Geography

Mamas codes – Explore. Create. Code

MAMA CODES- Explore. Create. Code

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level- F- 2 (Ages 3-7)

Strand: Processes and Production Skills-  Follow, describe, represent a sequence of steps needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)

Strand: Knowledge and Understanding- Recognise and explore digital systems (ACTDIK001).

Mama codes is a fantastic free online resource for the early childhood learning setting!! The site provides an opportunity for the students to dive into coding that is fun, enjoyable and educational. Through songs, rhymes, stories and history, the students are presented with a digital technology website which can be accessed through a computer, laptop or iPad. Bursting with patterns, computer codes, sequencing and mapping, this resource makes learning fun!

Link to resource: mama.codes/

Links to other learning areas: History, Geography, Literacy, Science,

Maths.

How to use this free resource:

Log onto mama.codes/ 

Click the button dive in!. This will then take the participants to the websites gallery.

Here the teacher or students decide which of the following area to commence coding:

  • Songs
  • Jokes
  • Nature
  • Poems
  • Rhymes
  • Stories
  • Histories
  • Travel

 

 

This caters for range of interests and preferences. The website contains plenty of animations, videos and information for the students to grasp the introductory concept of coding.

Natasa Jovanovic

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Kahoot

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: Years 1 – 6

Strand: Digital Technologies processes and production skills

Years 1- 2: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Share and publish information in a safe online environment, with known people (ACTDIP006)

Years 3-4: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Work independently, or collaboratively when required, create and communicate ideas and information safely (ACTDIP013)

Years 5-6:Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

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

Link to the resource: https://getkahoot.com/

Cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities:

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Literacy (LIT)
  • Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT)
  • Personal and Social Capability (PSC)
  • Intercultural understanding

Links to other learning areas:

Kahoot can be incorporated in all learning areas including; Literacy, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Society and Environment, Religion and Science.

A classroom activity using this resource:

Kahoot! can quickly become a go-to for teachers looking for an engaging way to run checks for understanding, act as an assessment tool or act as a concluding lesson activity. This engaging, motivating and interactive resource allows students’ to develop their computational and critical thinking by analysing and organising data. This resource allows students to either collaborate with peers or work individually.

Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform, that makes learning fun and engaging for all subjects, languages, ages, abilities and on any device. This resource is used to create quizzes, class discussions or even surveys. Students are able to easily access the application by logging in with a specific game pin, generated by a teacher once they have created or selected a classroom quiz. Students have the opportunity to create their own quizzes which can also be shared (Kahoot, 2017).

I have seen this resource implemented within a classroom and I was extremely impressed with how engaged and motivated all students are when completing the task. Kahoot! created a social, fun and game-like learning environment for all.

How to use this resource:

 

Reference List

Kahoot! learn happy, learn loud (2017). Retrieved from https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works

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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 →

Wonder Workshop – The Home of Dash & Dot

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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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Book Creator® app for iPad






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Subject:  Technologies


Strand: Digital Technologies


Year Level: 2 – 6


Platforms: iPad


Description: Book Creator by Red Jumper is a fantastic and easy way to create and publish wonderful ebooks from your iPad. Book Creator allows students to create and publish a variety of books including story books, journals, photo books, text books, comic books, children’s picture books and many more. The app is highly engaging and allows students across all year levels to publish work they have produced in any subject area such as English, Science, HASS and The Arts. Students can work individually or collaboratively in small groups to create different types of books. The app can even be used to produce a teacher led whole class project/unit of work. By publishing their work into different book styles, students are able to share their books as digital resources with other students in their class and throughout the school. They are even able to publish their books to the iBooks Store!


**Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award  **THE No.1 Book app for the iPad in 80 countries **Voted Best Educational App in the 2015 BETT Awards.


Features: The app has a huge variety of features that are appropriate for all ages and provide students with the opportunity to produce books to a high standard. Features include: Over 50 font options, upload photos and images from the web, iPad or iPad camera, add music, video and voice recording (narration), choose from a variety of book sizes and layouts, page turning animations, background music, built in dictionary and bookmarks.


How to / Resource Links:


Book Creator® for iPad – Introduction:




    

  • Tutorial – Creating a book using Book Creator:
    • 





    

  • Creating a Comic Book – example:
    • 







Learning Area Structure (Year 2 – 6): 


Knowledge and Understanding


    

  • Digital systems

      

    • the components of digital systems: hardware, software and networks and their use
      • 

    

    Representation of data
    

      

    • how data are represented and structured symbolically
      • 

    

    • 



Processes and Production Skills


    

  • Collecting, managing and analysing data. Creating digital solutions by:

      

    • investigating and defining
      • 

    • generating and designing
      • 

    • producing and implementing
      • 

    • evaluating
      • 

    • collaborating and managing
      • 

    

    • 



Sub-strands and Content Descriptors (From Year 2 – 6):  http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/curriculum/f-10?layout=1


References:


Book Creator®. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.redjumper.net/bookcreator/


Book Creator® Videos. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/user/bookcreatorapp/videos


Technologies Curriculum Learning Area Structure. (2016). Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/structure


Find App Here:


Apple iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/book-creator-for-ipad-create/id442378070?mt=8












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Minecraft- creative mode






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Minecraft- Creative mode


Subject:


Digital technologies


Year Level:


1-6


Strand:


Processes and production skills


Sub strand: 


Designing


Content descriptor:


Design a user interface for a digital system, generating and considering alternative design (ACTDIP018)


Link to the resource:


https://minecraft.net/ -To access the full program you will have to pay.


Cross curriculum priories and general capabilities:


Can be linked to sustainability because you have


Literacy, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Critical and creative thinking (CCT).


Links to other learning areas:


English, science, geography


How to use this resource:


Minecraft is an interactive video game where the players main aim is to break and place blocks around a imaginative and expansive world. Players can create many different elements (such as wood, concrete, cobblestone, diamond…the list goes on.) You can use minecraft for many different reasons, and the design opportunities are endless, especially when on creative mode (for on survival mode there are nocturnal monsters that try to attack you.) Minecraft encourages children to create and craft many different things and influences design and technological skills.


A classroom activity using this resource:


Although video games often have connotations that imply they are not educationally beneficial, Minecraft allows students to think creatively and design an infinite array of structures, elements and landscapes. For the purpose of this program, students have to design their own video game tutorial. The user interface within this activity is based around the students capabilities to design and complete objectives they have set within the minecraft world.


The students will work on it once a week for a term and it could be an evaluative assessment, it could link to literacy as they could complete a fictional story that correlates with the activities that happen in their designed tutorial.












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Google Maps






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Name: Google Maps


Subject: Digital Technologies- interactions and impact


Resource Link: https://www.google.com.au/maps/search/maps/@-31.9934583,115.7532729,12z/data=!3m1!4b1


Description: 


Google Maps is a sub-program created by Google which enables users to view a map of any mapped area in the world. Commonly used asa navigation tool, the maps allow roads, parks, facilities, and other structures to be viewed in different formats.


The map function gives the user a basic understanding of where structures and facilities are, whilst focusing on the roads and routes of the area. Main roads are highlighted as yellow, smaller roads and back roads are white, and major highways are a bright orange. All these are on a mostly grey background with only rivers and lakes (blue) and parks and reserves (green) a noticeably different colour. [seen below]


acf-google-maps-field-2


The earth function gives the viewer the same area in a real-life perspective where individual houses, backyards, and structural detail (from bird’s-eye point of view) can be seen as exact as when the picture was taken.


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Both functions show suburbs and major street names identified as well as noticeable landmarks and emergency services and entertainment facilities. The program has a zoom tool and an on-the-street visual (street view) tool that gives still pictures of the surrounding street where the tool is placed.


images


How to use this resource in an educational setting:


This resource, whilst seemingly only relevant to driver’s and adults, is a highly effective tool for teaching. I personally have used this tool several times in a rage of years to give students a varied perspective of their world, allow them control in mapping out journeys and developing their organisation skills, in a mathematical sense referring to scale and efficiency with time/distance knowledge.


In the lower years, once a basic knowledge has been established, this can be a great way of introducing students to their world and beginning discussions regarding building and construction (how did those buildings get there?), planning and design (do you think houses can be built just anywhere?), and redefining the students’ understanding of the world beyond their world.


In the higher years, this resource can be used effectively to assist in mathematical and literacy lessons where students explore a realistic representation of their surroundings. I have personally discovered that at any age, once the student has realised they are looking at a real picture of their (or someone else city) they become very interested and engaged with the learning.


Finally this resource can be used to foster independence, especially in the higher years (5 and 6) where students may have to or already be travelling to and from school using public transport. Planning their own excursions and trips, even as a fictional endeavour, can lead to a unique appreciation for the responsibilities required to master the planning process.


In short, this is a somewhat deceptive resource that can actually be used as a highly interactive and interesting classroom assist!


SCASA links:


Strand– Knowledge and Understanding


Sub– Digital Systems


Digital systems have components with basic functions that may connect together to form networks which transmit data (ACTDIK014)


Strand- Processes and Production Skills


Sub– Digital Implementation


Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)


General Capabilities in ICT:


Literacy


Numeracy


Information Communication Technology (ICT)


Critical and Creative Thinking


Links to Other Learning Areas:


Mathematics


English


HASS- Geography


 












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Toontastic






untitled3Subject: Digital Technologies


Year Level: Year 3-4


Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills


Sub strand: Digital Implementation; Creating digital solutions by defining, designing, implementing, evaluating


Link to resource:


https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/toontastic/id404693282?mt=8


Cross Curriculum Priorities:


    

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
    • 

  • Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
    • 

  • Sustainability
    • 



General Capabilities:


    

  • Literacy
    • 

  • Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
    • 

  • Critical and creative thinking
    • 

  • Personal and social capability
    • 

  • Ethical understanding
    • 



Links to other learning areas:


    

  • Literacy
    • 

  • History
    • 

  • Health
    • 

  • Humanities and Social Science
    • 

  • The Arts
    • 



A classroom activity using this resource:


This resource is reminiscent of a digital version of playing with dolls or action figures. Children are taught to sequence with this user friendly, story telling app. Not only is this app aesthetically pleasing but it is a great way for children to be creative and let their imaginations run wild whilst being engagingly educated. Students start with a story planner, which is called a ‘Story Arc’. This makes it necessary for students to plan before commencing their oral narrative. The planner includes setup, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution. A narrator will then guide them through creating a scene, adding animation and music. There is also an option to draw your own animated characters.  It is worth noting that the flow of the Story Arc can be changed if need be, as well as an option to add one extra frame anywhere in the story.


In this bridge between formal and informal learning, children are given a creative way to express themselves. Vocabulary is built, as language skills are developed. There is also a teaching point when choosing background music, as this is based on emotions. Another lesson could stem from this activity as to why music changes for differing moods, asking how we know what a character feels based on the tempo of a song. Learning can be extended by having them edit their animations in an app such as iMovie.


Videos can then be shared via email, or through an in-app feature called ‘ToonTube’. This feature allows students to share videos around the world by selecting a location from a 3D globe. Children can also scroll the globe to view cartoons created from others to learn about their worlds or teach those about theirs. This is a great way for collaborative learning to take place; not only from peers and students’ own creations but others around the world as well. Be sure to cover online safety and information sharing online before this step.


This interactive app is available free from the Apple App Store. There are options to purchase more features.




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How to use this resource:


    

  • Select ‘Create Cartoon’ then ‘New Cartoon’
    • 

  • A narrator will then explain the concept of the ‘Story Arc’, (this can be skipped after first use of the app)
    • 

  • An extra frame can be added by pressing + , (although you are still only limited to six frames in total)
    • 

  • Select ‘Setup’ and begin to choose a background
    • 

  • Select the arrow in the top right hand corner of the screen to continue
    • 

  • Select or create characters, then press the arrow
    • 

  • Select “Start Animation”. The app will then countdown from 3 before you beginning to record voices. Characters can be dragged around the screen whilst recording.
    • 

  • Select “Stop Animation” for an instant replay of the recording. Scenes can be re-recorded
    • 

  • Select the arrow and choose music based on emotion/mood
    • 

  • Repeat steps for each scene
    • 















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AURASMA: Augmented Reality in the Classroom






Aurasma Subject:  Aurasma

 Aurasma is a software tool to create an augmented reality. Using the location and visual recognition features of a smart device (smart phone or tablet) users can detect auras tagged to real world items. These auras can contain additional visual or audio content that is available to enhance or augment the viewing experience.


Examples of real world use and instructional video content are provided on the Aurasma website. My experience in a year 4 class is that students quickly engaged with learning tasks knowing that their end product would include an Aurasma presentation explaining it to peers, parents and Administration.


Year Level:      Year 4 (Applicable students from year 3 on)


Strand:           Digital Technologies


Sub strand:


Knowledge and understanding

Digital systems … are used for different purposes and can store and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

Different types of data, and the same data, can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008)


Processes and production skills

Collect and present different types of data for a specific purpose using software (ACTDIP009)

Work with others to create and communicate ideas and information … using agreed protocols (ACTDIP013)


Link to the resource


https://www.aurasma.com/   Get app at iTunes or Google Play (Cost:  Free)


Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities


Numeracy, ICT capacity, Critical & creative thinking, Literacy, Personal & social capacity


Links to other learning areas


English, History & Social Sciences, Science, The Arts, Health & Physical Education


How to use this resource


Teacher use of Aurasma:  In the education context, this tool could be used by the teacher to provide students with additional information, perhaps rewarding students as they complete a scavenger hunt activity around the classroom. Likewise, information concerning works of art, the artists and the social context could be displayed as an aura during a gallery tour.


Student use of Aurasma:  More excitingly, students could create their own Aurasma presentations, to present explanations of the planning and execution process of a work of art, a science activity or other type of work. The aura could show images or video of the task in progress, and include an explanation of the real world problem and the solution they have created for it.  Alternate presentations even of the same problem and solution would effectively demonstrate how this information could be presented in different ways.


Resources


How to build an Aura with Aurasma in under 60 Seconds:

Aurasma Computer

Augmented Reality in Education:

Shaw Wood Primary School uses Aurasma: 


SWPS Sign











Educreations – App for iPad








Subject: Digital Technologies


Year Levels: F-2


Strand: Processes and Production Skills


Sub-Strand: Present data of any kind using a variety of digital tools (ACTDIP003)


Elaboration: Exploring and creating graphs to represent classroom data, for example collecting data on the country of birth of each student and presenting the results as a picture graph.


Where to locate the resource: App store


General Capabilities: Literacy, Numeracy, Information and Communication Technology Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking


Links to other learning areas: Literacy, Numeracy, The Arts, Science, Geography, History


Resource Description:


Educreations can be used on devices such as an iPad or Interactive Whiteboard. It is simple and fun to use for a variety of age groups.  You are able to; annotate, animate and narrate an idea or concept. Teachers are able to create instructional videos to share with students and vice versa.  Students may use Educreations to show their teacher what they know about a subject or simply to teach a friend how to do something. This will enable teachers to use this app as an assessment tool in various subjects and then keep a record of it on their own online Educreations account which will be available at all times. The Educreations can then be shared via link, email or even embedded in your classroom blog. It is a great resource for classroom teachers.