Technology as if people and planet mattered

Technology saving millions of lives.

As simple as a smoke extraction system?

Over four million people die each year after inhaling smoke from kitchen stoves and fires.

Most victims are women and young children. But these are deaths that could be prevented – using simple solutions.  

Have you been looking for authentic content?

Technology as if people and planet mattered – catchy title? I was hooked…

Who would have ever known that the world of Technology was so HUGE!  It’s not really enough to write just one or two blog posts for a university assignment, to reflect the distraction that all this new information has inflicted on my days.

With a strong passion for justice and equity I am thankful for the Australian Curriculum, General Capabilities for giving me permission to incorporate Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding, Personal & Social capability and Creative and Critical thinking into my professional life as a teacher. Whilst I am thanking the Australian Curriculum, let’s say YAY!! for the Cross-Curricular Priority of Sustainability.

If you are looking to broaden your perspectives on Technology and its uses, check out this website. http://practicalaction.org

“Practical Action is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) that uses technology to challenge poverty in developing countries.

We find out what people are doing and help them to do it better. Through technology we enable poor communities to build on their skills and knowledge to produce sustainable and practical solutions- transforming their lives forever and protecting the world around them”.

Subject:                 Design and Technologies

Year Level:          Teachers of all year levels

Strand:                  Knowledge and understanding 

Sub strand:         Technologies and society

Technologies contexts

  1. Engineering principles and systems,
  2. Food and fibre production
  3. Food specialisations
  4. Materials and technologies specialisations

Strand: Processes and production skill

Sub strand: CREATE SOLUTIONS

  1. Investigating and defining
  2. Designing
  3. Producing and implementing
  4. Evaluating
  5. Collaborating and managing

Using this resource…

Build your content knowledge and be supported with ready-made resources.

Practical Action is just one of many organisations promoting the positive use of technologies in developing countries. It offers many ideas and resources to use as inspiration for your technologies content. A free book (link below) on the subject of social justice is also available through their website. Supporting power point presentations and resources from Practical Action can be found on the TES website.

https://www.tes.com/member/PracticalAction

“A powerful new book sets out the need for looking at technology from human and environmental perspectives, and how to change the status quo”.

http://practicalaction.org/rethink-retool-reboot

Free download of the book at this address

http://www.developmentbookshelf.com/doi/book/10.3362/9781780449043

An article on Technology perspectives from Simon Trace – author of Rethink, Retool, Reboot

https://www.eiuperspectives.economist.com/simon-trace

 

Did you know?

‘that burning an open fire in your kitchen is like burning 400 cigarettes an hour”

Dr Kirk Smith – Professor of Global Environmental Health.

BE CHALLENGED AND BE INSPIRED

 

 

                                            

 

 

Scratch – Coding to learn!

Scratch – Coding to learn!

Scratch

Scratch is a click-drag-and-drop programming environment that is exceptional for introducing students to programming concepts via Windows and Mac OS X . Students can use Scratch to code their own interactive stories, games, and animations. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively, which are essential skills for society and the classroom.

Target year level:  Year 3-6 (Also recommended for high-school students)

Curriculum learning area: Digital Technologies

General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, ICT, Critical and Creative Thinking

Developed by: Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab

Why use scratch in your classroom? Scratch introduces students to programming without the daunting pressure of understanding coding/programming language. Beginners are often ‘put off’ when faced with errors in coding, as many programmers are quite abstruse in their language, however scratch aims to overcome this barrier by using a drag-and-drop technique that is readily available to young ages. Scratch uses visual programming language that can be used to construct games, presentations, tutorials, animations, interactive stories and more to create a conceptual understanding or digital materials.

About this resource: Scratch has provided a educational resource for teachers that provides a digital platform for teachers to engage in and share stories, experiences, resources and meet fellow educators via the Scratch Educator MeetupsNote: These meetups are USA centralized.  Scratch also provides teachers with an educator account to help manage classroom projects and student programs.

Links to other learning areas: 

  • Art – Drawing experimentation with colour
  • Mathematics – Plot, graph, demonstrate and application of mathematical concepts
  • Science – Simulation and experimentation
  • Languages – Simple quiz input/output, including the recording of sound for feedback
  • English – Develop a narrative, plot points, characters and actions
  • All learning areas – Demonstrate a deeper, conceptual understanding of fundamental ideas

Mitch Resnick – Computer Scientist

Mitch Resnick is the director of the Life Long Kindergarten Group and LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at MIT Media Lab. Resnick aims to engage students with technology, encouraging them to create and experiment using coding with digital resources. You can find more information about Mitch Resknick here: https://www.media.mit.edu/people/mres/overview/

Scratch program snapshots

Scratch interface home page

Scratch background editor

Scratch character script

Scratch game/ challenge programming code

Programming in Schools using Scratch: A CS4HS: Iterate Workshop by Bruce Fuda

Download this resource to view a complete written document that maps out the Scratch program layout and how you can download/use it in your classroom

 

 

LEGO Autobots, roll out!

Subject: Digital Technology

Year level: 3-6

Strand: Knowledge & Understanding and Processes & Production Skills

Sub-strand: Digital Systems, Investigating and Defining, Evaluating

Possible Curriculum Links:

Digital systems have components with basic functions and interactions that may be connected together to form networks which transmit different types of data (ACTDIK014)

Define a problem, and a set of sequenced steps, with users making decisions to create a solution for a given task

Develop collaborative criteria to evaluate and justify design processes and solutions

 

Link to the Resource:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

Critical and creative thinking

Personal and social capability

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Numeracy

Cross-curriculum links:

Mathematics

What is it:

Lego Mindstorms EV3 is a system that allows students to build, program and command which are easy and fun to used. The package comes with bricks, motors and sensors to create one of 17 types of robots that can shoot, drive, slam, crash and spin with control from a range of devices including smart phones and tablets. Students can also further program the robots with on computer coding program for more features. The robot can be deconstructed and formed into any of the other 16 models for more missions and actions.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/about-ev3

 

How to use it in the Classroom:

one example of how Lego Midstorms EV3 can be used in the classrooms is the students programming a robots to respond to the sense of touch through lights, sounds, colour and movement. the robot can be displayed in a public area, for example the front office or staff area, with a sign next to it “Do Not Touch”. The robot recorded data every time it was touched within a space of an hour. the students can then graph and analyse this raw data to investigate trends as well as self-control of adults.

Jessica Mann – A Healthy Lifestyle is a Good Lifestyle

FoodSwitch

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: Year 5

Strand: Digital Technologies – Processes and Production Skills

Sub-Strand: Collecting, Managing and Analysing Data – Collect, store and present different types of data for a specific purpose using software (ACTDIP016)

Accessing the App:

Cross-Curriculum Priorities:

  • Sustainability

General Capabilities:

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

Links to Other Learning Areas:

  • English
  • Numeracy
  • Health and Physical Education

How can an app lead us to a Healthier Future?

Bupa and The George Institute have created the app ‘FoodSwitch’. This app is used to help people find the healthiest brand for a desired food item. It helps individuals and families make healthier choices by giving alternatives (or ‘switches’) for different items based on the quantities of sugar, saturated fat, salt and kilojoules. It helps to take away the overwhelming feeling of reading food labels to decide which is the healthiest food by comparing the foods for you after simply scanning the products barcode!

How does the FoodSwitch app work?

  1. Download the app from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or from Google Play for FREE
  2. Once in the app, you can select the filter you would like. There is a generic FoodSwitch option as well as SaltSwitch, EnergySwitch, FatSwitch and SugarSwitch option. Each shows the healthier option (in a traffic light system or Health-Star rating way) listed first based on the nutritional value of the product scanned. GlutenSwitch is also a filter which shows gluten-free alternatives. *FILTER CAN BE CHANGED WHENEVER DESIRED

Image shows options of the filters on the FoodSwitch app

  1. After selecting a filter, under the scan button, you can scan any food products barcode. Alternatives are then given to this product (the different nutritional values are shown in a traffic light system or by the Health-Star ratings)

Image shows how products nutritional value is shown in a traffic light system. Seen below are healthy alternatives for the product scanned (healthiest at the top).

  1. As many items as desired can be scanned and all appear under the ‘Recents’ button
  2. Underneath the scanned product, alternative brands are listed  with healthier choices to ‘switch’ the scanned product with being listed at the top

FoodSwitch Benefits for Students:

  • Improves design thinking. Students are required to create an outcome (based on healthy food options) that will benefit people
  • Students are reading data (using mathematics knowledge)
  • Students can use it in a cooperative working group so learn how to work with others and take turns
  • Students can use the app at home to educate their own family on healthy food options
  • Students are learning a easy way to make healthy food options
  • Students understand how a healthy lifestyle is sustainable for their lives as an app as simple as this can be used to provide healthy alternatives

Classroom Activity using FoodSwitch:

This is an engaging way for students to increase their digital technologies knowledge while learning about healthy food alternatives. FoodSwitch can be used by students of all ages to promote healthy eating. This app encourages students to compare data and base judgements on this data. Younger students can use this app to simply compare the different nutritional areas of food products and decide which are healthier alternatives. Older students can use this app in conjunction with a case study. They can have information about a ‘family’ and use this app to scan different food products and decide which would be most beneficial and improve their ‘families’ health in necessary areas. This app can be used in individual, partner and group work settings and works with any tablet or iPad. Students can use knowledge they learn through this app to educate their own family about healthy eating and healthy food alternatives.

Further information:

Accessed on: http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/tools-and-apps/mobile-apps/foodswitch-app

*This app requires access to wifi*

 

Jessica Mann – Coding is the Future

Scratch Jr

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: Year One

Strand: Design and Technologies – Processes and Production Skills

Sub-Strand:

  • Creating Solutions by – Designing: Develop and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing, modelling and/or a sequence of written or spoken steps
  • Creating Solutions by – Collaborating and managing: Works independently, or with others when required, to safely create and share sequenced steps for solutions

Accessing the App:

  • Get on Google Play (Android)
  • Download from the App Store (iPad/iPhone)
  • Available at Amazon
  • Available in the Chrome Web Store
  • The app is FREE

Cross-Curriculum Priorities:

  • Sustainability
  • Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

General Capabilities:

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

Links to Other Learning Areas:

  • English
  • Mathematics

Why is Coding Important for Students?

Coding is important as students learn computer programming as well as how to solve problems and create their own projects with their own ideas. Using Scratch Jr. students have the opportunity to use their own creative juices in interactive stories and games. This app was created to suit younger children (5-7 years) cognitive, personal, social and emotional development.

Coding is a new type of literacy. It helps students express their own ideas and organise their thinking. They learn how to create and express through technology as well as learning how to solve problems and create design solutions, which are important life skills.

Coding involves students using their computational thinking. It requires them to use their thought processes in formulating a problem and expressing the solution.

Generic starting image on the Scratch Jr. app

How does the Scratch Jr. App Work?

  • Ultimately the app requires students to move and connect coding blocks. They control their characters actions within the designated area. The blocks are organised in colour-coded categories and they can control how many times an event occurs.
  • There are many different things that can be used, created and done on this app. Numbers, directions and letters can all be used. As a teacher, watching and attempting the tutorials and activities found on the Scratch Jr. website is beneficial in helping your abilities in teaching students how to effectively use this coding app. Help with this can be found at this link: https://www.scratchjr.org/teach.html#activities (flicking through the tabs – activities, curricula and assessment – is very beneficial and provides lots of guidance for great classroom use of the app).
  • For a step-by-step introduction video on how the app works access this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6XvwEH0xpg
  • Playing the introductory video on the Scratch Jr. site https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciWPaEgscr0&feature=youtu.be teaches students what to do. Have them work through it as the video plays and also give students free time to have a go at using and exploring the app.

Students working collaboratively on the Scratch Jr. app

Scratch Jr. Benefits for Students:

  • Learn how to solve problems
  • Learn how to create solutions to problems
  • Learn how to design their own projects using their own ideas
  • Get to creatively express themselves – creating their own stories and games
  • Makes abstract ideas real

Classroom Activity using Scratch Jr.:

The Scratch Jr. App is used with lower primary students (mainly used with 5-7 year olds). It can be used with older students if they have never experienced coding before as an introductory activity. Older students who are experienced with coding can use the full Scratch app or other coding apps such as Hopscotch that are available. Scratch Jr. can be used independently, in partners or in group situations. Students can use their knowledge from Mathematics lessons on directions to program their cat to move in certain ways or their knowledge from English lessons to program the cat to say different letters correctly when it is the appropriate time. Students can swap their Scratch Jr. programs with others (by swapping devices) and complete each others designs.

Student independently using the Scratch Jr. app

Further Information:

Additional information on the app can be accessed through this link: https://www.scratchjr.org/

Can connect with others on Twitter (@scratchjr)

Further activity videos for guidance can be accessed through this link: https://ase.tufts.edu/devtech/CSEdWeek2016.html

*App requires wifi to work*

 

 

Classroom Designs

What does your classroom look like?

Subject: Design and Technology

Year: 2

Strand: Process and Production

Sub-Strands: Designing

Content Descriptor:
ACTDEP006 – Generate, develop and record design ideas through describing, drawing and modelling
ACTDEP007 – Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions

Cross-Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:
Sustainability
-Numeracy
Critical and Creative thinking
-Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

Links to Other Learning Areas: Mathematics
ACMMG037 – Compare and order several shapes and objects based on length, area, volume and capacity using appropriate uniform informal units

Platform:
iPads
Website: http://classroom.4teachers.org

Overview:
This activity helps to develop students concept of designing a classroom using shapes to outline objects. The activity would be completed in a geometry lesson and looking at students recognition of shapes. Students will look at objects around the room and position them on their own template by incorporating various shapes to represent different objects. Once students have drawn their objects, they then need to use shapes in the website classroom architect to represent a layout of a classroom. The app allows you to print the final products to assist in assessment.

Roald Dahl

Marvellous Medicines Creations
Influenced by Roald Dahl’s, George’s Marvellous Medicine

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 2

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-Strand: Process and Production skills

Content Descriptors:
ACTDIP003– Collect, explore and sort data, and use digital systems to present the data creatively
ACTDIP004– Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems

Cross Curriculum Priorities 
-Sustainability

General Capabilities:
-Literacy
-Critical and Creative Thinking
-Information and communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Links to other Learning Areas – Literacy
ACELA1470 Understand the use of vocabulary about familiar and new topics and experiment with and begin to make conscious choices of vocabulary to suit audience and purpose

Can use on a:
– PC
– APPLE products such as MacBooks and Ipads
Digital devices must have word and or powerpoint (Which ever you chose)

Overview of activity:
The unit of work is based from the text: Roald Dahl: George’s Marvellous medicine.
Students will be developing the concept of informative texts throughout reading the text and ability to create their own marvellous medicine. Students will use multi modal representations to show the instructions on how to make a marvellous medicine that they have created. This unit of work integrates digital technologies and links with Language, giving students a broader context of literacy components including capital letters, commas and full stops; as well as writing instructions with appropriate audience in mind.

Become your own Virtual DJ

v8_2decks.jpg

Subject: Digital Technology

Year level: 5/6

Strand: Knowledge & Understanding and Processes & Production Skills

Sub-strand: Collecting, Managing & Analysing Data and Digital Systems

Possible Curriculum Links:

Collect, sort, interpret and visually present different types of data using software to manipulate data for a range of purposes (ACTDIP016)

Collect, store and present different types of data for a specific purpose using software (ACTDIP016)

Link to the Resource:

http://www.virtualdj.com

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

Critical and creative thinking

Personal and social capability

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Cross-curriculum links:

The Arts: Music

 

What is it:

Virtual DJ is a computer program that allows students to create their own music mixes or mix together already existing songs to create a new track. It allows students to experiment with speed, tempo, loops and crossfading. This program also enables the students to mix videos to go in addition with their music track including fading and transitions.

How to use it in the Classroom:

One example of how this program can be used in the classroom is to teach students about different way to represent data through sound. students would use the program to create an end product by mixing together existing sounds. this teaches students that sound is a type of data and that they are able to manipulate it. This shows their understanding that sound is made up of data.

 

Decoding code without touching a computer.

 

As a novice in the world of coding, I was looking for activities that made sense to me. Starting where most children start their learning journey, I went back to Foundation skills to look for inspiration.

To understand the abstract idea of something (a symbol) representing something else, I searched for concrete materials, to express the idea. What I found was a ‘decoder’.

This is a simple activity you can do with students to teach some basic principles of coding, without touching a computer :). A good confidence builder, children who believe they know nothing about coding, will be provided with opportunities to be successful. Strong links to History – decoders and deciphers were used, pre-computers, to communicate.

Subject:           Digital Technologies

Year Level:      4-5

 Strand:            Knowledge and understanding

Sub strand:      Representation of data

Data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)

Data is represented using codes (ACTDIK015)

Strand:              Processes and production skills

Sub strand:      Producing and implementing

Select, and safely use, appropriate components and equipment to make solutions

To incorporate the use of computers and digital technologies in this activity, children can be directed to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA’s website and engage with their online decoding games. The decoding games build on the same principle the children have just explored with their own handmade decoders.

The use of this resource extends and expands the children’s experience with coding in an historical and real world context.

 

Resource links.

 http://frugalfun4boys.com/2014/04/15/code-activity-kids-make-spy-decoder/

 https://www.teacherlists.com/blog/de-coding-coding/

http://igamemom.com/kids-activities-learn-coding-without-computer/

https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/games/break-the-code/code-1.html

General capabilities: Literacy, ICT, Numeracy, Critical & Creative thinking, Personal & Social capability

Links to other learning areas: History, Maths, Art

 

To make a decoder, you will need: 

School technology

  • Cardboard
  • Coloured pencils
  • Scissors
  • A compass
  • A pencil
  • A ruler
  • A paper fastener
  • A fine tip marker

 Step 1:  Cut out three circles per decoder out of cardboard.  You will need one that is 8cm in diameter, one that is 6cm in diameter, and one that is 4cm in diameter.   Note:  The size of the circles is very important!  If you change the size of the decoder, you will have to change the measurements for marking off the letter sections.

Detail is important in this step

 Step 2:  Colour your circles with coloured pencils, if desired.

 Step 3:  On the largest circle, make small pencil marks on the outside edge.  You should end up with 27 sections. Detail is important in this step! 

 Step 4:  Poke a hole through the center of the largest circle and the middle circle.  Attach them with the paper fastener.  The best way to find the middle of the circle is to use the compass. Then, use the ruler to draw a straight line from the paper fastener to each edge mark.  Again, detail is important.  You really want each of the sections to be equal in size, or your decoder will be difficult to use.

 Step 5:  Write the alphabet on the outside circle and put a ? in the 27th section.  For the middle circle, you can either write the alphabet in order or mix it up. Then add the smallest circle to the decoder.

 To write a message:

First, set the code.   There are several ways to set the code.

  1. Set the decoder where the “A” on the outside circle matches the first letter of the day of the week.
  2. Use a “code word” with each message and set the decoder where “A” on the red circle matches the first letter of the code word.
  3. Or, come up with your own system!

To write a message, find the letter you want on the outside (red) circle and write down the corresponding letter on the middle (blue) circle.

 To read a message, find the letter on the middle (blue) circle, and write down the corresponding letter from the outside (red) circle.

Have fun decoding 🙂

Kahoot

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: Years 1 – 6

Strand: Digital Technologies processes and production skills

Years 1- 2: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Share and publish information in a safe online environment, with known people (ACTDIP006)

Years 3-4: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Work independently, or collaboratively when required, create and communicate ideas and information safely (ACTDIP013)

Years 5-6:Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

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

Link to the resource: https://getkahoot.com/

Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Literacy (LIT)
  • Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT)
  • Personal and Social Capability (PSC)
  • Intercultural understanding

Links to other learning areas:

Kahoot can be incorporated in all learning areas including; Literacy, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Society and Environment, Religion and Science.

A classroom activity using this resource:

Kahoot! can quickly become a go-to for teachers looking for an engaging way to run checks for understanding, act as an assessment tool or act as a concluding lesson activity. This engaging, motivating and interactive resource allows students’ to develop their computational and critical thinking by analysing and organising data. This resource allows students to either collaborate with peers or work individually.

Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform, that makes learning fun and engaging for all subjects, languages, ages, abilities and on any device. This resource is used to create quizzes, class discussions or even surveys. Students are able to easily access the application by logging in with a specific game pin, generated by a teacher once they have created or selected a classroom quiz. Students have the opportunity to create their own quizzes which can also be shared (Kahoot, 2017).

I have seen this resource implemented within a classroom and I was extremely impressed with how engaged and motivated all students are when completing the task. Kahoot! created a social, fun and game-like learning environment for all.

How to use this resource:

 

Reference List

Kahoot! learn happy, learn loud (2017). Retrieved from https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works