Shadow Puppet

Shadow Puppet – Ipad app

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: F-2

Strand: Digital Technologies – Processes and production skills

Sub-strand: Collecting, managing and analysing data

Content description: Collect, explore and sort data, and use digital systems to present the data creatively (ACTDIP003).

Elaboration: Using common software to present data creatively, for example as a slideshow, movie, sounds, image, chart, word art, poster or drawing.

(As per Western Australian Curriculum – SCSA)

 

What is Shadow Puppet?

Shadow Puppet is free downloadable app for students to create their own digital resource as video slideshows. Students can use a combination of photos, videos, narration, music, text overlay, and drawings to design and customise a presentation on any given topic. This app includes an abundance of features on a visually attractive interface that makes it extremely user-friendly.

 

Link to the resource:

 

Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Information and communication technology

 

Links to other learning areas:

  • English
  • The Arts

 

Using this resource in the classroom:

This app can allow students to tell a story, explain an idea or document their learning. It would be ideal in producing a summative final product for any unit of learning or project. It can formulate a combined collection of resources in a single digital resource for easy viewing. For example, students that undertake a project in the visual arts learning area which requires them to document the process from design to creation, can easily utilise this technological resource to demonstrate their sequence of work in a clear and attractive manner. This would be easily achieved by combining photos of their artwork and voice recordings explaining their step-by-step thought process. Students can add their personal touch and creative flair to the presentation by further adding emojis and background music. Alternatively, this app can also be a useful tool for teachers to create fun and engaging teaching resource for explaining concepts.

Shadow Puppet supports many critical and creative thinking skills that are valuable to children’s learning and development, such as:

  • Strategic use of digital media and technology
  • Organisation and presentation of ideas
  • Reasoning and decision making
  • Expression of thoughts, feelings and ideas

 

How to use this resource:

  1. Download the app by visiting the website (http://get-puppet.co/).
  2. Launch the app and follow the tutorial walk-through that covers all the features and how to use them.
  3. Tap the ? icon to access help anytime.
  4. Refer to the “Quick Start Guide” downloadable PDF and other helpful documents available on the website.

Requirements:

  • Wifi
  • Ipad or iphone

 

Links to a video tutorial for this technology:

  • http://s3.amazonaws.com/stories.shadowpuppet.co/522079BC-402C-42B8-8DCB-FEF711EE3AE5/exports/story.mp4
  • http://s3.amazonaws.com/stories.shadowpuppet.co/E79C94B1-25A5-4647-A46B-E3550AAC67A1/story.mp4

 

 

 

Windows Movie Maker

What is Windows Movie Maker?

Windows Movie Maker is a film making software, exclusive to Windows users. The application is easy to use and includes a variety of tools required to create movies, presentations, animations and various other videos. The software also doesn’t require internet and none of the students content is uploaded or seen by anyone on the web, meaning it is safe for classroom use. Movie Maker is basic so its results as a teaching resource depend on how it is applied to the classroom, however, there are so many easy and engaging applications that it is hard for the software not to be successful in learning.

How Can It Be Used in the Classroom?

Windows Movie Maker has endless teaching opportunities. Students can make movies that fit in with their oral presentations as opposed to making a basic PowerPoint Presentation. They are able to make short videos or advertisements for subjects such as health in place of posters. They can bring their stories from English to life, or present their knowledge of history through stop motion animation or movies. Students can even record songs with an accompanying lyric video for music or when creating math memory rhymes. The software is a great resource that incorporates the Technologies curriculum into all other areas of learning during the primary years.

How to Use

Before this software can be used in the classroom the basics need to be explicitly taught to students. It is very easy to use so this should not take more then 2 or 3 lessons and the students will be able to figure out more advanced tools and tricks as they use it more often.

Link to Resource: Here

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 3-6

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub Strands:  

  • Process and Production Skills
  • Knowledge and Understanding

Content Descriptors Examples:

  • Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)
  • Collect, access and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems (ACTDIP009)
  • Plan, create and communicate ideas and information, including collaboratively online, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols (ACTDIP022)

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Literacy
  • Personal and Social Capability

Links To Other Learning Areas:

  • The Arts (Media Art)
  • This resource can be linked to almost any learning area depending on how it is used

Platform: Windows 7/8/10/Xp/Vista

Cost: Free

 

Cork the Volcano – Hands on Coding for Primary Students

 

 

 

 

 

Introduce your students to coding and continue to develop their skills throughout their primary years!

Use Cork the Volcano to teach students coding and engineering skills. Designed to be played in pairs, students also learn the fundamentals of teamwork, collaboration and participation. Puzzlet’s ‘plan, program, play’ model combines physical manipulation with digital play.

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: K-5

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-Strands:

Knowledge and Understanding Digital Technologies:

  • Explore components of hardware and software, and their use
  • Structure and representation of data

Process and Production Skills:

  • Collect, explore and sort data
  • Follow, describe and represent algorithms

Content descriptor examples:

  • exploring and identifying hardware and software components of digital systems when creating ideas and information (ACTDIK001)
  • experimenting with different ways of describing a set of instructions, for example writing two versions of the same simple set of instructions for a programmable robotic device (ACTDIP010)
  • applying the principles and elements of design to a set of requirements in order to produce a user interface for a system that addresses an identified need (ACTDIP018)

 

Why use Cork the Volcano in your classroom?

  • Students begin to think in ways they are not accustomed to while engaging in a game that extends their learning beyond a screen
  • Students have the opportunity to physically manipulate their codes and see the results of their plan
  • Availability to curriculum links and lesson plans here

Platforms:

Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

Cost:

App is free

Packages start from $99.99

Cross-Curricular Priorities:

  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Literacy

Turtle Academy

Resource: Turtle Academy (https://turtleacademy.com)

 Year Level: Year 3 – Year 10

 Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand: Process and Production Skills

Sub Strand: Digital Implementation and Creating Digital Solutions

 General Capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

 Link to Other Learning Areas:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • The Arts

What is Turtle Academy:

Turtle Academy is a learning program that teaches the LOGO programming language by allowing users to move a turtle as they learn the basics of programming. The site aims to teach children all over the world in a fun and easy environment.

 Classroom Use:

This online programming site allows students from a range of ages to complete the tasks in a self-paced, engaging environment. Turtle Academy supports students to develop programming skills using an alternate language, it also links well with multiple other leaning areas and general capabilities.

Content Descriptors:

  • Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways. (ACTDIK008)
  • Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input. (ACTDIP020)

References:

Turtle Academy. (2017). Retrieved from https://turtleacademy.com

Ashlee Higgins

Seesaw in the Classroom- Digital Technologies

Seesaw in the Classroom

Seesaw is an online platform that can be used on iPads, laptops and computers where students can submit their work online rather than handing in a paper copy. It is a great resource for parents to use as well to monitor their child’s progress in their education. It is beneficial to teachers as you can create student profiles on the app/ website to store their work for future marking. Students can show what they know by uploading a video, picture, voice recording or document about a learning task. Seesaw also support QR codes.

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Links to the Curriculum 

Subject: Digital Technologies
Year Level: 3
Curriculum Links/ Content Descriptors:
Digital Technology 

  • Digital systems and peripheral devices are used for different purposes (ACTDIK007)
  • Create and communicate ideas and information safely (ACTDIP013)
  • Develop and communicate ideas using labelled drawings and appropriate technical terms

General Capabilities:

  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Computational thinking

Links to Other Learning Areas:

  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Literacy
  • History/Geography

Link to Seesaw Website:

  • http://web.seesaw.me/learn-more

By Amy Anderson

CODE Artist

Subject: Digital technologies

Year level: 5

Strand: Digital technologies processes and production skills

Sub strand: Digital implementation

Link to resource: https://studio.code.org/s/artist/stage/1/puzzle/1

Cross curricular priorities and general capabilities: Critical and creative thinking, Numeracy,  Information and Communication Technology, Literacy.

Link to other learning areas: Art, mathematics.

A classroom activity using this resource:

Students could use this activity to create an artwork that incorporates geometric shapes and patterns into mathematics lessons. Incorporation of Art and Numeracy subject areas within a technological context allows for computational thinking, differentiation, engagement and motivates students to become creative, scaffolding critical thinking opportunities. Teachers could encourage students to first engage with the tutorial as they follow the step by step introduction, and then ask students to create their own code that others have to explore. This activity could also be used flexibly as students can create visual representations (via shapes) of chosen concepts in other learning areas they are currently involved in. This resource is available on iPad, iPhone and computers.

How to use this resource:

Open the link presented above.

  • Read the introductory bubble that help to introduce the game.
  • Choose the block with the correct action on it and place it into the work space.

  • Press the orange button labelled “run” and see if you are correct.

  • If you are incorrect, follow the hint and prompts until you correctly place the blocks
  • Continue onto the next shape, developing your shapes skill set and artistic flare.

 

Kodable

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: Pre-primary-5

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub Strands:  

  • Process and Production Skills
  • Knowledge and Understanding

Content Descriptors Examples:

  • Digital implementation – (year 3) Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching) Create and communicate ideas and information safely
  • Representations of data – (pre-primary) Data can have patterns and can be represented as pictures and symbols

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Links To Other Learning Areas:

  • Mathematics
  • The Arts (Media Art)

 

 

Kodable is a fun and engaging coding website designed for use by teachers and parents (click HERE to launch the Kodable website). It can be set up for use as a class technology teaching tool where students can work through coding levels that gradually increase in difficulty. The results are recorded and can be easily accessed by the teacher to monitor the individual students progress.

It is easy to set up and use and the bright graphics and easy to follow instructions make it very user friendly. Students use directional symbols in the correct order to instruct the Kodable monster which way to move throughthe maze. Reward coins can be collected along the way and use to purchase new monsters

There are structured lesson plans for each year group for the teacher to follow and detailed resources that support the lessons. Each child has an individual login so the site can also be accessed at home.

The “Kick start” introductory offer contains 6 weeks of lesson plans and online activities. After this time the cost is $300 for 42 weeks of student lessons and scaffolded curriculum (US curriculum).

CodeSpark Academy: coding for our children

CodeSpark Academy: coding for our children

Ever wondered what the world of coding is?  Assumed it was a complex and foreign concept? Well, the world of coding is becoming more prominent in society, and furthermore has become commonplace in our Australian schools, even in primary years.

Why coding?

The thought of our children learning coding in our schools seems overwhelming, especially considering those in their early years of schooling are still developing their reading, writing and mathematical skills.  However, The School Run (2016) have expressed the importance of allowing students to learn through experimentation, mastering concepts such as logic, problem solving and consequences of actions (in a technical sense).

What is CodeSpark Academy?

CodeSpark Academy is an interactive, hands-on introduction to coding and all it involves. The interactive program overarches an endless category of coding games, quizzes and challenges.  Focusing on one primary coding program, CodeSpark Academy: Coding with the Foos, the program is self-guided, provides optimal independence and promotes learning through doing.  Students engage in the interactive world and track their progress as they succeed – this progress is also recorded and reported to the teacher (teacher dashboard).  CodeSpark with the Foos encourages students to help a character solve their problems, all completed through coding (observing, sequencing and problem solving). This technology promotes technology; it encourages all students to be interested and engaged in coding and its unlimited offerings.

For teachers…

CodeSpark Academy allows teachers to monitor, control and assign tasks to students within the coding program.  This resource caters for students from Foundation to Year Six (and beyond with adaptions), encouraging all students to participate as the teacher sets tasks appropriate to each student.  Maximum engagement in this process is enhanced by a fun, attractive and engaging coding system (especially in CodeSpark with the Foos). The link to CodeSpark Academy is at the end of this article.

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The important link…

Subject: Australian Curriculum – Technologies  –  Digital Technologies

Scope:  Foundation – Year 2; Year 3 – Year 4; Year 5 – Year 6.

Australian Curriculum Content Descriptors:

Foundation to Year 2:

  • Recognise and explore patterns in data and represent data as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDIK002)
  • Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)
  • Create and organise ideas and information using information systems independently and with others, and share these with known people in safe online environments (ACTDIP006).

Year 3 to Year 4:

  • Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them (ACTDIP010)
  • Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP018)
  • Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)

Year 5 to Year 6:

  • Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements drawing on previously solved problems (ACTDIP017)
  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)
  • Plan, create and communicate ideas and information, including collaboratively online (ACTDIP022)
  • Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy
  • Personal and Social competence
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Further reading:

CodeSpark Academy: http://thefoos.com/webgl/

Computer coding for kids: http://theschoolrun.com/coding-kids

Teacher dashboard:  http://dashboard.thefoos.com/?utm_source=teacher&utm_campaign=hoc&utm_medium=hocsite&utm_content=foossitehoc#/

Plickers: The new way to assess

 

 

 

Resources: Plickers

Ages: 6+

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: Yr 1+

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

 

Link to the resource: https://www.plickers.com/

Cross curriculum priority & General Capabilities: 

  • Information and communication technology capability
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Numeracy
  • English

Links to other learning areas: This resource can be used in any learning area.

Content Descriptors: This resource can be linked to any content descriptors in the curriculum.

Overview of Resource: Plickers in an online assessment tool that teachers can use to quickly and efficiently gather information on students knowledge on a topic. The teacher creates a quiz on the plickers website and then uses an iPad or mobile phone to gather the information from students. This is done by distributing flash cards to each students that have a QR code on them. Students turn the R code to represent the letter they wish to use to answer the question on the quiz.

Using the Plickers app, the teacher scans the classroom and the app will scan the students answers and record them online. After completing the question the teacher can show students a poll of the answer and can ask questions to clarify why people may have answered incorrectly.

Results can be saved as a PDF and printed off for future reference and to assist in planning for future lessons.

How to use resource in the classroom:

  • This resource can be used to check students understanding of any topic in the classroom.
  • Quickly and efficiently gather assessment record to inform future teaching.
  • Assess students in a fun and engaging way.

 

 

NASA Robotics

NASA Robotics – I Want to Hold Your Hand Activity

Year Level: Suitable for years 3 to 5

Purpose: “To construct a robotic-like hand and to demonstrate how data are collected when using robotic technology.”

Overview: This exciting and engaging hands-on activity can be done in the classroom with minimal low-cost materials required. Students critically reflect as they consider uses, benefits and disadvantages to robotics both before and after construction. Links to other learning areas include Mathematics (measurement) Science (forces) and English (journal entries).

Learning Area: Technologies – Design and Technologies
Strand: Knowledge and Understanding
Sub-strand: Technologies and society – Role of people in design and technologies occupations. Ways products, services and environments are designed to meet community needs.
Sub-strand: Materials and technologies specialisations – Suitability and safe practice when using materials, systems and components for a range of purposes.

Learning Areas: Technologies – Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies
Strand: Processes and production skills. Creating solutions by:
Sub-strand: Designing – Develop and communicate design ideas and decisions using annotated drawings and appropriate technical terms.
Sub-strand: Evaluating – Use criteria to evaluate and justify simple design processes and solutions.
Sub-strand: Collaborating and managing – Work independently, or collaboratively when required, to plan, safely create and communicate ideas and information for solutions.

 

A full PDF version of the activity can be found here.

You can show your students how the NASA Robonaut2 uses its robotic hand in this video clip.

 

References:

Learning Area Strands: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/design-and-technologies2

Photo: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/invention_of_the_year

Website link to activity: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/I_Want_to_Hold_Your_Hand.html

 

Blog Post by Stephanie Joshi