systems thinking

Wonder Workshop – The Home of Dash & Dot

dot dash1

Dash and Dot are introducing young students to robotics and coding. Schools around the world and here in Western Australia are using these cute little critters to revolutionise learning with a focus on STEM. Five free Apps are available for use on iPads and Android devices, with more Apps on the way! This fun and engaging curriculum would make a great investment for any school with students from Kindergarten to Year 5 able to use Dash and Dot with ease.

Today, we will be looking at Dash who has been described as a child’s first real robot friend. In this digital world, Dash is helping students to understand more about coding, to think creatively and critically, as well as to explore and learn for themselves how things around them work.

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Using the ‘Path’ App, students can plan, program and execute awesome adventures for Dash drawing on concepts fundamental to computational and systems thinking (“Path”, n.d.). Students learn:

  • Algorithm design
  • Command sequences
  • Control flow
  • Sensors and Events
  • Problem solving

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: Year 5

Strand: Processes and production skills

Sub strand: Digital Implementation

Content Descriptor: Design, follow and represent diagrammatically, a simple sequence of steps (algorithm), involving branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities: Literacy (LIT), Numeracy (NUM), Critical and creative thinking (CCT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Links to other learning areas: Maths

A classroom activity using this resource: Using Dash, students will design and sequence algorithms that include lights, sounds and moves. They will plan and consider the different locations that Dash will visit using a coordinate grid. Students will then problem solve the distances and movements required by Dash – forward and backwards, left to right – to travel successfully on the coordinate grid. They will also use systems thinking to find solutions to any problems they can not solve. (Eckstein, n.d.)

Links to the resource:

https://www.makewonder.com

Video Review:

(TTPM Toy Reviews, 2015)

How to use this resource:

This resource can be integrated successfully in several learning areas including the Arts, Science, Geography, Literacy and Numeracy. For example:

  1. Students can use their imagainations to write about the adventures of Dash and Dot.
  2. Students, Dash and Dot can also discover the countries of the world.
  3. Students can teach Dash and Dot to dance and make music.

Other considerations:

  • Whole school approach to coding which can be used in all year levels from K-5
  • A wide range of accessories to support different ages of students and their abilities
  • Five free Apps with more on the way
  • Teachers can access ready made and trailed lesson plans
  • Teachers share their lesson plans with others in the teacher portal
  • Strong links to STEM
  • Opportunities for students to move beyond substitution, augmentation and modification
  • Redefine student learning with access to the student portal in which students can participate in clubs, challenges and contribute their own work

References:

School Curriculum and Standards Authority [ACARA]. (2016) Digital Technologies. Retrieved from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/technologies/digital-technologies2

Eckstein, M. (n.d). Coordinate Moves with Dash. Retrieved from https://teachers.makewonder.com/lessons/coordinate-moves-with-dash

Path. (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.makewonder.com/apps/path

TTPM Toy Reviews. (2015, June 9). Path App from Wonder Workshop [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7ZrxtjsHKk













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Step into Wonderopolis!








Ways to Wonder – Wonderopolis.org from Wonderopolis on Vimeo.

Wonderopolis is a great online, fun and engaging learning environment that enables children to delve deeper and further explore their untouched imagination. This app provides answers for all wonders (no matter how small, BIG or ExTRrAOrdinAry they may be!) whilst allowing them to make countless discoveries along the way! The best part is… it is FREE!


Subject:  Digital Technologies


 Year Level: Foundation to Year 2


Strand: Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding


Sub strand: Exploring digital systems for a purpose and recognising how these digital systems represent a range of visual and hearing aids. 


2.1 Identify and use digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose.

2.2 Recognise and explore patterns in data and represent data as pictures, symbols and diagrams.


 Link to the resource:

http://wonderopolis.org/


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Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities:


Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT)


    

  • Pose factual and exploratory questions based on personal interests and experiences.
    • 

  • Asking how and why specific action and/or events occur.
    • 

  • Pose questions to identify and clarify issues, and compare information in their world.
    • 



Personal and Social Capabilities (PSC)


    

  • Identify and describe personal interests, skills and achievements and explain how these contribute to family and school life.
    • 

  • Reflect on what they have learnt about themselves from a range of experiences at home and school.
    • 

  • Work independently on routine tasks and experiment with strategies to complete other tasks where appropriate.
    • 

  • Identify cooperative behaviours in a range of group activities.
    • 

  • Practise individual and group decision making in situations such as class meetings and when working in pairs and small groups.
    • 



Information and Communication Technology (ICT)


    

  • Identify how ICT is used in learning environments.
    • 

  • Use ICT to identify record and classify textual and graphic information to show what is known and what needs to be investigated.
    • 

  • Locate a range of information from digital resources and explain the usefulness of located data and information.
    • 

  • Experiment with ICT as a creative tool to generate simple solutions/ answers to questions, modifications or data representations for particular audiences or purposes.
    • 

  • Identify the main components of common consumer ICT systems, their fundamental functions, and describe them using basic ICT terminology.
    • 

  • Saving and retrieving data; providing unique names for files; applying basic functions such as opening and dragging-and dropping files
    • 



Literacy (LIT)


Numeracy


Links to other learning areas:

English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, The Arts


A classroom activity using this resource:

From using this fun and engaging app, children not only develop their knowledge and understanding of digital technology, but they also develop their knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live in. A great way to apply this into a classroom setting is to have the students work with iPads or computers either individually, in small groups or as a whole class on the Interactive Whiteboard and come up with a range of ‘Wonders’. To find solutions to these ‘Wonders’ children work with digital technology to find the answers to their questions. Once answered,  they can record it on a worksheet which can be used to track their level of understanding or as something they refer back to if they are to represent their discoveries to share with others. Some of the topics may be too ‘detailed’ for the  younger years, so starting of with the ‘Zoo track’ or the ‘Amusement track’ would be a better option, as these topics would build on previous  knowledge. However, if they do want to explore some of the other tracks, there are some really great audio videos linked that cover the text in an easy-to-understand way.


How to use this resource


1. Go to the home page >  http://wonderopolis.org/ to find out the Wonder of the day and more!


2. Explore the App!



After finding answers to your Wonder and those of others, children can explore the App and complete interactive activities along the way such as; spin the wheel, quizzes, voting polls and join discussion boards to share your journey.


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3. Sign up to Camp Wonderopolis for free to start the journey to answers today!


4. After signing in begin the journey and pick a track. Watch the videos and read the text about each topic to help complete the activities provided.


5.  Track children’s progress with the topics Wonder Cards which are granted as they complete each level. These can be accessed in your individual profile.


6. Have fun!
















A new technologies curriculum for Australian Schools






Australian teachers now have a new technologies curriculum for foundation to year ten F-10. This curriculum draws together the subject areas of design and technology and digital technologies. It addresses is a need for all students to become more confident, creative users of technology. Technology is such a vital part of our daily lives and the business world. This new curriculum has two strands


1.) knowledge and understanding


2.)processes and production skills.


There is a focus on systems thinking considers  the interconnected layers or aspects of a whole system before looking at isolated elements. The key factor in systems thinking is that  an action or disruption in one part or element of a system will influence and impact on the other layers. This connects to the cross- curriculum theme of sustainability.


Design thinking and design processes have been introduced  to explore the processes and thinking strategies used by designers as they engage in creative practices. There is a focus on students being actively engaged in authentic design projects which link across all areas of the curriculum. I am looking forward to seeing your responses and how you tackle this complex area of technology in your teaching.