Month: July 2017

Tickle
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Tickle

Subject: Digital Technologies

YearLevel: 3-4, 5-6

Links to other Learning Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, and Science

Links to Cross Curricular Priorities/ General Capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, ICT.

Platform: iPad App

Cost: Free

ACARA Links:

  • Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequence of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP019)
  • Implement simple digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching (decisions) and user input (ACTDIP011)
  • Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)
  • Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

What is it?

Tickle is a free app that enables you to program various programmable robots and air drones,  as well as supporting resources.

How is it used?

Tickle uses visual programming to enable you to control programmable robots including the Star Wars BB-8 Droid, Sphero (SPRK) robotic ball, Ollie 2-wheeled robot and the Dash and Dot robots. You can also control drones such as Parrot Rolling Spider, Airborne, and Jumping Sumo mini drones. Tickle enables you to connect multiple devices together so that they can interact with each other as well as create your own programs using the visual programming blocks in Orca.

 

Skills developed 

Create interactive games and stories

Coding

Computer language

Software knowledge

 

Want more information on Tickle?

https://tickleapp.com/

Scratch
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Scratch

Subject: Digital Technologies

YearLevel: 5-6

Links to other Learning Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, HASS and Science

Links to Cross Curricular Priorities/ General Capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and Creative Thinking, ICT.

Platform: Desktop/Laptop

Cost: Free

ACARALinks:

  • 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)
  • Acquire, store and validate different types of data, and use a range of software to interpret and visualise data to create information (ACTDIP016)
  • Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data(ACTDIK014)

What is it?

Scratch is a Coding program that can be used in the classroom, to teach the basics of coding computers, however can also progress into more difficult coding projects as well. Scratch can be used by students with varied levels of capabilities, and is a fantastic tool to use in a peer teaching situation.

How is it used?

The program is both an online program accessed through Google Chrome (or FireFox) and can also be downloaded as a program onto any Desktop/Laptop computer. Students learn to create codes to animate backgrounds, images and characters. The online version is fantastic, as it has tutorials for students (and teachers) of different levels of ability. The tutorials go through step-by-step processes in order to achieve the set out goal. The program allows users to create stories, games and animations. Scratch can be used as a platform for students to present assignments as well as create interactive quizzes and games to be shared with peers.

Skills developed 

Practicing using code

Problem solving skills

Learning the language of code

Software knowledge

Accessing Scratch 

https://scratch.mit.edu

The image to the right is an example of how students develop of code in order to create an animation.

Codingame
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Codingame

Subject: Digital Technology

Year Level: 6

Strands:Digital Technologies: Knowledge and Understanding and Process and Production skills

Sub strands:Investigate and Define and Representation and Production skills

ACARA Links 

Data is represented using codes (ACTDIK015)

Create and communicate information, including online collaborative projects, using agreed social, ethical and technical protocols (codes of conduct) (ACTDIP022)

Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities

Critical and creative thinking

Personal and social capability

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Literacy

Numeracy

Links to other learning areas

English

Mathematics

What is it?

Codingame is a program that allows students to improve their programming skills, while essentially playing a game! It allows students to develop a great base level understanding of coding with a lot a practice and turns their learning into a game. This program allows students to solve problems and learn new concepts while being motivated to learn more about how to code and program. Codingame is a great base tool for teachers to use to introduce students to coding and programming and building their digital technologies knowledge and skills.

How is it used?

Codingame can be used and accessed via the link to the resource. The program offers different options of how to play the game where they can participate in challenges and move through the levels of the game all while learning and developing their skills in pure code. The game can be scored, where the score is generated through how well the ‘code’ that the students have developed meets the specifics of the game.

Link to the resource

https://codingame.com/start

 

Skills developed

Practice pure code

Problem solving skills

Learn the language of code

Software knowledge

Image result for codingame

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Hour of Code

Subject: Technologies

Year Level: F-6

Strand: Digital Technologies

Sub-strand: Process and Production Skills

Resource: https://code.org

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Information and Communication Technology

Links to Other Learning Areas: English, Mathematics

The video below is one of many on the Code.org website, designed to introduce  and engage students in coding. In this video, sportsmen, founders of companies such as Facebook and Dropbox and other celebrities discuss the need for coding in schools and why it is so important for children to develop their abilities in coding in today’s society.

 

What is Hour of Code? 

Hour of Code is a fantastic coding resource available on the code.org website. This resource is a great introduction to coding for students. It is accessible on both computers and tablets. Hour of Code includes hour long tutorials for students, with the goal of introducing and engaging students in beginning coding.

In the Classroom:

Hour of Code is a fantastic resource for introducing students to coding. Code.org provides Hour of Code tutorials on a range of topics that will engage all students of different year levels and coding abilities. These different Hour of Code tutorials range from Moana, Minecraft, Star Wars, Flappy Bird, Hot Wheels, Ice Age and many more. Each hour long tutorial is designed to take students step by step through coding activities. Within these tutorials, there are videos to introduce students to the coding topic and instructions for students to begin coding. These tutorials are great for introducing students to coding and the terms used in coding. They are so much fun, students will love trying each different coding activity and will want to learn more! Once the tutorials are complete, students are given the opportunity to create a game or animation using some of the coding they practiced in the tutorials. These animations or games can then be shared between students and the whole class can see what each student created with their newfound coding knowledge. It also gives students a certificate at the completion of their Hour of Code. Hour of Code is great for beginners as well as more experienced coders and it is great fun.

Code.org is also a fantastic resource for teachers. It includes in depth tutorials for teachers, lesson plans, teaching points and professional learning experiences.