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Integrating Technology – Meta Chart

Students can use Meta-Chart to create different types of graphs online. Students can choose how they would like to represent their data – the site allows them to create bar graphs, pie charts, histograms etc. This is a great way for students to experiment with technology while still learning about data representation. Students follow three easy steps and are then able to create their graph and see it represented on their screen.

Year Level: 3-4

Subject: Technologies

Strands: Digital Technologies

General Capabilities:

Literacy – the students need to be able to effectively put titles, labels etc on the graph

Numeracy – the graphing will have to do with numbers

Information and Communication Technology(ICT) – students will be using ICT to complete their graph as it is based online

Integrated Learning Opportunities:

Mathematics, Science

Content Descriptors:

Descriptor: Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)

Elaboration: using a table to reorganise information that includes sentences, and/or words, and/or numbers and/or images

Link:

https://www.meta-chart.com/

Additional Information:

  • Free
  • Easy to use

 

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CodeSpark- Academy with the Foos

Code Spark Have created an App called Academy with the Foos.

That can be used in classrooms to support students learning of coding through interactive activities. These activities include puzzles, games, step by step projects and printouts.

In the classroom, the teacher can use this app to help support the teaching and develop the students understanding of coding in interactive activities. The activities are suitable for different levels this gives students who a struggling an opportunity to develop their understanding.

Australian Curriculum-  Digital Technologies: Processes and Production skills.

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Food and Fibre Investigations

There are so many resources available that can aid both educators and students on Food Fibre Production! How can you condense down to just one or two resources for students? Why not just use the Cool Food Planet resource.  It is a one-stop-shop for all your food and fibre needs. Not only does it provide students with interactive learning based games, but it provides a means of extension for those students that are developing their knowledge and want to move on to the next level!

Subject

Design and Technology

Year Level

Foundation to Year 6

Strand

Knowledge and Understanding

Sub Strand

Foundation to year 2 –

Explore how plants and animals are grown for food, clothing and shelter and how food is selected and prepared for healthy eating

Year 3 and 4 –

Investigate food and fibre production and food technologies used in modern and traditional societies

Resource Link

Home

Price

Free resource for students and teachers

 

General Capabilities

Cool Food Planet encompasses the general capabilities of:

  1. Numeracy
  2. Intercultural understanding
  3. Critical and creative thinking

 

Snapshot of Cool Food Planet

As discussed in the video below, children are exposed to food that is just present to them at meal times or presented to them in forms of packaging.  Cool Food Planet is a resource that enables teachers to teach to students the benefits of good nutrition and poses as an introduction to food production.

Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs9H-wL0P3E

 

 

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Biodiversity for a Healthy Planet

Biodiversity for a healthy planet

Subject: Design and Technologies
Year Level: 3 and 4
Strand: Design and Technologies processes and production skills
Content Descriptor: Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment (ACTDEP017)

Link to the resource
https://www.cbd.int/ibd/2008/youth/

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities
Critical and creative thinking, Ethical Understanding, Sustainability, Literacy

Links to other learning areas
Humanities and social sciences; Geography; History; Science; Literacy

A classroom activity using this resource

This resource could be used as part of an online webquest activity. It is a fun way to encourage our students to use digital technologies to learn about biodiversity and how food is produced and its effect on the environment. By means of a webquest project, students can research and gather information about biodervisity and create a journal of information that they gather through a set of tasks assigned to them throughout the webquest. Students learn to navigate the internet, and critically analyse information to determine its credibility. The webquest can incorporate both individual and collaborative tasks and can include a variety of sources of information for students to gain information that is represented in multiple ways. A webquest can be a great way for teachers to differentiate tasks and diversify lessons.

How to use this resource
This is a digital resource that contains information and activities for both students and teachers to assist in the teaching and learning of biodiversity and farming. There is a good focus on producing our own food whilst still protecting and preserving our environment. The website has a variety of resources such as printable games, posters, fact sheets, and lesson plans. It can be used by teachers for planning and assisting with their lessons, or as an information source for students, such as referring to the glossary for terminology.

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WONDERful WORKSHOP

Wonder Workshop is WONDERFUL – see what I did there?

 

Inspiring the up and coming generation in using digital technologies can be a challenge at times, especially with maintaining attention.  But Wonder Works provides colourful and engaging resources which develop students confidence and competency in using and manuvering their skills with digital technology.

Subject

Digital Technologies

Year Level

Foundation to Year Two

Strand

Knowledge and Understanding

Sub Strand

Recognise and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose

Resource Link

https://www.makewonder.com/play/ideas/

Price

Free resource information – price varies on suggest apps for lesson plan templates

 

Cross Curricular Capabilities

The resources suggest that these apps can assist in most learning areas as it is used to consolidate content specific learning which fosters play based learning.

For Example – Using Go App

 

English: – Literacy (Foundation – Year 2)

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

For example – Using Blockly

 

Math: Chance ( Year one and two)

Year One – Identify outcomes of familiar events involving chance and describe them using everyday language such as ‘will happen’, ‘won’t happen’ or ‘might happen’

  • justifying that some events are certain or impossible

Year Two – identify practical activities and everyday events that involve chance. Describe outcomes as ‘likely’ or ‘unlikely’ and identify some events as ‘certain’ or ‘impossible’

  • classifying a list of everyday events according to how likely they are to happen, using the language of chance, and explaining reasoning

 

Easy Lesson Plans

Example –  Heads or Tails

 

 

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Timegilder, time lines with a difference.

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: 3-4

Strand:Digital Technologies processes and production skills

Sub strand: Collecting, managing and analyzing data

ACTDIP009: Collect and present different types pf data, using simple software to create useful information.

Link to the resource

www.timeglider.com

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Critical and creative thinking (CCT),Information and Communication Technology (ICT),Literacy (LIT), Numeracy

Links to other learning areas

English, Science, Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences

A classroom activity using this resource

This program is a easy to use interactive program to manipulate timelines in a quick and efficient way. Both students and teachers can use this resource individually or collaboratively in sequence to collect and present data. The application allows students to easily insert dates in the past, present and into the future. It additionally allows them to enter pictures or text to connect a place in time with corresponding information. It allows students to individualize their timelines using colours, fonts and even insert pictures. It allows for multiple text boxes that can be minimized when not required and/or highlighted when needed.

This program is a effective way to promote the use of technologies whilst teaching them the traditional use of timelines but in a new, improved way. It allows for easy addition and subtraction of information and adjustment of legends if required. It additionally allows students to present their work in a professional, clear and concise format.

 

How to use this resource

This program is a web based program used through the website www.timeglider.com

You can follow the individual instructions on how to create the timeline using this link.
www.timeglider.com/how_it_works
It is easy to use and within some simple steps you are ready to create your time time.
Source: www.timeglider.com
Plant Tycoon: How to replace a real life garden with a virtual one.
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Plant Tycoon: How to replace a real life garden with a virtual one.

Learning Area

Design and Technology

Year Level

Although this game is targeting the curriculum for the younger years; unless you are experienced with playing the game I suggest it be used by years 3/4 to revisit the concepts learned in earlier years.

Strand

Technologies Contexts

Sub-Strand

Food and fibre production – Plants and animals used for production have basic needs, such as food/nutrients, water, space, protection (ACTDEK003)

From from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA).

Link to the Resource

http://www.bigfishgames.com/games/2135/plant-tycoon/?pc

Can be purchased online for $10 through Big Fish Games; however, once it is purchased once it can be downloaded as many times as needed!

General Capabilities

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability and Critical and Creative Thinking.

Links to Other Learning Areas

Science, Literacy

Using this Resource

Plant Tycoon is perfect for classrooms that want to teach the values of planting a garden but simply do not have the space or resources. The game allows students to create their own garden in a virtual world. They can water and fertilise their plants while also making sure they are getting enough sun. Plant Tycoon also allows the students to experiment with cross-pollination – seeing how the DNA of plants can combine in a simple way and make new creations come to life. Although creating a physical class garden would be ideal, not every class can do this. Plant Tycoon allows the younger years to learn about the basic needs of plants and the production of growing different types in real time which is different to other garden-based virtual realities. It also incorporates the learning of sustainability and economics with plant production; displaying to the students how plants need to be bought and sold to increase revenue. This resource is cheap and its real-time running makes it feel more true-to-life. It is relaxing, challenging and students can create at their own pace.

A Quick Video

Below is a video of some in-game action. Don’t be deterred if it looks too complex – it is much simpler than it looks! From 0:00-1:20 the game shows how  ‘people’ purchase the plants. This video is just to display how interactive the game is and how many different plants can be created; but as the teacher it is possible to restrict the game play to just growing the plants if you so desire.

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Kahoot!

Kahoot!

 

Subject: Digital Technology

Year: 4, 5 and above

Strand: Digital Technology Processes and Production skills

Sub-strand: Collect, sort, interpret and visually represent different types of data using soft are to manipulate data for a range of purposes (ACTDIP016)

Resource link: http://kahoot.it/ or   http://getkahoot.com

 

Kahoot is a game-based learning technology platform that creates and develops quizzes, discussions and surveys. It helps to develop independence as well as encourage social skills through collaboration and team-work.  Using the many activities students can improve understanding and develop topic specific knowledge, in a fun, interactive way. The game-like student-response tool adapts to all skill levels as it can be changed and modified to suit all ages. Students are able to connect with each other and even other class mates from around the globe. To further extend on this students can create their own Kahoot, this can be used as a formative/summative assessment and can be a fun creative way to test their knowledge and skills. It can be used across all learning areas and I believe it is a vital tool for teachers moving forward. It incorporates Technology and enables educators to take a holistic approach to teaching and gain  insight into their students; what they know and what they need to know.

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Introduction to Design and Technology Process and Engineering

http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1575277/

 

Year: 5-6

Curriculum areas:

  •  Technology and Society

           How people address competing considerations, including sustainability when designing products, services and environments for current and future use (ACTDEK019)

  • Design and Technology Processes and production skills

         Designing

Design, modify, follow and represent both diagrammatically, and in written text, alternative solutions using a range of techniques, appropriate technical terms and technology

 

It is always important for students to understand why they are learning something. To introduce them to the why we learn about design and technology we can talk about an Engineering career. The following video will also assist students in understanding how the design process works and prepare them for the inevitable mistakes that can occur.

This video can be at the start of a unit as an engaging hook for students. From here students can learn about sustainability and propose solutions to problems that face today’s society in relation to food production.

 

Popplet
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Popplet


http://www.popplet.com/

 

About:

Popplet is a tool for the iPad and web to capture and organize your ideas.

Use within classroom:

In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.

The resources strength lays in it’s ability to be used on both portable Apple devices such as iPads and online. This means students are not limited to be tied to a computer when mind mapping, great for small group work.

Price: $7.99

Digital Technologies

Year Levels: Year 3 Sylabus

Strand:Knowledge and understanding – REPRESENTATION OF DATA

Different types of data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)

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

The app is of course not limited to these aspects of the digital curriculum, or even the digital curriculum.

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