Code-a-pillar Newest Think and Learn Toy

Code-a-pillar Newest Think and Learn Toy

 

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: F-2

Strand:Digital Technologies processes and production skills

 

Australian Curriculum Content Descriptor:

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

Western Australian Curriculum Content Descriptors: 

  • Data can have patterns and can be represented as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDIK002)
  • Use data to solve a simple task/problem (ACTDIP003)

What is it?

The Code-a-pillar is a toy by Fisher and Price released in 2016 as part of thier new Think & Learn range. The toy has a motorised head and comes with segments that represent different movements. Each segment tells the caterpillar what to do. Children are able to rearrange the segments to have the caterpillar do things in a different order.

The following video provides a more indepth look at how the code-a-pillar works and promotes coding with young children.

 

Class room activity

Depending on the students age a variety of lessons can be done utalising this resource. The Code-a-pillar as seen in the video comes with two disks. A starting disk and a target. For a more challenging activity students might have to program their caterpillar so that is able to finish on the disk.  This will link in well with the general capabilities of Critical and Creative Thinkers. The possibilities are completely endless with this toy and its accompanying App! Both the App and the Robot can be integrated into the Numeracy Curriculum.

 

Word from the Author

I personally bought this STEM promoting toy for my 3.5 year old for Christmas. He hasn’t even entered Kindergarten and is already programming his Code-a-pillar to go around dining room chairs. The fantastic thing is if the antenna on this robotic toy senses if it touches something lightly and the Code-e-pillar stops its sequences and pauses. At this point a child can take it back to the starting point and reprogram it or move it to a different position and press the power button again, thus starting where the Cod-e-pillar left off.

 

 

 

 

Junior Landcare! Creating a Food Garden…

Subject: Design and Technologies

Year level: Grade 3+

Strand: Knowledge and Understanding, Process and Production Skills

Substrand: Food and Fibre Production

Content Descriptor Example: Types of food and fibre produced in different environments, cultures or time periods, including the equipment used to produce or prepare them (ACTDEK012). Past performance, and current and future needs are considered when designing sustainable food and fibre systems for products (ACTDEK021).

Cross-Curriculum Priorities:

  • Sustainability

General Capabilities

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding

Links to other learning areas

  • Health and Physical Education
  • Science
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Art

Click the picture above to open the ‘creating a food garden’ resource

Link to Junior Landcare website: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/junior-landcare/

First Impressions

The Junior Landcare website provides teachers, students and parents with information about how to improve and look after the current and future environment. It is easy to read and navigate through the website. There are a heap of resources and links providing you with more ideas and inspiration. This resource is perfect for integrating Sustainability into the classroom and developing students ethical understanding. Landcare Australia also have a Youtube channel where there are a number of videos about Australia and the environment we live in. Perfect to guide student discussion developing knowledge and understanding.

What is Junior Landcare? 

Junior Landcare was created by Landcare Australia in 1998. This was created to encourage young people to play an active role in conserving current land to ensure a safe future environment. Junior Landcare encourages young people to be accountable for their actions and take responsibility of their future environment. Junior Landcare provide a range of days where students can volunteer and assist in creating a better future. The best thing about Junior Landcare, is that it links straight in with the curriculum. So you know that the students will benefit academically from the experience. The L.I.F.E website also provides event days where students can volunteer or you could create your own event to get people together. Discover more in the video below.

How you could use Junior Landcare in the Classroom

There are multiple resources on Junior Landcare that would be useful in the classroom. An activity that would provide multiple linked activities as well as benefit the actual school is to create a food garden. Creating a food garden involves multiple steps that can incorporate many other learning areas. Students would begin with investigating and defining when discussing potential ideas to create a food garden. Write all of their ideas down and discuss why some things might work better than others. Involve Mathematics by designing a to scale 2D drawing of a food garden including labels and technical terms. Now its time to produce and implement the design to create the food garden with the safe use of tools and equipment. Incorporate Science where students evaluate the growth of the food garden and ask questions like, ‘what could be done to improve the growth’. This will provide students with a collaborative and hands on experience. After the garden is created you can involve Art by drawing a birds eye view of the garden or involve English by writing a procedural text on how to create a food garden. There are so many possibilities with creating a food garden.

TIPS

Gather extra helping hands! Engage with parents and the school ground keeper to see if they can help create the masterpiece.

Create a rotating roster for students to water and look after the garden. Otherwise you will spend half the afternoon everyday doing it yourself.

Something extra…

Download and have a read of the Teacher’s Resource Guide.

Check out this classroom blog where they have created their own food garden for inspiration and ideas.

Also have a look at Landcare Australia’s Youtube channel.

Other Resources from Junior Landcare

Building a Worm Farm

Creating a Frog Pond

Enhancing and Restoring Habitats

Growing Healthy Plants using Natural Pesticides

 

By Jessica Read

 

References

Junior Landcare. [2015]. Retrieved from https://landcareaustralia.org.au/junior-landcare/

Landcare Australia. (2015, March 26). Junior landcare hits our tv screens [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEwFAwmdAoQ

Landcare Australia. (2014, December 3). Landcare is for everyone [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoVv_RMrDzk&t=34s

Landcare Australia. (2016, November 28). Love our Aussie land [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6sGGdIQ2SU&t=1s

School Curriculum and Standards Authority. [2014]. Design and Technologies. WA: Government of Western Australia. Retrieved from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/design-and-technologies2

Digital Technologies Hub

Put the User in User Interface

Year Level: 5 and 6

Subject: Technologies – Digital Technologies

Strand: Processes and Production Skills

Sub-strand: Digital Implementation

Content Description: Design solutions to a user interface for a digital system (ACTDIP018)

Link to Other Learning Areas: English and Science.

General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Literacy, Numeracy, ICT capability.

Overview: “This learning sequence aims to support understandings of the importance of quality design and design principles in creating an efficient and effective user interface.”

The learning sequence includes the following:

  • Learning hook – video and discussion
  • Learning map and outcomes – create glossary
  • Learning input and construction – Links to Human Interface Design and to videos
  • Learning demo – Activities and worksheets
  • Learning reflection – Activity

Students discuss the elements of both confusing and clear interfaces and share examples. The suggested activities provide opportunities  for students to think critically about the purpose and importance of design using real-world examples. They design and problem solve through engaging activities in The Chocolate Factory – Human Interface Design.  “Students analyse how the doors might work most effectively for a group of users with specific needs.” Catering for specific audiences and needs is a wonderful way to link to General Capabilities – Ethical Understanding and Personal and Social Capability.

 

This video provides a great overview of User Interface Design. It was created for year 7/8 teachers however contains clear and relevant information that would also be meaningful for year 5/6 students.

 

References

Resource and images from: https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/primary-teachers/getting-started/put-the-user-in-user-interface
Resource link also available through Scootle: https://www.scootle.edu.au

Blog by Stephanie Joshi

Bee debugging – code.org

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: 2-5

Strand: Process and Production Skills

Sub strand:

Digital Implementationm – The process of implementing digital solutions

Creating Solutions – Evaluating

Links to the resource

Techer information: https://code.org/curriculum/course2/10/Teacher

Bee Debugging puzzle: https://studio.code.org/s/course2/stage/10/puzzle/1

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

ICT Capabilities

Numeracy

Critical and creative thinking

Information and communication

Links to other learning areas

Mathematics – Location and Transformation

A classroom activity using this resource

While code.org courses are designed for students to work at their own pace through the activities, debugging can be explicitly taught for students to identify and evaluate the process of implementing digital solutions by figuring out what is not working and why. Bee Debugging activity allows students to use their computational thinking to work through the blocks of coding, step by step to identify the correct solution.

Recommended extension from code.org: Plant bugs in own code and give to a friend to identify and fix the problem.

How to use this resource

Course 2 in code.org is the second of five courses for students in primary (Elementary) school and course 2 is recommended for grade 2-5 students who can read and students do not have to have any prior knowledge of programming. Stage 10 – Bee Debugging is just one of two activities in course 2, which teaches students how to breakdown a code to identify a what went wrong (Bug) and students go through the stages of computational thinking to fix the problem.

References:

Code.org 2015  https://code.org/

 

Bit by Bit- Programming Game

Description

Bit by Bit is an app that introduces young children to the fundamentals of coding. This app is available for both android and IOS and is free. Bit by Bit has a number of levels which children can move through at their own pace. It has on screen visual instructions including arrows and hand gestures to demonstrate to children how to play. Bit by Bit allows for computational thinking to occur as children use a problem solving process to move their character from one place to another. This app would best suit Foundation to Year 2 students.

See how it works! 

Link to Product
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bit-by-bit-programming-game/id993476602?mt=8


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

Year Level: Foundation-Year 2
Learning Area:
Technologies
Subject: Digital Technologies
Strands: Knowledge and Understanding
Sub-Strands: Digital Systems

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

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Cross Curriculum Priorities

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Critical and Creative Thinking

 

 

References

Bit By Bit – programming game gameplay trailer. (2016). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8uo1dUTXR0

Game, B. & OU, R. (2016). Bit by Bit – Programming Game on the App Store. App Store. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bit-by-bit-programming-game/id993476602?mt=8

The Australian Curriculum v7.5. (2016). V7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#cdcode=ACTDIK001&level=F-2

 

 

Tynker

TynkeTynkerLogo_Fotorr is a browser-based application used to teach your students how to program as they create games and animated projects. Tynker can be used on any computer (desktop, laptop, notebook, Chromebook) with an internet connection. It can be used on an iPad, however some features are not supported. As it is browser-based, it works best in Google Chrome and Safari browsers.

Students can easily learn to code using the visual programming language by solving fun puzzles and creating original projects and games. Students gain an excellent foundation in programming and computational thinking, preparing them to transition to any mainstream object-orientated programming language.

Tynker has multiple learning modules; allowing students to work at their own pace, with each lesson is designed to run between fifty and sixty minutes. As it is browser based, students are able to work from home if the activity is not completed within the specified lesson. Tynker has been created to keep students engaged from start to finish and Tynker also caters for a variety of learning styles.

Teachers are able to assess their students’ learning through creating a multiple-choice questionnaire at the end of a module.

Each student is able to create a unique project, which can then be shared with friends and family.

For more information on Tynker, visit: https://www.tynker.com/?t=reset

    Subject: TechnologiesTynker

    Strand: Digital Technologies – Knowledge and Understanding

    Sub-Strand: Representation of data

    Year level: Year one to year six

 

Cross-curriculum priorities and General Capabilities:

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

Links to other learning areas:

  • English;
  • Mathematics;
  • Science; and
  • The Arts (Visual Arts). 

How to use Tynker:

Visit the Tynker YouTube channel for a variety of short videos, including how to get you and your class started: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MAKe5X7pohhiMZ4nzdInA

Below are a couple of suggested YouTube clips for you to view:

What is in a Tynker lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bko9qtCeb2A

Preparing for your first Tynker lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmTbED57tes

 

References:

ACARA. (2015). Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au

SCSA. (2014). Digital Technologies. Retrieved from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-     browser/technologies/digital-technologies2

Tynker. (2015). Tynker – Programming courses for kids. Retrieved from https://www.tynker.com

Tynker. (2016). Tynker. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MAKe5X7pohhiMZ4nzdInA

 

Kodable

Teaching Kids to Code: Mission Possible

Kodable

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year: P-4

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-Strand: Processes and Production Skills

Content Descriptors:

Year P: Use data to complete a task

Year 1: Use data to solve a simple task/problem

Year 2: Use data to solve similar tasks/problems

Year 3: Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching)

Year 4: Use simple visual programming environments that include a sequence of steps (algorithm) involving decisions made by the user (branching) 

General capabilities: 

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
  • Critical and creative thinking

(“Technologies Learning Area Scope and Sequence”, 2015)

Kodable

Kodable introduces students to the concepts involved in computer programming. It provides visual instructions and step-by-step levels. It begins with a back story, introducing the ‘Fuzz family’ crash landing on a planet called Smeeborg. Students then explore mazes and collect coins.

The ‘Fuzz family’ are guided through these mazes as the students drag and drop commands. Each level then reinforces the concepts students are learning, and adds new concepts along the way. Levels are unlocked as students progress through the mazes, but teachers can manually unlock levels as need, which is a great feature for Gifted and talented students who may learn the concepts very quickly and need to be accelerated through the levels to continue to be challenged.

Kodable engages students with fun and colourful characters, and fun games. It keeps them challenged but not overwhelmed. Students build conceptual understanding and build on their knowledge as they think and act like programmers. Videos are provided to introduce students to new concepts, and extensions are provided in the teacher portal.

The Kodable website also provides learning guides for each area. There learning guides provide an overview of the topic, techinical vocabulary, lesson plans, un-plugged activities and on-line activities. Activities provided in the lesson plans include a range of whole group, guided practice and independent activities.

How to Use

Teachers can simply visit the Kodable website and sign up for a free account. Create a class name and class code and add your students to create student profiles (you can simply copy and paste students names from a class list to save time).

Advantages

  • Teachers can manually unlock levels
  • Provides differentiation and extension
  • Scaffolded learning sequence
  • Free teaching resources

Possible Disadvantages

  • After 30 levels it will cost $6.99USD to unlock the rest

Resource Links

Kodable website: https://www.kodable.com/

Kodable App (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/kodable/id577673067?mt=8

Kodable App (Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.surfscore.kodable.main.android

Platforms

Android

iPad

 References

Kodable. (2016). Retrieved from website: https://www.kodable.com/

Technologies Learning Area Scope and Sequence. (2015). Retrieved from School Curriculum and Standards Authority website: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/digital-technologies2/technologies-overview/Tech_Scope_and_Sequence.pdf

iMovie

iMovie App Logo_Fotor

iMovie is a video editing software application created by Apple and comes pre-installed on Mac computers and iOS devices.

It is an incredible application, which provides basic, ‘no-frills’ editing tools to put together a movie from a set of video clips. You are able to import video footage using either the FireWire interface on most MiniDV format digital video cameras or the computers USB port. iMovie can also import video and photo files from a hard drive. You are able to edit the photos and video clips and add titles, themes, music and effects, including basic colour correction and video enhancement tools and transitions such as fades and slides.

Students can share and publish finished iMovie projects as movies to any number of social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or through iTunes.

Subject: Technologies

Strand: Digital Technologies – Processes and Production Skills

Sub-Strand:

  • Collecting, managing and analysing data
  • Digital implementation
  • Designing
  • Producing and implementing
  • Collaborating and managing

Year level: Year one to Year six

Cross-curriculum priorities and General Capabilities:

  • Literacy;
  • Information and Communication Technology;
  • Critical and Creative Thinking;
  • Personal and Social Capability;
  • Ethical understanding; and
  • Intercultural understanding.

Links to other learning areas:

  • English;
  • Science;
  • The Arts;
  • Humanities and Social Sciences;
  • Health and Physical Education; and
  • Mathematics. 

How to use this resource:

For a great iMovie tutorial, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbzDXk4vKk

Another fantastic way to use iMovie, is to record yourself reading a text and then insert your recording into iMovie. If you have students with hearing difficulties, you can import a video of yourself (or someone else) signing! A great YouTube demonstration on how to do this can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60RqTYp4xhQ&feature=youtu.be

 

References:

ACARA. (2015). Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au

Apple Inc. (2015). iMovie for iOS – Apple (AU). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/au/ios/imovie/

Bove, T., & Rhodes, C. (n.d.). Knowing What You Can Do with iMovie – For Dummies. Retrieved from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/knowing-what-you-can-do-with-imovie.html

IPad Teachers. (2015). Add Sign Language Videos using iMovie on iPad. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60RqTYp4xhQ&feature=youtu.be

SCSA. (2014). Digital Technologies. Retrieved from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-     browser/technologies/digital-technologies2

Ultimate YouTube Resource. (2013). iMovie: Tutorial For Beginners. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbzDXk4vKk

Poultry Hub

TEACHERS RESOURCE KIT

TEACHERS RESOURCE KIT


RESOURCE: POULTRY HUB

Subject: Design and Technologies

Year Level: Year3-4

Strand: Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Sub strand: Investigate food and fibre production and food technologies used in modern and traditional societies (ACTDEK012)

Elaborations:

  • exploring tools, equipment and procedures to improve plant and animal production, for example when growing vegetables in the school garden and producing plant and animal environments such as a greenhouse, animal housing, safe bird shelters
  • describing ideal conditions for successful plant and animal production including how climate and soils affect production and availability of foods, for example Aboriginal seasons and food availability

Link to the resource: http://www.poultryhub.org/education/primary-secondary-schools/

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Numeracy, Sustainability and Personal and Social Capability

Links to other learning areas: English, Science and Geography 

About the resource:

Poultry Hub is an informational resource package that is designed for both teachers and students in either a primary or secondary setting. The Teachers Resource Kit contains a range of worksheets, presentations, suggested experiments, videos, books and further resources that can be accessed online.

This highly educational resource links directly to a number of year levels and specific sub strands in the Australian Curriculum. The information provided in the resource kit promotes and stimulates individual thinking that allows the each student to develop their own informed opinion regarding a number of topics explored, for example: the types of eggs they would purchase at the supermarket.

How to use this resource/ An activity using this resource:
Explore the theme ‘Journey of the egg: Farm to shop’ that allows the students to discover how eggs are produced, processed and packaged and then placed in supermarkets for customers to purchase. This activity will allow students to learn the steps of each process that contributes to the overall production process. Select from the resource kit the book “The Story of Eggs”, which takes students onto Australian egg farms where they are able to learn more about the process of farming chickens, as well as the equipment and tools used to package eggs. The Egg Resource Kit includes a number of sequential ready-to-use lesson plans, activities and resource sheets.

Closing the Loop with Cool Australia

 

Subject: Design and Technologies

Years(s): 3-4

Link to resource: http://www.coolaustralia.org/activity/national-recycling-week-closing-loop/

Strand: Knowledge and Understanding

Sub Strand: 

  • Recognise the role of people in design and technologies occupations and explore factors, including sustainability that impact on the design of products, services and environments to meet community needs (ACTDEK010)
  • Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment (ACTDEP017)

Cross Curricular Capabilities

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking

Links to other subjects

  • English
  • Science

A classroom activity with this resource

Cool Australia’s Closing the Loop activity is an excellent way to engage student learning by using online tools to understand the importance of recycling and the impact it has on our planet (“Activity: National Recycling Week: Closing the Loop”, n.d.). The resource also allows students to investigate, analyse and communicate their ideas using design and technology solutions, which further broadens their critical and creative thinking (“Activity: National Recycling Week: Closing the Loop”, n.d).

The activity is designed for students to work independently at a computer, and research about different professions, who are important in the role of design and technology, and the production of sustainable technologies. Students are then free to explore the research provided, and interpret their own ideas on an online worksheet, which can then be posted to the ‘dashboard’ – an online tool where only the teacher can see the students answers and is able to download and mark at another time.

This resource is an excellent way for students to work with a range of online applications, such as writing URL’s and clicking on links to research information, and therefore is a valuable resource to engage students into learning about the design and technology processes in sustainability.

How this activity works in a classroom

Before the lesson begins, the teacher much create an account at coolaustralia.org in order to access the lesson materials, and to create a ‘dashboard’. The teacher must also book out a computer lab, or alternatively, the students can use their own devices if they have access.

The lesson also involves a personalized link so when students submit their work, it locates back to their classroom dashboard. Therefore, in order to get a personalized link, make sure you are logged onto the Cool Australia, look up the resource, and click ‘classroom share’ which is located at the ‘student worksheet’ section. A link will pop up on screen, and you can copy the link and ask students to write it into their URL’s when they log on, or share onto a classroom blog.

Once your students have logged on and found the web page, they are free to work independently online.

COOL AUS. 1

 

References

Activity: National Recycling Week: Closing the Loop. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.coolaustralia.org/activity/national-recycling-week-closing-loop/