Last week, Ms Mogio was invited by the British Council in Algeria to deliver a series of professional development workshops as part of the Digital Skills Tour, 2nd Edition. The programme brought together teachers from several countries with the shared aim of strengthening digital pedagogy and building confidence in delivering modern computing education.
The event was highly regarded by the Algerian authorities, and Ms Mogio also had the opportunity to meet His Majesty’s Ambassador to Algeria, James Downer – a moment that underlined the importance of international collaboration in education and digital skills development.
Reflecting on the experience, Ms Mogio highlighted a key challenge faced by many of the participants.
“Programming education in Northern African countries is still largely block-based,” she explained. “For many teachers, moving to text-based programming feels like a very daunting task.”
She noted that this gap can limit progression in computing education and often affects teachers’ confidence when introducing more advanced concepts to students. To address this, Ms Mogio carefully adapted her teaching approach to meet a wide range of experience levels, focusing on inclusivity, practical application, and reassurance.
“I wanted teachers to feel that text-based programming is not something to be afraid of,” she said. “By breaking concepts down into manageable steps and linking them to what they already know from block-based programming, the transition becomes much more accessible.”
This approach proved particularly effective when introducing Python Turtle, which is commonly taught using blocks in Scratch. Through hands-on activities and real classroom examples, participants were able to see how new digital skills could be applied directly in their own teaching contexts.
One of the most memorable moments of the trip came from a deeply personal story shared by a colleague.
“One of my colleagues, Monia, told me she was the first girl in her school and community to ever attend school,” Ms Mogio shared. “She had to walk three kilometres on her own along a rocky path every day just to get there.”
Today, Monia is a highly educated teacher, speaks three languages, and now delivers training herself in Tunisia – a story that left a lasting impression on Ms Mogio and reinforced the transformative power of education and opportunity.
Looking ahead, Ms Mogio is clear about what she believes should come next.
“Students should be given the opportunity to develop basic digital skills from an early age,” she said. “Learning how to type, manage files, and use a keyboard and desktop computer gives them a huge advantage by the time they reach secondary school.”
She also stressed the importance of progression within computing education. “We need to move confidently from block-based to text-based programming and begin embedding AI and Cybersecurity into our computing curricula,” she added. “These are essential skills if we want to prepare students for the digital world they will enter and I am grateful that these areas are already embedded within the computing curriculum at The Abbey”.