must make use of them and your colleagues
from other areas to enrich your teaching.
Task 8.6
Contexts
Other contexts might include:
• The revelations by Edward Snowden about the Computing tools used to
undertake mass surveillance ( see Resources: Snowden).
• The dawn of the intelligent machine and what it means for us all ( see
Resources: Machine).
• The struggles climate scientists have had, and continue to have, in trying to
state with certainty that global warming is a result of human activity ( see
Resources: Climate).
These are just a few of the myriad of ideas. Identify your own, some of which
might relate to the world of work that could be used with Years 7, 9 and 11.
Explain to a colleague how your approach will vary with each year.
COMPUTERS: GOOD OR BAD?
Woven throughout all the preceding discussion in this chapter is a central question:
Are computers and Computing a positive or a negative force? It may seem odd if
you live in a society reliant on sophisticated Computing to even contemplate
discussing the virtues of this form of technology. We are entering (or already have
entered) an era of profound change that fundamentally affects the way we relate to
each other, and our relationship to the State. Globalisation of commerce and
communication means it is very difficult to avoid the consequences of what is
happening in places that might have appeared to be very remote in past times.
Climate change is one obvious example of this. The populations of low- and middle-
income countries might have a relatively low impact on global warming at the
moment, but as they strive to improve this will change. The 2013 collapse of the
Dhaka Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh is a less obvious example. This eight-
storey building, in which 1,300 people died when it collapsed, housed garment
workers producing branded clothing for well-known retailers in the West. The
conditions of work and rates of pay for these workers bore no relationship to those
in equivalent jobs in more developed countries. The moral outrage that accompanied
the news of this event raised a serious ethical issue about the treatment of these
workers. The point about both examples is that Computing technology has made it
possible to have almost instant access to information about them.