Teachwithict

Anyone who follows me on social media will know that, last week, 15 year’s worth of lesson plans, tutorials, and computing resources hosted on my website, teachwithict.com, vanished overnight after an automated decision by my hosting provider. Thanks to the incredible support of the CAS community, I’ve managed to recover around 80 per cent of the content, but the site itself is now in a complete mess.

Unfortunately, the way Weebly handles CSS and organises its file structure means the site would require countless hours to make it function again. The honest truth is that I simply don’t have the time or the energy to rebuild it from scratch.

Thankfully, my most recent resource, ‘Walking with mammoths – an AI literacy activity, is hosted on my other site, science-resources.co.uk, and all related materials (lesson plan and resources) are freely available through CAS. Unfortunately, all of my other resources (lesson plans, tutorials, binary games, micro:bit guides etc.) have gone for good. Some of it can still be viewed through the Wayback Machine, but there’s no guarantee everything remains functional or intact.

When I first created teachwithict.com and later , it was because there was so little support available for computing teachers. The landscape was new, resources were scarce, and many of us were figuring things out as we went along.

Fast forward to today, and the community has grown beyond anything I could have imagined. There is now a wealth of high‑quality, free material out there to support teachers with the teaching of computer science. Even better, a new generation of passionate teachers and innovators are now pioneering the way forward, bringing fresh ideas, new perspectives and a real sense of momentum to the subject. Plus, with me no longer working as a classroom teacher, this feels like the natural point to call it a day.


Hosting on Twitter for seven years was a privilege, even if it eventually became untenable after teachers migrated away from platform in droves. Running the website for fifteen years has been equally rewarding. I’ve been proud to contribute, to share, to help, and to be part of such a supportive community.

I just want to say a genuine, heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported and teachwithict.com over the years. The conversations, contributions, and camaraderie have meant a great deal.

This is me, officially signing off.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

⚠️ Important warning for anyone using Weebly
I’m sharing this to spare others from what I’ve just gone through. After 15 years of building and maintaining my websites on Weebly, my entire account was suddenly shut down without any warning. Everything was deleted, years of work, resources, and content, all because of what turns out to be a false positive match against the OFAC SDN sanctions list.

This wasn’t due to anything I’d done. It was an automated algorithm error. And judging by the posts on Reddit, I’m far from the only one this has happened to. There are multiple reports of long‑standing Weebly users being locked out or permanently suspended with no explanation”.

So please, if you still have anything hosted on Weebly, back it up and move it as soon as you can. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

If this helps even one person avoid losing their work, it’s worth sharing.

Can your students tell what’s real and what’s fake?
In today’s digital world, critical thinking is more important than ever. My latest classroom activity challenges students to spot fake news and understand the role of AI in shaping online content.
✅ Explore practical strategies for identifying misinformation
✅ Engage students with interactive resources
✅ Build essential digital literacy skills
Full lesson plan here: https://www.teachwithict.com/fake_news.html
Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdGQDgAVuH0
Let’s empower the next generation to navigate the online world with confidence.
How do you teach your students to think critically about what they see online? Share your ideas below!

Woolly mammoths return to the Scottish Highlands For the very first time, scientists have brought woolly mammoths back to life and placed them in the Scottish Highlands! This amazing project started in 2024...

❄️ Ready to make it snow with code?!
Transforming your Python Turtle snowflake designs into a customisable snow scene! Includes complete lesson plan.

Simulator: https://www.teachwithict.com/let-it-snow.html
Full lesson plan: https://www.teachwithict.com/snowflakes-python.html
Tutorial video: https://youtu.be/M6_5q3ZALMY

Introducing CS Teacher Toolkits - packed with everything you need to make your computing lessons engaging and effective! Each toolkit includes:
✅ Lesson plans
✅ Teaching strategies
✅ Posters
✅ Interactive activities
✅ And more!

Start exploring with these toolkits:
🔹 AI Literacy Toolkit – Help students understand AI concepts: https://www.teachwithict.com/ai-toolkit.html
🔹 Binary Toolkit – Make binary fun and accessible: https://www.teachwithict.com/binary_toolkit.html
🔹 Coding Toolkit – Support coding skills development: https://www.teachwithict.com/coding-toolkit.html
💡 Perfect for KS3, KS4, and beyond!

Looking for an alternative to the Pixel Art Extension? Check out MC Pixel Art Painter!
✅ What does it do?

Converts your pixel art drawings into MakeCode JavaScript using the place block command.
Lets students tinker with the code in Blocks, Python, or JavaScript for a deeper learning experience.

Perfect for engaging students in coding and creativity while working in Minecraft Education Edition!
👉 Try it now and bring your pixel art to life in Minecraft:
🔗 https://www.teachwithict.com/mc-pixel-art.html

🚸 NEW: Back to School AI literacy resource!
For years, the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was my go-to for teaching critical thinking. It was perfect for its time, but in today’s AI-driven world, it no longer has the same impact.

So this summer, I teamed up with science-resources.co.uk to create a modern alternative—powered by generative AI. We’ve built two versions: one for KS2 and another for KS3/KS4. To keep students guessing, we also included a real article about bizarre animals that feels like a hoax.

Check out the KS3/KS4 version here:
👉 https://science-resources.co.uk/Mammoth_Revival.html

Full lesson plan and resources available here: https://www.teachwithict.com/fake_news.html

Feedback welcome—this is still evolving!

If you're mindful about paper use during unplugged activities, good news — I’ve started developing digital alternatives to my unplugged resources. First up is the popular Binary Representation of Images lesson, now available in a digital format. You’re still welcome to go fully unplugged, but now you’ve got the flexibility to choose. Let me know if it comes in handy! https://www.teachwithict.com/binary-representation-of-images.html

🧠💻 Can your students crack the code and ESCAPE in time?
🔐 Dive into the Binary Escape Room—a thrilling digital challenge where learners must solve binary puzzles to break free! Perfect for KS3 computing / transition lessons.
Includes password protected escape room timer.
🕹️ Play now: https://www.teachwithict.com/binary-escape.html

Free binary classroom timer. ⏱️ —because teaching time in base 10 is just too basic.

https://www.teachwithict.com/binary_timer.html

🚀 Ready to blast off into the world of binary? Engage your students with Binary Games from TeachWithICT! 🎮

🕹️ Binary Blitz – Beat the clock by converting decimal to binary in a race against time! 🧠 Binary Brainiac – Stay sharp! Convert binary to decimal before your lives run out. 🌌 Binary Blaster – Channel your inner space invader and zap the correct binary asteroids!

Perfect for ICT and computer science lessons, these games make number systems fun, fast, and unforgettable. 👉 Try them all now: teachwithict.com/binary_games.html

💡 Learning binary has never been this fun!