Cybersmart Detectives!

Cybersmart Detectives!

Want to build young people into smart online detectives?

This is the place to begin!

Technology and specifically, social media, has increasingly become used by children as young as 6 (some even younger!) These children are aware that there is another universe out in the “twitter-sphere” Although this new world is incredibly exciting for our young generation, there are many safety aspects that are essential for students to be aware of.

Cybersmart Detectives

What is it?

Funded by the Australian Government, Cybersmart Detectives is an engaging online resource created for teachers to implement in the classroom. This resource reinforces the ideas on the personal safety and protective measures that students need to take when dealing with strangers online.

How is it used in the classroom?

This resource is an interactive half-hour activity that is based on an animation. Students are given ‘real world’ examples and are encouraged to ‘step into the shoes’ of a Cybersmart Detective. There are clues given throughout the exercise and students are required to use their deduction skills to make predictions, conclusions and problem solve along the way.

Additional Resources:

This resource provides teachers with a lesson plan, a guide with discussion questions and printable certificates for students once they have completed the task successfully.  A follow-up lesson is included along with a second activity Cybersmart Hero which discusses the position of a ‘bystander’ in an online bullying incident. This can be accessed here.



The ‘Nitty Gritty’

In alignment with the Australian Technologies curriculum:

Subject: Technologies

Year level: 3/4

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-strand: Processes and Production Skills

Plan, create and communicate ideas and information independently and with others, applying agreed ethical and social protocols. (ACTDIP013) 

Link to resource: 

https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/challenge/cybersmart-detectives

Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities: 

  • Literacy
  • Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding

Links to other learning areas: 

  • Literacy
  • ‘Personal, Social and Community Health’ – Health and Physical Ed.

 

Move The Turtle

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Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 1-5

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub Strands:  

  • Process and Production Skills

Content Descriptors Examples:

  • Use data to solve a simple task/problem (ACTDIP003)
  • Share and publish information in a safe online environment, with known people (ACTDIP006)
  • Use visually represented sequenced steps (algorithms), including steps with decisions made by the user (branching) (ACTDIP011)
  • Create a sequence of steps to solve a given task

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Links To Other Learning Areas:

  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • The Arts (Media Art)

Click here to visit the Move the Turtle webpage.

Platform: iOS (iPad, iPod and iPhone)

Cost: $2.99

Move The Turtle in the Classroom:

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Move the Turtle is a fun and engaging way to learn programming procedures. Each new level of achievement increases in difficulty and teaches a new command that directs the turtle to make a sound, draw a line, reach a star etc. It also has a free play ‘compose’ option which allows students to move the turtle however they want.

By completing the sequenced tasks, students learn:

  • How to plan complex activities composed of simple elements
  • How to reuse previously completed work
  • How to use graphics, spatial orientation and sound in programming

Gamestar Mechanic: Learning to Design Video Games

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Gamestar Mechanic

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 3-7

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub Strands:  

  • Digital Systems
  • Representations of Data

Content Descriptors:

  • Digital systems and peripheral devices are used for different purposes (ACTDIK007)
  • Different types of data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)
  • Digital systems have components with basic functions that may connect together to form networks which transmit data (ACTDIK014)
  • Data is represented using codes (ACTDIK015)

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

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

 

Links To Other Learning Areas:

  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • The Arts (Media Art)

Click here to visit the Gamestar Mechanic Website.

Platform: Web

Cost: $2 per student

Gamestar Mechanic in the Classroom:

Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 8.14.56 pmGamestar Mechanic is a game based digital learning resource designed to teach the guiding principles of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging and creative environment. Gamestar teaches students to design their own games by completing different self-paced quests while learning to build game levels. Gamestar Mechanics perfect for educators seeking to introduce designing or programming to students and there is no requirements for previous study in this area. Gamestar Mechanics was designed with the understanding that game design is an activity that allows learners to build technical, technological, artistic, cognitive, social, and linguistic skills suitable for the current and future world. Another benefit of using Gamestar Mechanics as a resource in the classroom, teachers do not need to be experts in game design. The resource comes with a curriculum that can be used to scaffold a class, with the teachers taking a role of guide and mentor. The lessons are designed to spur a range of interactions between students and the game, and students and each other. teachers serve as a facilitator for student discussion, reflection and ideation.

It has been designed to work in both formal and informal learning environments.

 

Click here to access the Gamestar Mechanic Teacher Pack.


 

Minecraft and Computational Thinking

Minecraft is interesting from lots of different perspectives. It is a familiar and engaging gaming platform where  kids can spend hours building and modifying virtual worlds. Whilst doing things that they consider to be entertainment they are inadvertently learning key computational thinking skills.
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What is Computational Thinking?

“Computational thinking is a way humans solve problems; it is not trying to get humans to think like computers. Computers are dull and boring; humans are clever and imaginative. We humans make computers exciting. Equipped with computing devices, we use our cleverness to tackle problems we would not dare take on before the age of computing and build systems with functionality limited only by our imaginations; ” Jeanette M Wing

Minecraft happens to be a fantastic sandbox game to explore computational thinking. Minecraft provides a platform in which 21st century literacy skills can be explored and developed to cater for the learning objectives in the Australian Technology Curriculum. Educators have the option to utilise the existing user interface or subscribe to the new and improved Minecraft:Education Edition which makes implementing this amazing learning tool into your existing curriculum as easy as clicking on a mouse.

Using Minecraft as an Educational Tool 

 Read on further to discover how Minecraft can address the four cornerstones of computation thinking and the lesson plans offered in the Minecraft: Education Edition!

Continue reading

Breaking down keyboard skills – e-learning

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: F-6

Strand: Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Sub strand: Digital Systems

Digital systems (hardware and software) are used everyday life and have specific features

Link to the resource

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/computer-skills/

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Literacy

Personal and social capabilities

ICT capabilities

Links to other learning areas

HASS

A classroom activity using this resource

This is a fun way to encourage our students to learn and practice their keyboard writing skills. Modules are related to their ability levels and interests which they may be learning in school e.g. space. From learning where to place their fingers, understand keyboard key location, how to create symbols or practice to increase their speed and accuracy on a keyboard. What makes these modules fun is that with these activities, students can explore with dinosaurs, ancient ruins or space, while practising their keyboarding skills by breaking them down into manageable concepts and tasks as well as following patterns of keyboarding. Students can begin as young as foundation to year 6 to gain the ability to use digital systems for their computer literacy skills.

How to use this resource

Computer time or digital technology lessons can sometimes seem limited with such a packed curriculum. Some schools only allow a class as little as an hour with digital technology such as the computer room, laptops or iPad. This resource only needs a maximum of 20 minutes, for students to practice their keyboard skills, in fun modules which are broken down into manageable tasks. Then teachers can go on with their planned lessons. To use this resource students’ can choose their own module based on their own keyboarding ability. All you, as the teacher, needs to do is monitor that they have chosen the best module for their ability. There are 25 stories and activities within 5 modules:

Module 1: Alphabetic keys

Module 2: Number and symbol keys

Module 3: Keyboarding mastery

Module 4: Increase speed and accuracy

Module 5: Practice and improvement

Sock Puppets

Sock Puppet

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: Year 3-4

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Sub strand: Digital Implementation

Link to resource:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sock-puppets/id394504903?mt=8

Cross Curriculum Priorities:

Can be used for all, (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, Sustainability),  depending on how this resource is used

General Capabilities:

Again, dependant on the use of the resource;

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding

Links to other learning areas:

  • English
  • Science
  • Mathematics
  • History
  • Health
  • Humanities and Social Science
  • The Arts

mzl_hhdmitxn_320x480-75                       amc-sock-puppets-radio

A classroom activity using this resource:

SockPuppets is an enjoyable and easy to use app which allows users to present their ideas through visual story telling. Children choose their characters, (sock puppets), backgrounds and props from the menu to create their own puppet show. Whilst recording a show, their own voices become the character voices and as they record their voices, the puppets move their mouths accordingly. There are options for animated and realistic puppets which can be moved around whilst speaking. Switch between puppets by pressing on each character and move props and puppets by simply dragging across the screen. There is also a setting which allows voice pitch to be altered.

The uses for this resource are endless!  Students can create shows to explain mathematical or scientific concepts, recount stories, retell stories from different points of view, make journal entries, tell jokes, explore emotions or even use to roleplay appropriate behaviour and online safety. Another great idea is to use this resource at the beginning of the year as a fun way for students to introduce themselves.

This app gives children a chance to reflect on learning and build on their vocabulary in a less intimidating way. It can be extremely helpful to those students who are not confident with public speaking and those less likely to contribute in a classroom setting. This resource also teaches social skills such as turn taking.

This resource can be adapted to cater for all years levels, particularly year 3-4. The learning can even be extended by having students edit their movies in an app such as iMovie. Another way to extend this activity is to have children create their own sock puppets and possibly film their own shows once their confidence has been built.

This is a free app available from the Apple App store, however you can also purchase SockPuppets+ for $3.99 which will give you access to more features and longer recording time. The latter also has options to import your own backgrounds, which would therefore extend the digital technology aspect.

 

How to use this resource:

  • Download app free from the Apple App Store
  • From the main menu, select ‘New’. If a file has already been saved, press ‘Open’)
  • On screen prompts will help to select puppets, background and props. Eyes will appear at the bottom of each chosen icon.
  • Once all items have been loaded, items can be dragged around the screen. To resize, simply pinch the images
  • A puppet will be selected when the red arrow appears above it. Press the record button at the top of the screen and the puppet’s mouth will automatically move as you speak. You can also re-record if you like.
  • Save a show by selecting the disc icon. This is also where you will have an option to share.

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Scratch

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Resource: Scratch

Site:  https://scratch.mit.edu/

Description: Scratch is a coding resource that is designed to be used by people of all ages, but is especially designed for children 8 to 16 years old. Scratch can be found in over 150 different countries and in over 40 languages.

Coding computer programs has become an important part of literacy in today’s society and children can learn essential strategies for problem solving, designing and communicating ideas when they learn to code with Scratch.

Scratch is a programming language that allows students to easily create interactive art, stories, games and the ability to share what they have created online with others.

Using Scratch, students are learning at all levels and cross-curriculum such a Maths, computer science, social studies and arts.

Teachers can also share experiences, exchange resources and ask questions on the ScratchEd website.

ScratchEd website: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/

A brief introduction to Scratch

Subject: Technologies

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub Strand: Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Yr 5-6 (This resource can be used from Yr 2-10)

Content Description: Generate, develop, communicate and document design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Critical and Creative thinking.

Links to other learning areas: The Arts, Science.

mit-scratch-18                                scratch-in-schools

Swifty: A Coding App for Students

Swifty logoAbout This Resource:

Swifty is an easily accessible app for iPhones and iPads that allows users to develop their coding skills and design their own apps. The app is the perfect choice for beginners getting used to the basics of coding by providing a multitude of quick tutorials that helps students move from simple to more complex tasks. Swifty is free to download and $3.99 to unlock all the chapters. Students can become fluent in programming and code language through putting figures into motion, designing their app layout, and applying these to a range of other learning areas such as creating models of volcano science experiments or a database of their information relating to the First Fleet and European Settlement in Australia.

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: 3-6

Strand: Digital Technologies

  • Knowledge and Understanding
  • Processes and Production

Sub Strands:

  • Digital Systems
  • Representation of Data
  • Collecting, Managing and Analysing Data
  • Digital Implementation
  • Creating Solutions by: Investigating and Defining, Designing, Producing and Implementing, Evaluating, Collaborating and Managing

Link to Resource: https://hellocode.io/swifty/

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities: Literacy (specific coding and programming language); Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability (understanding digital systems (iPad), procedures and computational thinking); Critical and Creative Thinking (problem solving, innovating and designing); Personal and Social Capability (project management, collaboration); Ethical Understanding (understanding safe procedures, complex issues associated with technology and consider possibilities).

Links to Other Learning Areas: Science, Technologies (Design), English, Maths, The Arts, Social Science.

Swifty can be used in conjunction to any primary school learning area as it contains a variety of tutorials that can be used in a range of contexts and the code flexibly adapted to suit specific tasks.

Suggested Classroom Activity:

Swifty1

Example of Swifty Coding Language

 

In a year 4 classroom context, Swifty can be used with a Social Science focus by having students display their researched information about James Cook and the journey of the First Fleet from England to Australia. Finding a way that is logical to them, students will have the opportunity to use their new digital skills to add images, link to relevant websites and sources, and design an easy-to-navigate app layout for this information for other users.

Hectors World

Hectors World

Hectors world

Name: Hectors World

Subject: Digital Technologies -> Interaction & Impact

Year Levels: F-2

Link to Resource: http://www.hectorsworld.com/island/index.html

This classroom resource was originally found via the Australian Governments Office of the Children’s eSafety Commission website:

https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/

 

Elaboration:

One of the key concepts to be developed in the Digital Technologies curriculum is ‘interaction and impact’. This concept focuses on all aspects of human interaction with and through information systems, and the enormous potential for positive and negative personal, social, ethical, and environmental impact of these systems.

While the use of this resource has been chosen to target F-2 students, it is capable of being extended to reaching year 5-6 students where ‘In Years 5 and 6, Digital Technologies content will provide opportunities for students to make critical judgments about the use of everyday digital information and digital systems, considering cyber safety and ethical issues’

 

 

Resource Description:

Hector’s World features high quality 2-D animation with fun and engaging characters. Children can observe the characters as they learn how to stay safe online.

The experiences of Hector the dolphin and his friends are designed to foster digital citizenship, offering children practical guidance on managing risks, cyberbullying and reinforcing the importance of safe and responsible online behaviour. The resources are divided into 3 key topics; Protecting personal information (including online privacy), Cyberbullying and Computer security (esecurity).

The computer security resources offer a foundation of basic computer security skills by introducing young children to topics like viruses and strong passwords.

 

cyberbullying

 

activities

Each Hector’s World episodes has a variety of support materials, lesson plans and classroom activities.

Resources include:

  • Lesson Plans & Character Flashcards
  • Storybooksteacher resources HW
  • Music Files & Song Sheets
  • Character Hats
  • Handouts & Posters
  • Webcam Covers: To help children stay safe online, Hector’s World has developed a webcam cover for children to use. This simple paper cover can prompt a valuable discussion between parent and child, or teacher and student, about what a webcam is and how to manage its use safely.

 

HW activity

An additional resource is the The Hector’s World Safety Button™:

  • The Hector’s World Safety Button™ is a child-activated safety tool which children can use if something on-screen upsets or worries them.

The Hector’s World Safety Button is a simple executable file which you can download here for free. The file installs a swimming Hector’s World™ character on the computer screen. A child can just click on Hector character, who then covers the screen with a beautiful underwater scene and gives the child a positive written message, while encouraging them to get adult help.

 

How to use this resource:

  • View the Hector’s World episodes with the class.
  • Use the lesson plans as a guide to enforce key learning objectives.
  • Use the online website workshops and downloadable Hector’s World learning activities to enhance the learning experience.
  • Install the Hector’s World Safety Button on classroom computers.

 

For the interactive website 3 Pathways to choose from:

 Hectors world feature page

  1. Tech Cave
  • The Tech Cave has animations that help develop digital literacy knowledge and skills. They explore questions such as:
  • How does the internet work?
  • How does a search engine work?
  1. Silicon Deep Kids (Various underwater interactive workshops)
  2. Info Island (for parents & teachers)

 

ACARA Links

Strand: Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Sub strand: Identify, use and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose (ACTDIK001)

 

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Sub strand:

  • Explore how people safely use common information systems to meet information, communication and recreation needs (ACTDIP005)

( e.g. digital literacy: critical literacy & communicating safely)

  • Work with others to create and organise ideas and information using information systems, and share these with known people in safe online environments (ACTDIP006)

(• e.g. personal and peer safety: safe social networking)

 

General Capabilities:

Information & communication technology capability (ICT):

          Students will develop personal online safety skills including;

  • ‘By the end of Year 2 students recognise the need to take care in sharing personal information (for example messaging only to people you know)’

Critical and creative thinking (CCT)

Information and communication technology (ICT) capability

Literacy

Personal & social capability

Ethical Understanding

 

Links to other Learning Areas:

The Arts (multimedia)

English

Civics and Citizenship (Linked as per Australian Government website)

Student diversity:

  • Students with disability (Transcript available for students with a hearing disability)
  • Gifted and talented students (Advanced reading activities for ‘confident readers’)

Discoveryeducation

Here are a couple websites that I have actually used in a year 5 class last year during my practicum. I found them very useful and makes planning a lesson much easier. I would suggest that these resources be used for upper primary years.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com – I love this website and everything in it. I used it almost for all of my lessons on technology and science. It lets you create puzzles for those that require more challenges, gives you access to hundreds of worksheets and new and exciting games. Due to it being an international website, you get lessons from around the world.

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk – My mentor teacher was originally from the UK and used sparkle box a lot. It really makes what the objective is clear and concise. It also inspired me on lessons and activities that the students would like.

Apart from these websites I also used the Australian Curriculum to create my own worksheets and resources which were adapted to the students needs and demands.

Here is a lessons that I used to introduce the topic to my class by using one of the websites.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/technology-at-work.cfm

Year Level: 5

Time: 45 minutes

Materials:

  • A3 paper for each group.
  • blackboard/whiteboard
  • blutak

We had started looking at space, the planets and rockets. The year 9’s at the same school had just made rockets and we had watched them launch them. I was going to follow up this lesson by getting them thinking about what you may need to build a rocket and how they may build one out of the materials we had (cardboard, tape, newspaper, etc.) and follow that up with actually building them. However, I firstly needed them to think of technology and what that means.

Like the lesson on the website, I divided the class into their table groups and got them to think of ten modern technologies and write them down, I had given them 5 minutes. The then had 10 minutes to research them. (each student had their own Ipad from home, if they didn’t, there was a set of about 10 class Ipads). They also had to write a short description, cut out their blurb and sort them into chronological order.

After that we came back as a class and decided which ones were going onto our class timeline on the board. Together the class then was able to notice how far technology has come.

Students found it very exciting to think of technologies that their peers wouldn’t think off and were eager to learn about different technologies and who created them and when they were invented. Students were also taking the initiative to actually see how they worked. This allowed students to also realised how and why technology work and how it is incorporated into our everyday lives.