Wonder Workshop is WONDERFUL – see what I did there?
Inspiring the up and coming generation in using digital technologies can be a challenge at times, especially with maintaining attention. But Wonder Works provides colourful and engaging resources which develop students confidence and competency in using and manuvering their skills with digital technology.
Subject
Digital Technologies
Year Level
Foundation to Year Two
Strand
Knowledge and Understanding
Sub Strand
Recognise and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose
Resource Link
https://www.makewonder.com/play/ideas/
Price
Free resource information – price varies on suggest apps for lesson plan templates
Cross Curricular Capabilities
The resources suggest that these apps can assist in most learning areas as it is used to consolidate content specific learning which fosters play based learning.
For Example – Using Go App
English: – Literacy (Foundation – Year 2)
Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
Interpret and analyse learning area texts
Navigate, read and view learning area texts
Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
Word Knowledge
Understand learning area vocabulary
For example – Using Blockly
Math: Chance ( Year one and two)
Year One – Identify outcomes of familiar events involving chance and describe them using everyday language such as ‘will happen’, ‘won’t happen’ or ‘might happen’
justifying that some events are certain or impossible
Year Two – identify practical activities and everyday events that involve chance. Describe outcomes as ‘likely’ or ‘unlikely’ and identify some events as ‘certain’ or ‘impossible’
classifying a list of everyday events according to how likely they are to happen, using the language of chance, and explaining reasoning
Digital Technologies – Processes and Production Skills
Design and Technology – Processes and Production Skills
Content Descriptors:
Collect and present different types of data for a specific purpose using software (ACTDIP009)
Use simple visual programming environments that include a sequence of steps (algorithm) involving decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)
Define a sequence of steps to design a solution for a given task
Identify and choose the appropriate resources from a given set
Select, and safely use, appropriate components and equipment to make solutions
Use criteria to evaluate and justify simple design processes and solutions
Cross-Curricular Links:
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and Communicating Technology (ICT) Capability
Critical and Creative Thinking
Description:
This is a great resource for computational thinking. The app allows the user to program the games using simple commands. There are multiple puzzles that the user can manipulate and learn from.
Link to resource:
This resource can be downloaded on iTunes. More information can be found at http://www.robozzle.com/
Sub strand: Implement and use simple programming environments that include branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP020).
Link to the resource:
http://isleoftune.com
Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities:
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and Communication Technology Capability
Critical and Creative Thinking.
Links to other learning areas:
The Arts (Music)
A classroom activity using this resource:
This is a fun way for students to practice programming that includes repetitions.
This activity can be used to promote creative thinking, literacy and numeracy.
Isle of Tune is available as a web based tool or an app for mobile technology. It allows pupils to compose or recreate well know tunes in a fun way.
How to use Isle of Tunes:
Briefly…
1. Lay down some road
2. Add houses, plants or lamp posts along the road (or a combination)
3. Place a car on the road
4. Press Go. As the car drives past each element on the road it will make a rhythmic or melodic sound. At the end of the road, it turns around and plays your creation in retrograde 🙂
Description of resource:
This application allows students to take photos and put them together to form a video. It has the capability for manual or automatic photo capture, a grid so that objects in shot are placed appropriately and videos can be shared with social media or with online websites as well as onto the devices photo folder.
Video: This video explains the concept and shows the features of the app in an example stop motion video.
Year level/band level: all band levels F-2, 3-4, 5-6
Subject: Design Technology Strand: Processes and Production Skills Sub-strands and Content Descriptors: Generating and Producing
2.6 Visualise, generate, develop and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing and modeling
2.7 Use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions
Subject: Digital Technologies Strand: Knowledge and Understanding Sub-strands and Content Descriptors:Digital Systems
2.1 Identify and use digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose)
Strand: Processes and Production Skills Sub-strands and Content Descriptors: Collaborating and managing
2.6 Work with others to create and organise ideas and information using information systems, and share these in safe online environments
Cross Curricular Priorities and General Capabilities: This technology encourages students to learn about and use information and communication technology (ICT) as well as other general capabilities. Specifically this technology encourages Critical and Creating Thinking as well as Personal and Social Capability.
Using stop motion videos to convey ideas, explain concepts, show understanding and communicate ideas to problems encourages students act in ways that contribute to a sustainable future. In creating these videos, students are contributing to the wealth of knowledge and passing on information for future students to use.
Links to other learning areas:
English
Animating a story e.g. animating student’s own narrative writing, retelling a section from a novel, creating vidual representations of poetry etc.
Creating an instructional video- visualising a procedural text
Maths
Creating ‘How To’ videos to explain students own knowledge of a maths concept
Science
Explain a concept or illustrating a theory, such as how electricity works in a circuit or demonstrating the change of state when a liquid changes to a gas.
How it is useful to classroom:
In the past stop motion capture and production was too impractical for a classroom and educational context, however with freeapps like this stop motion one, it now very easy for students in the classroom to create their own photos and videos on a mobile device
Exciting way for students to engage with different learning areas and learn about the technology they are using to convey ideas and solutions to problems.
Teachers use this application as a helpful assessment tool when seeing how students are progressing through ideas. Once the video is made, teachers can go back and video the video again for assessment purposes.
Flexible and engaging for students to represent what they know- especially for students who are weaker in written or oral language or who are learning English as another language or dialect, they can show their knowledge and skills through the use of this technology and collaboration with others.
This application enables students to work together on their videos as a collaborative task – someone captures pictures while others plan future photos or move objects for the next photo as well as previous steps in the design process such as designing props or a storyboard.
It is easy to share videos safely online or onto a mobile device for sharing with the community. If parents, other classrooms or schools are connected by class blogs, videos can be posed online so students learning and creations can be viewed.
All Photos and Video are property of Finger Labs 2012
