digital technologies processes and skills

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Kudo Game Lab

koduYear Level: 5 – 6

Subject: Digital Technologies

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

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

  • planning and implementing a solution using a visual programming language, for example designing and creating a simple computer game involving decisions and repetitions, suitable for younger children, that requires user input to make selections, taking into account user responses
  • designing and creating a solution that is interactive, using a visual programming language, for example designing a user interface for people with disability, taking into account visibility and size of icons; or creating a quiz that provides feedback on response and allows the user to try again

 

Link to Resource

Download: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/download/details.aspx?id=10056

Information: http://www.kodugamelab.com/

Cross Curricular Priorities and General Capabilities:

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

Links to other learning areas:

  • English
  • Mathematics

Kodu is an interactive visual programming resource that provides its users with the opportunity to create games on any PC and Xbox device via a simplistic visual programming language system. Inspired by other online gaming programs, it’s unique programming model is simplified and is designed to be accessible by anyone. From young children to the extreme online gamers, everyone at any level is welcome and best of all, it is free!

Kodu can be included into any classroom environment and can be easily integrated into multiple aspects of the curriculum. Not only can it assist in the development of computing programming and gamming skills but can be used to teach creativity, problem solving and storytelling too.

Unique to its design, Kodu can be used to create a variety of different games for multiple purposes. Specifically within the classroom, Kodu can be used to plan, design and create a simple computer game, using visual programming language for people with a disability, taking into account visibility and size of icons, as well as sound and verbal cues.

Types of Games:

  • Adventure
  • Platform
  • Puzzle
  • Racing

How to use this resource:

Below is a series of images designed to assist you in getting started.
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System Requirements

In order to access and download Kodu, please ensure your computer or device is compatible with one of the following:

Operating Systems:

  • Windows 8 or 8.1 (Desktop mode)
  • Windows 7
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows XP (latest updates required)

Additional requirements:

  • A graphics card that supports DirectX 9.0c and Shader Model 2.0 or higher
  • .NET Framework 4.0 or higher
  • XNA Framework 4.0 Redistributable

Enjoy! Talia Townshend

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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.