ORIGO Slate Fun Assessments

Resource:

ORIGO Slate

Year Level:

K-6

Strand:

Digital Technologies

Sub-Strand:

Managing and Analysing Data

Link:

origoslate.com

Cross Curriculum Priorities:

Critical and creative thinking (CCT)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Literacy (LIT)

What is ORIGO Slate:

ORIGO Slate is an online resource for k-6 that provides 12 modules for each term of the school year. Each module contains 12 lesson plans with steps for each lesson, extension work and assessment tools both formative and summative. The website provides a teacher resource with answers and notes on the side to use while teaching, and also provides the student resource which contains blank spaces for students to do their working out and write their answers. ORIGO Slate is best used on an interactive whiteboard to allow students control over the website. ORIGO Slate also provides a student workbook for those who are unable to access it online or prefer to use both.

What makes ORIGO Slate’s assessment so exciting?

ORIGO Slate provides assessment options for each lesson within each module. The assessment’s are either formative or summative and provide for easy alterations. Students are able to access each lesson online and are then able to access the assessment option the teacher has chosen once the lesson is complete. The assessments do not only assess the lesson completed but also add in questions about previous lessons. This is done so that students are constantly reminded about what they have learnt as they will be assessed on it again in their final assessment which assesses the entire module. Students have visual aids in front of them through each assessment and are allowed clues when working each question out. Each assessment page has a speech bubble at the top reminding students about various formulas used to work something out relevant to the questions on the page. Once complete the students are then able to access the answers and mark each assessment themselves. Results are not recorded online.

How to access ORIGO Slate:

ORIGO Slate provides the digital or print option but users are able to purchase both. Each purchase of ORIGO Slate provides for a class of 30 with an additional charge for each added class or year group.

Kate Jackson resource 1: Wordle

Task 2 DTM 4260: Digital technologies.

Resource: Wordle

Years: 3/4

ACARA strand: processes and production skills

ACARA substrand: (ACTDIP009). ‘collect access and present different types of data using simple software to create information.’

link to resource: http://www.wordle.net

cross curricular priorities:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Sustainability

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.

links to other learning areas:

English

The Arts

Humanities and Social Science.

About the resource:

Wordle is an application on the web to create word maps/ clouds about a specific topic. The cloud can be specifically made by the teacher and or the students to help memorise specific information. words within the cloud can be manipulated with different colours, sizes and fonts to ensure the most important information is seen on the cloud.

Once the application has been created students can then print the cloud out to view around the classroom or they can set it to their screen saver on their laptop or iPad.

How can I implement this resource into my classroom?

I would implement the word cloud within the classroom to enable this as a study tool for English and Humanities and Social Science. The word cloud will extend the students vocabulary choosing different adjectives and nouns to use when writing.

Hectors World

Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 2.15.38 pm

Link to resource

https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/hectors-world

Year 2 content descriptor: Share and publish information in a safe online environment, with known people (ACTDIP006)

Also ties in with health (cyber safety)

This is a website for something called Hector’s world. It has a great series of episodes suitable for students up to year 2. These websites cover cyber safety and its importance.

I find this is a very important aspect to cover from an early age and in a way for students to understand what is safe and unsafe about the internet and sharing personal information. As technology is beginning to be used by students younger and younger each year I think it is VERY important to inform students about cyber safety from a young age.

Classroom activity

I used this on my third year practicum and the students loved it and really understood each episode. The episodes can lead to various types of assessment strategies to see what each student is and is not understanding and taking from the episodes. On my practicum I would review the video after watching and ask then questions verbally and also get them to answer questions on a worksheet. Students could also think, pair, share. The school had just opened up accounts for each student in the school, which they could take part in discussions on etc. this was a great way to get the students involved in discussion online and commenting on other students ideas.

My last idea, where students were responding to other students ideas and sharing their own really showed me how much students understood how to use the website, how to navigate themselves around the website and was a great assessment tool.

 

Coding

https://code.org/learn

Year 6 content descriptor: Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)

This website has a range of activities for students to do with coding. There are short videos on the website which explain to students what coding is and why it is important. This will help students to understand what they are doing in the activities which follow and why they are important.

The website has a range of activities that teach students how to use coding in a fun way. There are various videos relating to students interests (Frozen, Minecraft etc.). I particularly look at the ‘Frozen’ activity which involved me helping Elsa create a pattern which the students can then share with their friends and family. Students must show an understanding of coding in order to create the pattern correctly.

It is important for students to understand what coding is, therefore they can understand how what they’re doing on the computer is working. This will also help students when an issue arises with a computer, they may begin to understand the concepts behind it. They may not be able to fix it, but it gives them an understanding of what the computer is doing.

 

Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 2.15.17 pm

Codeacademy

codecademy

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Levels: 5/6

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Link to resource: https://www.codecademy.com or download the app Codeacademy

Cross Curricular and General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking and Information  and Communication Technology (ICT)

Curriculum links: Design a user interface for a digital system, generating and considering alternative designs (ACTDIP018)
Design, modify and follow simple algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition)(ACTDIP019)
Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching,iteration (repetition), and user input (ACTDIP020)
Manage the creation and communication of ideas and information including online collaborative projects, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols(ACTDIP022)

Using Codeacademy: Code academy allows students to understand how the coding system works. It enables students to develop a website with basic coding skills. This could be linked into any subject area. This program gives students an understanding of how different websites and programs work. This program lets students work collaboratively to explore the different ways of coding.

ScratchJr – An Introduction to Coding

ScratchJr

scratchjrscreenshot(Screenshot taken from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scratchjr.android)

Subject: Digital Technologies (Western Australian Curriculum)

Year Level: 3

Strand: Processes and production skills

Sub-strand: Digital implementation
Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)

Links:
http://www.scratchjr.org/index.html

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scratchjr.android

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/scratchjr/id895485086?mt=8

What is ScratchJr?
This is a free application available on Android and Apple devices that provides students with an introduction to coding. This fun and engaging app allows students to create their own games and interactive stories. By snapping graphical programming blocks together, students can make characters move and sing on a variety of backgrounds. Students can edit their characters, insert photos, and add text, sounds and even their own voices. This is an easy-to-use and versatile app that teaches students to code while expressing themselves and having fun.

This app requires students to use, and subsequently develop, the following general capabilities:
Numeracy
Literacy
Information and communication technology capability
Critical and creative thinking

Links to other learning areas:
This app can be used to link Digital Technologies to a number of different learning areas. For example, linking to English is made easy when using the app to tell stories. The app can also be used in Visual Arts, as students apply their understanding of colour and space, as well as being able to insert photos of their own artwork. In Science, this app could be used to allow students to create a story to demonstrate their understanding of concepts such as how living things can be grouped by their features.

How to use this resource:

  • Download this app from the Google Play store or iTunes store and install onto your tablet device (this requires internet access).
  • Explore the app and become familiar with how it works. If you desire, there are many tutorials on YouTube that you can watch.
  • Demonstrate using the app for your students.
  • Let your students start creating!

 

Tynker

Tynker

tynker

https://www.tynker.com/

Subject: Technologies

Strand: Digital Technology

Year level: 1-6

 

Description:

Tynker is a creative computing platform where students are able to learn how to program and build Apps, games and more. It is self paced and is easily incorporated into the Western Australian school curriculum (School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Government of Western Australia) in the subject of Technologies particularly the strand of Digital Technologies.

Students are encouraged and engaged to create games and animated projects using visual coding and provides them with the knowledge foundations in programming and computational thinking which will then help their progress into mainstream object orientated programming. It has powerful kid friendly tools and guided, independent instruction for your students.

The resources and instruction that are available to teachers are also fantastic. It has ready to use, grade specific lesson plans and links to STEM project templates for Math, Science, ICT and English to name a few.

Tynker can be used across different PC platforms (Windows or Mac) and mobile devices running IOS or Android.

Links:

Below are a link to Tynker’s website which will allow a free initial sign up for schools to look at coding across Year levels 1 to 8. This will introduce your class to visual programming. In this course, students get introduced to basic programming as they create interactive stories, design animations, and make mini-games in Tynker’s game-like interface. Each lesson is designed for a class period of 45-60 minutes.

https://www.tynker.com/

https://www.tynker.com/school/courses/show?id=0-programming-100

https://www.tynker.com/play?p=518173ef75209f6e64000198

This is a great video explaining why everyone loves Tynker!

 Sub-strands and Content Descriptors:

Tynker’s courses cover sub-strands and many different Content Descriptors in each year group such as;

Year 1

Strand: Knowledge and Understanding

Representation of Data:

  • Data can have patterns and can be represented as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDK002)

 

Strand: Process and Production Skills

Collecting, Analysing and Representing Data

Present data of any kind using a variety of digital tools (ACTDIP003)

 

General Capabilities

Tynker can be used across many of the general capabilities such as:

  • Literacy
  • Math
  • ICT
  • Science

 

 

 

 

Kids App maker

Kids App Maker

Subject:

Technologies

Year Level:

4/5/6

Strand:

Digital Technologies

Sub-strand:

Processes and Production Skills

Content descriptors:

  • Design a user interface for a digital system, generating and considering alternative designs (ACTDIP018)
  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019
  • Manage the creation and communication of ideas and information including online collaborative projects, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols (ACTDIP022)

Link to other learning areas:

  • English

 

Link to resource:

http://www.kidsappmaker.com/home

 

General Capabilities:

  • Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
  • Critical and creative thinking

 

About the resource: 

The website above provides teachers with the software that allows their students to create and design their own app. Allowing a 21st century technological ability into the classroom. Apps are everywhere and everyone uses apps, however what apps we use and choose to buy is very individual. Bringing this technology into the classroom allows teachers to produce very individual work allows for a teacher to cater for the diversity of all students. Having this activity in the classroom allows for students to have fun technology, as this website makes making apps, fun, reliable and relatively quick. As kids work more constructively when their learning if fun and efficient I feel this is a fantastic opportunity to produce some high quality digital technology work.

Class activity:

  • Teacher goes over an example App on the interactive whiteboard. Students are each given an Ipad in groups of 4/5 and encouraged to go through a number of different apps. They must complete a worksheet by identifying the title, icon, and description of each App. Followed by the cost and the name of the designer.
  • They will then need to plan their App. Using an App Maker template, they will first draw out their app and explain their idea to the teacher.
  • Once they have planned their App, they will then move on to creating their app using the software on the ‘kidsappmaker’ website. Students work through the helpful video links as they create their new app.
  • Once completed students can then present or share their App with the class.

Reference:

Kidsappmaker.com,. “Kids App Maker”. N.p., 2016. Web. 8 Jan. 2016.

Code – Academy

Subject:

Technologies

Year Level:

5/6

Strand:

Digital Technologies

Sub-strand:

Processes and Production Skills

Content descriptors:

  • Design a user interface for a digital system, generating and considering alternative designs (ACTDIP018)
  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration(repetition)(ACTDIP019)
  • Implement digital solutionsas simple visual programs involving branching,iteration (repetition), and user input (ACTDIP020)
  • Manage the creation and communication of ideas and information including online collaborative projects, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols(ACTDIP022)

Link to other learning areas:

  • ICT

Link to resource:

http://www.codecademy.com/

General Capabilities:

  • Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
  • Critical and creative thinking

About the resource:

The website above provides teachers with the ability to bring coding into the classroom, a must have with the new curriculums’ emphasis on bringing coding into the classroom. This website allows teachers to introduce coding at an early stage in students learning. They are taught the basics of coding through a series of activities that they can work through at their own pace. This ability to work at their own pace allows for diversity of students needs to be catered for. Students can be assessed as they go, through a screen shot of their work, as the ‘codeacademy’ tracks students’ individual progress. They will begin to understand how and why websites have an ‘hmtl’ in front of their links and how to make their own. And therefore create a website of their own allowing again for diversity within the classroom as students websites can be of their own creation. This is an educational opportunity to bring coding into the students range of skills within the technologies curriculum.

Class activity:

  • Teacher goes over the fact that every website is developed with a ‘Hypertext markup language (HTML) code’. And that code allows people to access the website, games, application from anywhere in the world using the Internet. Teacher explains that they will learn more about this through the work they will be doing on ‘codeacademy’.
  • Students then log into their codeacademy account and work through the activities. Students are able to work collaboratively with their peers when they do not understand a question or topic. The learning is designed to allow student to think independently and work accordingly.
  • Once completed students complete an online quiz, which can be sent to them through an email to their Google account. The quiz will be based on what students have learnt through the ‘codeacademy’ website.

 

Cargo-Bot

Capture

Capture2  Capture3

Cargo-Bot is a free Ipad app, it is a great example of an app that was completely developed on an Ipad. Cargo-Bot promotes STEM concepts and is really fun and interactive for children. This is an introduction to coding app and would be best suited for the younger year levels. Cargo-Bot is a puzzle game that helps children better understand programming.

This app links to the curriculum:

Identify, use and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose (ACTDIK001)

Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)

Find the app here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cargo-bot/id519690804?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D8