critical thinking

Cato’s Hike: A Programming Adventure
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Cato’s Hike: A Programming Adventure

Cato’s Hike unlocks the hidden programmer in students of all ages by allowing them to use a range of programming commands to take their character on an adventure.  These commands range from beginner level commands such as; walk, jump or turn, to more advanced commands such as; loops, go-to , if/then, branches, and chaining. 

About Cato’s Hike

Cost: $7.99 or explore Cato’s Hike Lite FREE

Cato’s Hike is a visually appealing application centred around a little character (Cato) who cannot take steps and actions on his own. The purpose of this app is for students (or any users) to use basic programming skills to direct Cato on his hike and to help him overcome obstacles. It teaches children the fundamentals of programming and how to think about solving complex problems in such a simple way. The game begins with 12 clear step by step tutorials to teach the users programming techniques such as walking, jumping and turning, progressing on to the more complex techniques such as loops, branches and chaining. Children can then complete up to 60 current levels, ranging from beginners to more advanced levels. Each of these levels teaches new concepts about programming in such a way that children will not even know they are learning.

Some other features:

  • Colourful and clear designed ‘cards’ to use for programming
  • Visual manual for parents/teachers
  • Map editor to create your own maps and puzzles
  • Email puzzle solutions to share with others
  • Sound effects and music

Here is a short clip of the character following a programmed sequence:

Subject: Technologies
Strand: Digital Technologies
Substrand: Processes and production skills

Content descriptors

F-1: Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)

3-4: Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequenceof steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them (ACTDIP010)

Implement simple digital solutions as visual programs with algorithms involving branching (decisions) and user input (ACTDIP011)

5-6: 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)

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

Links to other learning areas

  • English
  • Mathematics

Application Link

Cato’s Hike-
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/catos-hike-programming-logic/id574335479?mt=8 

Cato’s Hike Lite FREE-
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/catos-hike-lite-programming/id580699267?mt=8 

 

 

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Creaza

 Suite

Resource name: Creaza

About resource:
A digital resource tool which enables students to work with subjects and topics through the creation of mind maps, presentations, comic strips, movies and audio productions (Creaza, 2015).

Creaza is able to engage students in a variety of ways by improving their learning in creativity, collaboration skills, critical thinking and communication, making it both a social, yet rich learning experience for the students. There are four main applications that can be explored on this tool:

  1.  a cartoonist
  2. movie editor
  3. audio editor
  4. mindomo. ‘

This resource could be effectively used across all year levels, and in all learning areas.  Although Creaza is yet to be well known in Australia, it is one of Europe’s top 20 fastest growing and most innovative E-learning tools (Creaza, 2015). I would definitely incorporate this tool into my classroom as it will allow students to learn and explore multiple concepts and ideas in one organised place, on their laptops or iPads.

Subject:  This learning tool can be used in both the Design Technologies and Digital Technologies Curriculum. The classroom activity below focuses on using the Design Technology curriculum.

Year Level:  Can be used across all year levels. (Classroom activity below focuses on Years F-2

Strand: Design Technologies processes and production skills

Sub Strand:  Generating, developing and evaluating ideas (Content descriptor, 2.6) Visualise, generate, develop, evaluate, communicate and design ideas through a range of media including digital technologies.

Link to resource: http://www.creaza-blog.com/

General Capabilities:  The general capabilities that are expected and developed through the use of this tool include; Literacy (LIT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Critical and Creative thinking (CCT).

Link to other learning areas:  The below activity is linked to the Year 2 English Curriculum, using the content descriptor – Create events and characters using different media that develop key events and characters from literary texts (ACELT1593). (Australian Curriculum, 2014).

As mentioned above, several learning area could be used in conjunction with those from the Design and Digital technologies Curriculum when using this fantastic E-learning resource!

CartoonThemesClassroom Activity: The classroom activity that I would conduct using the Creaza tool would be to recreate a fiction text using the cartoon application which is one of the four features available on Creaza. The cartoon which the students will develop will be based around a story or piece of literature that has been read and studied during literacy lessons such as the classic folklore story of The Three Little Pigs. The students will have the opportunity to use comprehension skills, critical thinking as well as creative thinking to generate, develop and communicate their form of the story using this engaging interactive tool. Students will have to follow a process and use skills such a designing characters, the setting and the plot to plan this task.