Kelvin Ware - s0133106

Monday, 18 May 2015

Assessment 1B

Assessment Task 1 - Part B

It's time again to reflect on what we have learnt over the past few weeks since looking at Digital Technologies. I have enjoyed participating in these few weeks more so than the first few weeks of Design Technologies. As the weeks went on, I could easily see the differences between them.

In the past few weeks the challenges I have participated in have allowed me to make connections to new terminology of computational thinking, algorithms and patterns and using basic code for computer programming.

I have taken part in the weekly activities and reflected on them throughout my blog. It surely has been an amazing learning experience and can see the importance of teaching this using the curriculum within my future classroom. I feel taking part in this course has given me lots of hands on experience and great useful resources (which I've saved in my favourites) to use when I'm teaching in a classroom.

By doing this and what I have learnt through Design Technologies in the initial few weeks I can see myself achieving the aims of the Australian Curriculum - Technologies subject within my future classroom.

Aims

investigate, design, plan, manage, create and evaluate solutions

are creative, innovative and enterprising when using traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies, and understand how technologies have developed over time

make informed and ethical decisions about the role, impact and use of technologies in the economy, environment and society for a sustainable future

engage confidently with and responsibly select and manipulate appropriate technologies − materials, data, systems, components, tools and equipment − when designing and creating solutions

critique, analyse and evaluate problems, needs or opportunities to identify and create solutions.

These aims are extended and complemented by specific aims for each Technologies subject.

However in saying this, I know that technologies are forever changing and so is the curriculum. Therefore I know my understanding and use of technologies within the classroom will forever grow and change as the years go on, which I am so excited about - just thinking what's imaginable in my many years of teaching ahead, excites me. It would be a great idea to continue using a blog to discuss what current technologies we are using right now within the classroom, and keep adding to it over my years of teaching. Then looking back in the future would be a great tool to have and use with my future students.

It scares me now to think about my children and the children of today, to what they are doing and learning in school is so different to what I learnt in school in the 90's. I can see how important this subject is and why its such a focus for our government to incorporate this across Australian schools - allowing students to work with the "global language" of the "digital age", which can't be done without great teachers in the schooling system which is why I am completing my degree to be one of these great teachers.

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority: Digital Technologies. (2015a). Aims. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/aims

Week 8 - Chapter 17 - Computer programming in the primary school

By Rory McGann and Aisling Leavy

We can all play games and communicate on social networks, but can we create a game, story or musical experience? To support understanding the role of programming in education, we read about various theoretical perspectives and case studies.

Theoretical perspectives of programming

Constructivist perspective- people construct new knowledge when they are actively engaged in constructing something meaningful - self directed learning- construction of new knowledge

Problematizing - means to wonder why things are, to inquire, to search for solutions and to resolve incongruities.

Research on programming environments : A focus on game design

Game design focus has been on developing programming skills, environments of interest to females and academic domains including science, history, maths and language.Creating game design supports the development of thinking, problem solving and reasoning.Creating an opportunity and advancement for self reflection.

Specific design environments : From Logo to Scratch

Logo became of interest in the 1970's and attempted to show the education system about the programming, however the education department didn't take interest in it. It was often thought that Logo programs were too difficult for pupils. Scratch was then developed which created a simpler way to understand the programs. Using scratch has been sought to be a positive learning experience.

Student teachers initial reactions to programming

Reflective blogs created showed the teachers were surprised of the different ways of learning and teaching. To have the ability to create different skills to develop and enhance both teachers and students learning by stepping out of their comfort zones.

Programming and the curriculum

Learning principles are common across many countries.Focusing on sense of wonder and curiosity, support in learning, collaboration. Using Scratch within the school systems create learning opportunities for mental workout and collaborative and cognitive skills.

Programming : implications for teaching

Programming in an educational environment, creates potential for learning affordances among the pupils.

Teaching and learning strategies

Attention to lesson structure and focusing on pupils prior knowledge and maintain student interest.to use effective pedagogies within their teaching. Resource technological equipment to help further the lesson, ie. interactive whiteboard, speakers or a laptop.

Classroom Management

For maximum success there is to be an adequate amount of teacher speaking, collaborative learning and structured tasks. Behaviour management is often mooted, and a good use of proper classroom pairing as well as activities allow for minimal disruption.

References

McGann, R., & Leavy, A. (Ed.). (2015). Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School (2nd ed.). Abingdon, Oxen: Routledge & New York, NY: Routledge

Week 8 - Angry Birds

This week we visited Hour of Code website and went into the Angry Birds Maze section. I really enjoyed participating in the activities as I love the game Angry Birds, it kept my attention as I made my way though the activities. I found this a fun and easy way to learn about code, and getting objects to move on the screen. I was able to understand the term algorithm and that I use this in my every day life, as I like to write lists. An algorithm is a set of simple steps to complete a problem or achieve some end. Eg - giving steps to a blind folded peer to reach the finishing line - one step forward, turn right, 5 steps forward, turn left, 2 steps forward etc.

The videos at each section made it really clear at what we would be learning next and allowed to user to focus on the new written coding, allowing the user to have clear understanding on what the code is doing by following every single step given. I was soon relieved to find out that short-cuts can be used so the same code wasn't needing to repeated each time.

I would consider using this in a Year 2 classroom and link it to the curriculum :-

Technologies / Digital Technologies / Foundation to Year 2 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills / ACTDIP004

Sunday, 3 May 2015

Week 7 - How the internet works

I really enjoyed watching the Youtube video on explaining how the internet works - getting to information you seek and showing it up on your screen. It's just amazing to think how fast it has gotten over the years from using dial up (I can still remember the beeping sounds it made, and that no one could use the phone when someone was connected) to now using ADSL and connecting wirelessly anywhere with our phones. Just so excited to see what new technology comes out next.

I would use this video in my classroom when discussing the internet and its technologies.

Week 7 - Visual Literacy

What is Visual Literacy?

Visual literacy is a term given to a variety of teaching methods that are used within the learning environment and includes the use of such items as pictures, drawings, photographs, concept maps, graphics, videos and multimedia.

Visual literacy has a positive role as a 21st century competency, developing creative problem solving and innovative thinking. When students and teachers brainstorm their ideas, they can consolidate the information into conceptual maps, timelines, graphs, list etc, allowing for strategies of reasoning processes such as classification, comparative thinking, analysis, evaluation and design thinking.

I have used visual literacies in my Kindy classroom for a number of years now - when we are sitting on the mat as a group and brainstorming a topic, we will use a concept map and have the main topic in the middle of the page or on the electronic white board - and gathering information from the children we will write all these around the topic with lines and the child's name so we remember who shared the info. This is a great tool for the kinders that they all enjoy participating in and see where it can take our learning. I know I can continue to use these visual literacies in my future classrooms as I already have hands on experience with using them and can see the benefits in incorporating visual literacies into our learning.

Week 7 - Digitial Computational thinking

We were asked to watched this Youtube video on Computational Thinking on the learn code website.

I found this video very helpful in explaining the different categories of computational thinking for us teachers. In my classroom we could watch this video first to get the students to understand the term and what the activity will entail. I feel using the monsters makes it a fun, but educative activity. Once the students show understanding of this, they could work in small groups and come up with their own activities for each group to participate in and complete the tasks required. We would then all come back as a whole class and have a final discussion on computational thinking, what we have learnt and how we can make use of it.

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Week 7 - Digital Learning Challenge: Algorithms - Abstraction

We have been asked to create an activity to decomposition.

By using Microsoft word to collect data on the class on eye colour. This will be collated by using the
developer tool. Firstly the questions must be asked and the variables worked out. In this activity the child's name and the eye colour will be the changing variable. Once we had a group discussion and written on the board of all possible eye colours, the students will write this into word and develop their two drop down menus of all students names and all possible eye colours. Once this is complete the students will go around making sure they have everyone and their eye colour chosen on the list. This activity could be done in small groups of 2-4 students allowing those that need an extra hand at completing this task is done in an collaborative way allowing thinking, discussions and evaluating to occur.

To take this activity further is then to use the information collected to create graphs - how many students have x amount of blue eyes etc. and could be shared up on the interactive white board.

I have chosen to link my activity to the curriculum through the :-

Years 3 and 4 Band Description

Learning in focuses on further developing understanding and skills in , such as categorising and outlining procedures; and developing an increasing awareness of how are used and could be used at home, in school and the local community.

Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Collect, access and present different types of using simple software to create information and solve problems

Elaborations

collecting, and sorting data through play, for example collecting data about favourite toys and sorting them into categories such as toys they like or dislike
locating and purposefully using visual or text data, for example searching through a digital photo library to select an image, taking into account cultural considerations such as awareness of appropriate use of images and audio recordings of deceased persons
exploring, imagining and comparing the usefulness of different data displays, for example jointly creating simple column graphs and picture graphs to represent different types of items
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
using digital systems to organise data to improve meaning, for example using word processing software to create a list of tasks or visualisation software to create a mind map (diagram) showing relationships between characters in a story
using common software to present data creatively, for example as a slideshow, movie, sounds, image, chart, word art, poster or drawing

Cross curricular links

Literacy

The particular elements of Literacy addressed by this content description

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing

Comprehend texts
Navigate, read and view learning area texts
Interpret and analyse learning area texts

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating

Compose texts
Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

Text knowledge

Use knowledge of text structures

Word Knowledge

Understand learning area vocabulary

For further information go to General Capabilities.

Numeracy

The particular elements of Numeracy addressed by this content description

Interpreting statistical information

Interpret data displays

For further information go to General Capabilities.

Information and communication technology capability

The particular elements of Information and communication technology capability addressed by this content description

Investigating with ICT

Define and plan information searches
Locate, generate and access data and information
Select and evaluate data and information

Creating with ICT

Generate ideas, plans and processes
Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

Managing and operating ICT

Select and use hardware and software
Manage digital data

For further information go to General Capabilities.

Critical and creative thinking

The particular elements of Critical and creative thinking addressed by this content description

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas

Identify and clarify information and ideas
Organise and process information

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions

Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
Consider alternatives
Seek solutions and put ideas into action

For further information go to General Capabilities.