Years 9-10

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Bebras Australia – Computational Thinking Challenge

bebras

Subject: Technologies           Strand: Digital Technologies      Sub-strand: Processes and Production Skills

Content Descriptors: 

  • Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them (ACTDIP010)

Year Level(s): from Years 3 to 12 (ages 8 to 17)

Other learning areas: Mathematics – problem solving, patterns & algebra.

Cost: free!

participation

Participation levels in Bebras Australia so far

Bebras Australia is an international competition/challenge that aims to promote computational thinking. The Bebras Challenge is run by the Digital Careers Program, which is funded by the Australian Government. This resource is up-to-date with the current Technologies curriculum as well as promoting the use of ICT, which in turn hopes to influence children into entering into digital careers of the future.

A representative of the school registers to become a coordinator of the challenge where students may either work individually or in teams to answer the questions which are tailored to apply computational thinking, including data processing and algorithmic thinking. Students need to work from a computer and are timed to answer the questions presented to them. One of the best aspects of this resource is that students without much experience in using computational thinking are able to participate, and that it has shown room for improvement in those students who were not as confident as others.

The Bebras website also offers a free ICT resource which is accessible any time of year for practice. Each year group’s sample tasks offer stages of questions which progress from Easy to Hard. These challenges are a great way to set students up to participate in the next round of the international competition. These tasks can be tailored to a dedicated ICT lesson, allowing an hour to discuss and share their processes and thinking.

challenges

 

The next round of the Bebras Challenge will be from September 5th – 16th. Register your interest to become a coordinator in your school at http://www.bebras.edu.au/register/. 

 

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Breaking down keyboard skills – e-learning

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: F-6

Strand: Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Sub strand: Digital Systems

Digital systems (hardware and software) are used everyday life and have specific features

Link to the resource

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/computer-skills/

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Literacy

Personal and social capabilities

ICT capabilities

Links to other learning areas

HASS

A classroom activity using this resource

This is a fun way to encourage our students to learn and practice their keyboard writing skills. Modules are related to their ability levels and interests which they may be learning in school e.g. space. From learning where to place their fingers, understand keyboard key location, how to create symbols or practice to increase their speed and accuracy on a keyboard. What makes these modules fun is that with these activities, students can explore with dinosaurs, ancient ruins or space, while practising their keyboarding skills by breaking them down into manageable concepts and tasks as well as following patterns of keyboarding. Students can begin as young as foundation to year 6 to gain the ability to use digital systems for their computer literacy skills.

How to use this resource

Computer time or digital technology lessons can sometimes seem limited with such a packed curriculum. Some schools only allow a class as little as an hour with digital technology such as the computer room, laptops or iPad. This resource only needs a maximum of 20 minutes, for students to practice their keyboard skills, in fun modules which are broken down into manageable tasks. Then teachers can go on with their planned lessons. To use this resource students’ can choose their own module based on their own keyboarding ability. All you, as the teacher, needs to do is monitor that they have chosen the best module for their ability. There are 25 stories and activities within 5 modules:

Module 1: Alphabetic keys

Module 2: Number and symbol keys

Module 3: Keyboarding mastery

Module 4: Increase speed and accuracy

Module 5: Practice and improvement

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Educreations

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Subject
Design and Technology

Year Level
Foundation- Year 10

Strand
Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Sub Strand
Designing, Producing, Publishing

Cross Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities
Critical and creative thinking (CCT),Personal and social capability (PSC),Information and Communication Technology (ICT),Literacy (LIT)

Links to Other Learning Areas
All Areas

Description
Educreations is an amazing resource that allows students to create their own educational videos.
It is designed as an interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool that’s simple and fun to use. Students can annotate, animate, and narrate any subject area content or concept you desire. Teachers can also create short instructional videos and share them instantly with students, or ask students to show what they know and help friends learn something new. This app allows a range of different learners to excel with both visual, audio and images to support each style.

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Students create videos using film or images which that can annotate using the app to further explain a concept. They can also add voice over and share the videos instantly, making it a great educational tool. It also allows a teacher for diagnostic, formative or data on what a child knows about certain topics.

How to use Educreations in the Classroom
Educreations is such a diverse app that it can be used across all subject areas. For this blog post I will be using the curriculum area of Maths to demonstrate its capability.

Maths/Place Value
When teaching the concept of place value educreations can be a great tool to use as a summative assessment.

Learning Outcome
Explain place value for 1s, 10s, 100s & 1000s

Learning Experience
Students are asked to create a video explaining place value to a peer. They must write a script and collect relevant materials for video.
Then give students time to film and create using the app.
Students share with a lower primary class and check for understanding.

Make any changes to video from feedback from demonstration to lower primary class.
Make final video for assessment

Website/How to Purchase
Purchase from
https://itunes.apple.com/app/educreations-interactive-whiteboard/id478617061?ls=1&mt=8

More information about Educreations
https://www.educreations.com

 

Pricing
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MaKey-MaKey Electronics and Invention Software

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Subject: Design and Technologies

Year level: Suitable for all year levels

Strand: Materials and technologies specialisationsstuff

The Technologies contexts content descriptions provide a framework within which students can gain knowledge and understanding about design concepts across a range of technologies contexts. These content descriptions focus on the properties and characteristics of technologies, materials, components, tools and equipment and how they can be used to create innovative designed solutions.

The technologies contexts for Foundation to Year 8 are:

Materials and technologies specialisations.

For example:makey-makey (1)

– materials, including composites, metal, plastics, wood, smart materials, textiles

– an area of specialisation (for example, architecture, electronics, graphics

technologies, fashion) (See content descriptions 2.2, 4.2, 6.2, 8.3 and 10.3)

(Source: ACARA, 2016)

WA Curriculum Scope and Sequence – Technologies (Materials and technologies specialisation)

scope blog 2

 

General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking

IMG_8664Critical and creative thinking are integral to activities that require students to think broadly and deeply using skills, behaviours and dispositions such as reason, logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation in all learning areas at school and in their lives beyond school.

Experimenting, drawing, modelling, designing and working with digital tools, equipment and software helps students to build their visual and spatial thinking and to create solutions, products, services and environments.

(Source: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/design-and-technologies2/technologies-overview/general-capabilities)

 

Product descriptionmakey-makey-contents-2

What is it?

MaKey MaKey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between utilising creative and computational thinking.

Creators Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum from the Lifelong Kindergarten Group describe it best:

(Source: http://www.makeymakey.com/)

What Can I Make?

That’s up to you! First, load up a computer program or any webpage. Let’s say you load up a piano. Then, instead of using the computer keyboard buttons to play the piano, you can hook up the MaKey MaKey to something fun, like bananas, and the bananas become your piano keys.

piano

Watch – Hack a banana, make a keyboard!

How Does it Work?

Alligator Clip two objects to the MaKey MaKey board. For example, you and an apple. When you touch the apple, you make a connection, and MaKey MaKey sends the computer a keyboard message. The computer just thinks MaKey MaKey is a regular keyboard (or mouse). Therefore it works with all programs and webpages, because all programs and webpages take keyboard and mouse input.

connect

What materials work with MaKey Makey?

Any material that can conduct at least a tiny bit of electricity will work. Here are some materials people have used in our workshops including Ketchup, Pencil Graphite, Finger Paint, Lemons, etc.

cycles_material_studies-vol_6

Other materials that work great: Plants, Coins, Your Grandma, Silverware, Anything that is Wet, Most Foods, Cats and Dogs, Aluminum Foil, Rain, and hundreds more…
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Using MaKey MaKey in the Classroom

The maker movement celebrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship through the design and construction ofkids_makey physical objects. Maker activities may come across as playful, even slightly wacky, explosions of inventiveness. But in education contexts like schools, museums, libraries, and after-school programs, research shows that if the invitation to creativity is accompanied by intentional structure and guidance, maker activities can be channeled to support deep student learning (Blikstein, 2013; Vossoughi, Escudé, Kong, & Hooper, 2013).

chipFor example in a tinkering class on circuitry, students begin exploring the basic concepts of circuits by connecting batteries, bulbs, motors, and buzzers using wires and clips. These “circuit blocks” become the foundations for finding out what works and what doesn’t. Adding switches and other inputs or outputs both allows students to develop a general understanding about how to wire a circuit and helps them understand that there are relationships between the types of circuits they build and the brightness of bulbs, speed of motors, or volume of buzzer tones.

With these foundationalDylanRyder1 experiences behind them, students are ready to move on to a series of circuit-related activities that each draw on the initial experience, but add new complexities and often aesthetic opportunities for play, exploration, and personal expression.

(Source: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec14/vol72/num04/Tinkering-Is-Serious-Play.aspx)

 

Lesson Ideas Using MaKey MaKey

Musical Water Lesson Planhqdefault

Year level: P-6

Students explore soundscapes with real objects in a musical water lesson that utilizes a key mapping software called Soundplant and MaKey MaKey.

Simple Circuits Challenge

maxresdefaultYear level 4-6

Simple Circuit: To complete a simple circuit, you must create a loop for the electrons to flow. So you need to get power from your power source to the LED and back to the power source. If you build a successful current, your light will shine! In this lab, you will create your own simple circuits with Makey Makey and once you’ve mastered that, you’ll move on to parallel circuits. Lastly, you’ll create your own DIY switch with Makey Makey!

Literacy comes alive with Candid MaKey Camera

chapters_colorado_makeymakey_bethcohen2_webYear level 3-6

Combine Makey Makey with a webcam to create candid stories about your classroom. In this lesson you can also learn how students can write out short tableaux and create GIF cards for visualizing ideas in a text or even vocabulary reinforcement. Tableau’s also work for other contents. Social studies teachers can use this lesson for understanding historical events and science teachers could ask students to act out scientific ideas and concepts.

(Source: http://makeymakey.com/lessons/)

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 Why Should You Create With MaKey MaKey?

bananapong01smWe believe that everyone is creative, inventive, and imaginative. We believe that everyone can create the future and change the world. So we have dedicated our lives to making easy-to-use invention kits. We believe that the whole world is a construction kit, if we choose to see it that way. We want to help people start to think of themselves as Makers and agents of change. When you have the “Maker’s Mindset,” you know you can change the world.

(Source: http://www.makeymakey.com/)

 

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Cubelets Robotics

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kids-and-cubelets-1awards

Subject: Digital and Design technologies (digital systems and engineering principals)

Year level: Suitable for all Year levels

Product Description

The Cubelets Twenty standard kit comes with 20 magnetic blocks that can be snapped together to make an endless variety of robots with no programming and no wires.

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Anyone can build robots that drive around on a tabletop, respond to light and other objects, and have surprisingly lifelike behavior. Instead of programming that behavior, you snap the Cubelets together and watch the behavior cubelet-kids-348x196emerge like with a flock of birds or a swarm of bees. Each Cubelet has a tiny computer inside of it and is a robot in its own right. When you put Cubelets together, you’re actually making a robot out of several smaller robots. Each Cubelet communicates with its neighbours, so you know that if two blocks are next to each other, they’re talking.

(Source: http://shop.robotslab.com/products/cubelets-kt01-standard-kit)

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These simple robotic cubes are the building blocks of intelligent systems

Cubelets are magnetic, electronic building blocks, each with a small computer inside, that can be connected in many different ways to move around a table, follow a hand signal, turn on a light, play sounds, or do many other creative tasks.

modular_robotics_cubelets_lg

They were developed by Eric Schweikardt and his team at Modular Robotics, with support from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

“Cubelets come in three categories: sense, think and act. That’s our working definition of a robot–any mechanical device that senses, thinks and acts,” says Schweikardt.

 

“Cubelets are an example of a complex system. They’re made of lots of little cubes–each with a different capability,cubelets4 such as a distance sensor cube, a drive motor cube with wheels and a battery cube. And, when you put them together, they do something greater, such as drive when they detect an object,” he continues. “They’re inspired by natural systems of individuals that join forces and work together, such as insect swarms or birds flying in a ‘V’ formation.”

These 21st century building blocks are meant to help kids learn about the basics of robotics while boosting their confidence to solve problems.

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“Cubelets, by Modular Robotics, make powerful ideas of computational thinking accessible in a fun and hands-on way to students of all ages,” says NSF program manager Glenn Larsen. “The next generation of citizens needs to understand complex systems like our ecosystem and our economy. Cubelets lays the foundation for this understanding by putting the building blocks of complex systems in children’s hands.”cubelets-1

Miles O’Brien, Science Nation Correspondent
Marsha Walton, Science Nation Producer

(Source: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/modularrobots.jsp)

 

Watch Cubelets in action

WA Technologies Curriculum links

The Western Australian Curriculum in Technologies aims to develop the knowledge, understandings and skills to ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:

  • investigate, design, plan, manage, create and evaluate solutionsCmKJBazWYAAvKXF
  • are creative, innovative and enterprising when using traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies, and understand how technologies have developed over time
  • make informed and ethical decisions about the role, impact and use of technologies in the economy, environment and society for a sustainable future
  • engage confidently with and responsibly select and manipulate appropriate technologies − materials, data, systems, components, tools and equipment − when designing and creating solutions
  • critique, analyse and evaluate problems, needs or opportunities to identify and create solutions.

CdSEoIcWEAAlx_3Cubelets provide a platform from which students can explore the digital hardware robotics system, its components, functions, and interactions, as well as investigating design and engineering principles and systems, focusing on forces, movement, and properties of both the individual cubes and their robotic creations.

 

Cross-curricular links

Cubelets link heavily into the science syllabus in the Physical Sciences strand:

Pre-primary focus is movement; Year 1 looks at light and sound; Years 2-4 explore forces such as push/pull, heat  transmission, and how forces can be exerted via direct contact or from a distance; and Year 6s explore electrical sources and circuits. The Cubelets resources allows for investigation and creation using all of these science elements in the technological world.

scope 3

 

 

 

 

 

Design Technologies – Scope and sequence P-6

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scope2

 

(Source: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-

browser/technologies/technologies-overview/Technologies_P-10_Scope-and-Sequence_March_2016.PDF)

(Source: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/science-v9/overview/Science_P-10_Scope-and-Sequence_Phase_1_March_2016.PDF)

 

 

 

Using Cubelets in the ClassroomKinderCubelets2

Modular Robotics, the creators of Cubelets, have also developed an exploratory robotics lesson guide with sequential activities designed to develop students’ computational thinking skills using this resource, available for free download on the Modrobotics Education site.

The process is progressive, year group leveled, and provides a range of investigations, challenges and questions for teachers and students to explore.

 

lp modbot

lp modbot 2

(Source:http://www.modrobotics.com/edu/1HourBasicRoboticsWithCubelets.pdf)

Cubelets-Robotics-and-Computational-Thinking

Coding and programming for Cubelets

Cubelets are an inventive, hands-on resource to explore robotics at a very approachable and interactive level. For more advanced digital technologies curriculum needs however, Cubelets can also be programmed! Using the Cubelets Studio OS 4. program, students can manipulate how the data flows throughout the object.

code

The possibilities of robotics in the classroom using Cubelets are seemingly endless – Enjoy!

cube

 

 

 

 

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Collaborative Projects in Showbie

SHOWBIE

The Heart of Your Paperless Classroom

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: Years 3 and up

Strands

  • Knowledge and Understanding
  • Processes and production skills

Sub-strands:

  • Digital Systems.
  • Representation of data.
  • Collecting, managing and analysing data.
  • Digital implementation.

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

Cross Curricular and General Capabilities:

  • Literacy

Links to other subject areas: All subject areas.

 

About Showbie

showbie

Showbie is an app that teachers can use to assign, collect and review student work.

Showbie helps students to prioritise their work by listing upcoming assignments that are due and organises by class for easy viewing.

Some of the key features of Showbie are:

  • Access wherever there is an internet connection with iPads, iPhones and most other computers and devices. his means that students can always be up to date with assignments or any changes made by the teacher.
  • Compatable with most other apps such as iMovie or BookCreator which makes assignments fun and interactive.
  • Make collaborative projects easier. Students are able to stay in contact, share important files and coordinate activities ensuring that no one is left out of the loop.
  • Parents can log in too. Parents are able to see exactly what their child is working on and what the teachers expectations are.
  • Teachers can filter the access their students have to the internet but placing the relevant websites for different projects on Showbie. This reduces the amount of time students are exposed to possible inappropriate websites they find using Google.

Overall, Showbie is a fantastic resource for teacher, students and parents. It makes ordinary tasks fun and exciting for students while simplifying the workload on teachers. Parents also enjoy the connectivity to their child’s classroom.

My personal experience with Showbie was using it while conducting a STEM project in a classroom. The students were able to collaborate with each other out of the classroom by upload pictures of their projects and providing feedback to each other. it allowed me to see how engaged my students were in the project and make any adjustment accordingly. Both myself and my students thoroughly enjoyed the project and using Showbie throughout.

 

How Showbie works

Once you have signed up for Showbie for free, it is so easy to use.

This video walks you through setting up your Showbie account so that you can assign, collect and review student work all from your iPad.

It is a good idea for teacher to be aware of the process for students as well so that they can help them. this video walks through those steps.

 

 

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Codea

Codea is a software development tool that includes resources to teach kids to create their own program using the Lua programming languaCapture2ge. Codea is an app for all ages as it supports younger children by providing samples as well as extending those familiar with the coding process. Codea enables children write their own programs, like games or other graphics and create games and simulations, for the iPad

 

 

The app is designed to let you touch your code. Listed below are some of the many features Codea offers:

  • A fully featured 2D and 3D renderer
  • Lots of great example projects to learn from, including games
  • Touch your code: tap colors, images and sounds to adjust them
  • Export your finished projects to Xcode to produce real apps
  •  Complete in-line reference documentation accessible from keyboard
  • Intelligent syntax highlighting and auto-completing code editor
  • Import your own assets from Dropbox
  • Generate retro-game sound effects
  • Bluetooth keyboard support and keyboard shortcuts
  • Video recording: Record videos of your projects and share them
  • Air Code: code live from your PC using WiFi

Codea can work hand-in-hand with the curriculum: 

Digital Technologies

  • Data is represented using codes (ACTDIK015)
  • Use simple visual programming environments that include a sequence of steps (algorithm) involving decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)
  • Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)
  • Implement and modify solutions, that include user interfaces within a programming environment, including the need for choice of options and/or repeating options (ACTDIP030)
  • Design algorithms, represented diagrammatically and in structured English, and validate plans and programs through tracing (ACTDIP040)
  • Validate algorithms and programs using common acceptable methods (ACTDIP040)
  • Implement data storage and organisation techniques within a programming environment  (ACTDIP041)

For more information about the West Australian Curriculum and to preview Codea in action, please visit the following websites:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/codea/id439571171?mt=8

http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser

 

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Class Dojo

Resource:

Class Dojo

https://www.classdojo.com/

Description:

Class Dojo is a fantastic research that can be used by students, teachers, and parents.  Not only is it simple and safe to use but it is also an extremely effective classroom management tool that I have seen used during my professional practicum experience.  Class Dojo can not only be used to encourage students in the class room but it also allows teachers to communicate with parents and keep them updated on what is going on in the classroom.

Class Dojo is free an can be accessed online or by downloading the IOS or Android app.  Parents can sign up by providing their child’s teacher with their email or phone number so they can be sent an invitation.  This allows the teacher to share updates, messages and photos with parents and keep them in the loop.

This program can be used as a rewards system by awarding ‘positive points’ to students for good behaviour.  During my first prac the whole school used Class Dojo as a rewards system.  It was on the interactive whiteboard in each room with the students taking charge and using it themselves.

The instant message function is particularly effective in getting in contact with parents and updating them without delay.  Students can also share photos of what they have been doing in the classroom by uploading these to their Class Dojo page.

It has some additional helpful features such as attendance, a timer, and graphs of positive and negative points that were distributed to keep track of how the class has been going over the year.

Students can log in at home and change their avatar and look at their details whilst parents can log in and look at reports showing how the students are going.

How Class Dojo can be used in the classroom:

This video is a great one to watch as an introduction to Class Dojo and how it can be employed in the classroom.

This tutorial is great to inform you how to set up Class Dojo for a new class.

Year Level: F-10

Whilst Class Dojo is something that can be used across all year levels, I have found it to be particularly effective in lower primary.

Subject:

Technology

Strand:

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

Class Dojo can also be linked to other learning areas such as:

  • Literacy (using the program itself requires students to use literacy skills)
  • Mathematics (students can used the Class Dojo data in mathematical problems etc.)
  • Information and Communication Technology (being able to navigate the website etc.)
  • Critical and Creative Thinking (Students can create their own profile character on the page)
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ABC Splash

Resource:

ABC Splash

http://splash.abc.net.au/

Description:

ABC Splash is a fantastic digital education resource for both students and teachers.  This website is free and it provides the user with thousands of videos, games, and interactive tools that will help ignite interest and enthusiasm for the students.

It gives them the option to select their year level and type in what they want to know about and then it brings up all the appropriate videos etc. that the students can use to learn.  Once you click on the video link you are provided with an overview of the topic and video as well as things to think about when watching the video.  There is also a handy tab for teachers that includes all the curriculum links that the video relates to.

There is a STEM section of the website that focuses on Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics section that provides information on many digital technologies such as coding and robotics.

This website is super user friendly as it also gives the option to search by subject and year levels, meaning as a teacher we can easily find the resources to assist us in teaching the desired outcomes to our students.

The games section of the website provides students with a tactile learning experience allowing them to enrich their knowledge.

http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/games

How ABC Splash can be used in the classroom:

ABC Splash has its own YouTube channel that can be used to further enhance the students learning and providing them with an additional digital resource to use for learning.

https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCSplashTV

This website can be used by the children when they are conducting their own research or it can be used by the teacher during lessons.

Students can also use the website to listen to podcasts such as this one.

Year Level: F-10

ABC Splash caters to students from Foundation Year to Year 10 giving students the chance to identify their year group and what they are searching for and providing them with the appropriate results.

Subject:

Technology

Strand:

Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Collect, access and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems (ACTDIP009)

ABC Splash can be used to teach many learning areas such as:

  • English
  • Maths
  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • The Arts
  • Health and Physical Education
Sumdog – Educating by Engaging
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Sumdog – Educating by Engaging


Image 3sumdog-logo Image 1 Image 2

Year Level: F-8

Learning Areas: Technologies, Mathematics and English

Strands:

  • Digital Technologies
  • Number and Algebra
  • Measurement and Geometry
  • Statistics and Probability
  • Literature
  • Literacy

Sub Strands:

  • Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding
  • Number and Place Value
  • Using Units of Measurement
  • Chance
  • Data Representation and Interpretation
  • Literature and Context
  • Responding to Literature
  • Examining Literature
  • Texts in Contexts
  • Creating Texts
  • Interpreting, Analysing, Evaluating

Description:
Sumdog is a website that uses educational games to motivate your students in maths, reading and writing. It’s adaptive learning engine monitors and guides them as they work.

Sumdog’s powerful skill browser makes it easy to refine the teacher’s choice, show the curriculum correlations and filter the list by topic or domain. When students master skills, Sumdog rewards them: they earn pets, and their pets learn tricks.

Progress Hub™ is Sumdog’s unique learning engine. It gets to know each student, leading them through the standards, and reports their progress to their teachers. Progress Hub’s skills are aligned to the Australian National Curriculum and broken into manageable steps. As students play, Progress Hub™ learns about each one individually. If students are subscribed, teachers can run detailed proficiency charts showing their growth against the curriculum.

Sumdog is unusual, in that students can practice any skill with any game. While students choose what they play, teachers retain control over their learning. It’s great for motivation: when students move on to a new skill, they can still use their favorite game to work on it.

Features:

  • Cross curricular (Technologies, Mathematics and English)
  • Australian Curriculum aligned
  • Improvement rewards
  • Progress reports
  • Free of charge
  • Engaging games
  • iPad and Android compatible
  • Hold school contests
  • Designed for students aged 4 to 13
  • Adaptive and unique learning engine

Link:
http://www.sumdog.com/

Below are other resources that use educational games to motivate students into improving their Maths and English skills.

Rainforest Maths
Year Level: F-12
Description:
Rainforest Maths is a suite of interactive maths activities, covering the outcomes for each year level and state in Australia. It is useful for preparing students for various state and national testing programs.
Link:
www.rainforestmaths.com

Reading Eggs
Year Level: F-8
Description:
ABC Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for students, with great online reading games and activities. The students love the games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, really motivate them to keep exploring and learning.
Link:
http://readingeggs.com.au/

Mathletics
Year Level: F-12
Description:
Mathletics is the next generation in learning, helping students enjoy maths and improve their results. It’s fun, supportive, and effective for students of all ages and abilities. Mathletics covers the Australian Curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12.
Link:
www.mathletics.com.au