Year 5-6

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ABCya.com

This program is free and is functional for students across all years of primary school as it has varying levels of complexity. This program can be used for teaching Maths and English whilst allowing students to develop their basic computer skills. Students are able to access this program from anywhere where there is a computer and can work on any level or topic when work has not been assigned. ABCya provides a fun interactive experience to assist in learning fundamental skills in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

Year Levels: K-6

Subject: Technologies

Strands: Digital Technologies

General Capabilities:

Literacy: Students complete interactive games focused around their development of phonics and word structure.

Numeracy: Students use this program to develop their basic facts in an interactive way.

Information and Communication Technologies: Students complete their work on a computer or iPad, this allows them to develop their basic understanding of computer skills.

Integrated Learning Opportunities:

Mathematics and English

Content Descriptors:

Use data to solve similar tasks/problems (ACTDIP003)

Link to site:

http://www.abcya.com/

Further Information:

  • The program is free to use for educators and students.
  • ABCya uses interactive games to teach through play.
  • The site has a family option to allow students to learn at home with their families.
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Enter Book Creator

Book Creator  

Year Level – 1-6

Source – iPad Application

About

This intuitive and easy to learn app lets children (and adults) get into creating content to match the real world style that they are aiming for.  Its title may say ‘Books’ but really any type of written production could be output from it.  Text can be manipulated into headlines for newspaper articles; diagrams can be stacked, overlaid and adjusted to create diagram rich how-to guides.
The app is not a fully featured desk top publishing solution and nor should it be.  The developers of Book Creator have carefully distilled down the most essential parts of layout software to make an app that can be mastered in just a short amount of time, allowing content creation to come to the fore, rather than the learning of the software.   Should there be any difficulties, this is an app with a very well realised supporting website that answered every question that I had.
I was able to use Book Creator during my ATP for a year 1 class during procedure writing. After 15 minutes of direct instructions, all students were able to navigate their way through all features within the application.

Strands: Digital Technologies

Sub strand:

General Capabilities: Develop, communicate and discuss design ideas through describing, drawing, modeling and/or a sequence of steps

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

Information and Communication Technology(ICT) – students will be using ICT to complete their interactive book.

Integrated Learning Opportunities:

English, Mathematics, Geography, PE, Science

Cost: free with limited features

Link: https://bookcreator.com/

Regards,
John Greenham
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Google CS First! Game based learning.

What is it?: Game-based learning involves students using game development concepts and software to create their own games. Game-based activities are highly engaging and motivating for students and, when embedded within the curriculum, can be a highly effective way for students to learn.

Training for teachers is provided free of charge. https://www.cs-first.com/training/welcome-cs-first

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level:5-6

Strand: Process and Production skills

Sub strand:Using digital systems

Design a user interface for a digital system. (ACTDIP018)

Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition). (ACTDIP019)

Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input. (ACTDIP020)

Link to the resource

https://www.cs-first.com/course/game-design/video/241

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Literacy, Numeracy, ICT, Critical and creative thinking

Links to other learning areas

English, Mathematics

Classroom agenda and implications

CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to computer science (CS) education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs. All clubs are run by teachers and/or community volunteers.

CS First materials:

  • are completely free and available online
  • are targeted at students aged 9-14
  • can be tailored to fit your schedule and needs
  • involve block-based coding using Scratch and are themed to attract students with varied interests

All students will require a computer for this lesson so it is best used in a school with a computer lab.

The first lesson in the series teaches the children about story telling in games.

How to use this resource

Blueberry4
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Blueberry4

Subject: Digital Technologies

YearLevel: 5-6

Links to other Learning Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, and Science

Links to Cross Curricular Priorities/ General Capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, ICT.

Platform: Programmable toy or kit

Cost: $395.00 (B4 Modulator Microprocessor Kit)

ACARA Links:

  • Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input (ACTDIP020)
  • Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)
  • Design algorithms represented diagrammatically and in structured English and validate algorithms and programs through tracing and test cases (ACTDIP04)

What is it?

The B4 is a modular computer processor kit and accompanying study guide. It has been designed to help students explore the fundamental operation of computers as part of the new Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. The B4 supports the teaching of the knowledge and understanding of digital systems and the representation of data.

How is it used?

The B4 consists of 11 computing modules that represent core functions of a computer processor, such as program counter, adder, inverter, memory, latch, etc. With these, students perform experiments which lead to increasingly sophisticated hardware and software arrangements.The B4 operates at human speed, allowing students to easily follow with their own eyes how data flows inside the machine.

 

Skills developed 

Building an understanding of how computers work and are built

Problem solving skills

Hardware knowledge

 

Want more information on the Blueberry4?

https://www.digital-technologies.institute/b4

Tickle
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Tickle

Subject: Digital Technologies

YearLevel: 3-4, 5-6

Links to other Learning Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, and Science

Links to Cross Curricular Priorities/ General Capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, ICT.

Platform: iPad App

Cost: Free

ACARA Links:

  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequence of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)
  • Implement simple digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching (decisions) and user input (ACTDIP011)
  • Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)
  • Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

What is it?

Tickle is a free app that enables you to program various programmable robots and air drones,  as well as supporting resources.

How is it used?

Tickle uses visual programming to enable you to control programmable robots including the Star Wars BB-8 Droid, Sphero (SPRK) robotic ball, Ollie 2-wheeled robot and the Dash and Dot robots. You can also control drones such as Parrot Rolling Spider, Airborne, and Jumping Sumo mini drones. Tickle enables you to connect multiple devices together so that they can interact with each other as well as create your own programs using the visual programming blocks in Orca.

 

Skills developed 

Create interactive games and stories

Coding

Computer language

Software knowledge

 

Want more information on Tickle?

https://tickleapp.com/

Scratch
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Scratch

Subject: Digital Technologies

YearLevel: 5-6

Links to other Learning Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, HASS and Science

Links to Cross Curricular Priorities/ General Capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, ICT.

Platform: Desktop/Laptop

Cost: Free

ACARALinks:

  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)
  • Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input(ACTDIP020)
  • Acquire, store and validate different types of data, and use a range of software to interpret and visualise data to create information (ACTDIP016)
  • Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data(ACTDIK014)

What is it?

Scratch is a Coding program that can be used in the classroom, to teach the basics of coding computers, however can also progress into more difficult coding projects as well. Scratch can be used by students with varied levels of capabilities, and is a fantastic tool to use in a peer teaching situation.

How is it used?

The program is both an online program accessed through Google Chrome (or FireFox) and can also be downloaded as a program onto any Desktop/Laptop computer. Students learn to create codes to animate backgrounds, images and characters. The online version is fantastic, as it has tutorials for students (and teachers) of different levels of ability. The tutorials go through step-by-step processes in order to achieve the set out goal. The program allows users to create stories, games and animations. Scratch can be used as a platform for students to present assignments as well as create interactive quizzes and games to be shared with peers.

Skills developed 

Practicing using code

Problem solving skills

Learning the language of code

Software knowledge

Accessing Scratch 

https://scratch.mit.edu

The image to the right is an example of how students develop of code in order to create an animation.

Codingame
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Codingame

Subject: Digital Technology

Year Level: 6

Strands:Digital Technologies: Knowledge and Understanding and Process and Production skills

Sub strands:Investigate and Define and Representation and Production skills

ACARA Links 

Data is represented using codes (ACTDIK015)

Create and communicate information, including online collaborative projects, using agreed social, ethical and technical protocols (codes of conduct) (ACTDIP022)

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Critical and creative thinking

Personal and social capability

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Literacy

Numeracy

Links to other learning areas

English

Mathematics

What is it?

Codingame is a program that allows students to improve their programming skills, while essentially playing a game! It allows students to develop a great base level understanding of coding with a lot a practice and turns their learning into a game. This program allows students to solve problems and learn new concepts while being motivated to learn more about how to code and program. Codingame is a great base tool for teachers to use to introduce students to coding and programming and building their digital technologies knowledge and skills.

How is it used?

Codingame can be used and accessed via the link to the resource. The program offers different options of how to play the game where they can participate in challenges and move through the levels of the game all while learning and developing their skills in pure code. The game can be scored, where the score is generated through how well the ‘code’ that the students have developed meets the specifics of the game.

Link to the resource

https://codingame.com/start

 

Skills developed

Practice pure code

Problem solving skills

Learn the language of code

Software knowledge

Image result for codingame

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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.

 

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Lego Boost – A hands on approach to coding in the classroom!


Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand
: Design and Technology

Sub-strand: Design and technologies process and production skills

Bands: 3 to 7

 

 

Boost is Lego’s latest introduction of Lego robotics to 2017. Boost is a step up from Lego’s Mindstorms and WeDo 2.0 robotics kits, introducing movement to Lego. Boost gives students the opportunity to engage in the active learning process, whereby students construct their own learning. Boost is not only fun, but it’s also educational. Using the software available on the Lego Boost website, teachers can tailor learning experiences which are relevant, hands on and fun, while learning the fundamentals of coding and computational thinking.

 How?

Boost has over 60 different coding activities available. Teachers can select the activity they would like to incorporate into their learning experience from the Boost App, available for most Android and Apple devices. Coding with Lego is easy, students demonstrate their problem solving skills and ability to think critically by programming their Lego Boost creation to suit the learning task. Boost Lego has special bricks including a motor and sensors, which gauge surrounding colours and distance from objects in its path.

 

LEGO Boost isn’t available until August 2017, however children and adults are bursting to try this new technology!

Content Descriptors

Year 3 to Year 4

  • Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP015)
  • Select and use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and use safe work practices to make designed solutions (ACTDEP016)
  • Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP018)

Year 5 to Year 6

  • Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)
  • Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions (ACTDEP026)
  • Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP028)

Year 7 to Year 8

  • Critique needs or opportunities for designing and investigate, analyse and select from a range of materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to develop design ideas (ACTDEP035)
  • Select and justify choices of materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to effectively and safely make designed solutions (ACTDEP037)
  • Use project management processes when working individually and collaboratively to coordinate production of designed solutions (ACTDEP039

General capabilities 

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Science
  • Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social capability
  • Information and Communication Technology

 

Further Information

Lego Boost CNN Report

LEGO Boost Official Website

LEGO WeDo Official website

Bits and Bricks

Youtube – Boost LEGO in Education

Youtube – WeDo LEGO in Education

Lego Computer Coding Activities

 

 

By Emily Richardson

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QR codes and Plickers

Plickers

What is Plickers?

Plickers is a tool that can be used by students and teachers to gather real-time data.  Teachers can use Plickers  for diagnostic, formative and summative assessment. Plickers can be used for assessment, as a voting tool (for example deciding what sport students want to play for morning fitness) or in any learning area.

Plickers is linked to an app on the iPad or tablet. Students have a QR code and a series of questions to answer, depending on what they think the answer is determines which way they hold their QR code up. The teacher then scans the room with an iPad or tablet picking up all the students answers.

When I used Plickers in the classroom I displayed the questions and answers on the Interactive Whiteboard, that way the students could read and answer the questions. Once they had answered the question we could compare the data, we could look at a graph to see how many students got the answer correct or incorrect and we could compare percentages. Displaying the information on the Interactive Whiteboard allowed all the students to see if there QR codes had been scanned or not (their name would turn from red to green).

Plickers can be incorporated into all learning areas in different ways. I found incorporating it into mathematics was a great way for for me to assess students understandings, from there I could determine what needed to be taught in more depth and what students understood. Plickers was a great way for all students to participate because it was hands on, interactive and the answers were private.

Useful information for teachers

  • Pictures can be added to the questions
  • Only 4 options/ answers can be added
  • Plickers allows teacher to focus on teaching rather then preparing
  • It is free to sign up and the QR codes are provided

Year

  • Year 3 and Year 4
  • Year 5 and Year 6

Below I have given you the Australian Curriculum details for Year 3 and Year 4.

Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand: Digital technologies knowledge and understandings and digital technologies process and production skills

Curriculum Links

Digital Technologies

  • 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 independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols (ACTDIP013)

General Capabilities

  • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Capabilities
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative thinking

To get started and for more information about Plickers click the link below

https://plickers.com/