Knowledge is power. That's what they say. But knowledge without creation or application in a meaningful way, is merely useless facts and figures. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the acquisition of knowledge is a waste of time. I am a teacher after all. I place great value in the acquisition of knowledge. The point I am trying to make here is that knowledge really becomes powerful when it is used to create something and I think is what is driving the Maker Movement and STEAM programs in schools.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been running some rotations with the Year 6 students which aimed to give them experiences with electrical circuits before their STEAM unit next term. They involved rotations with littleBits, Makey-Makeys, Electric Brain Box Sets and a couple of related iPad apps. Its been a busy few weeks, but the students have enjoyed themselves immensely.
What are Little Bits? The official spiel....
littleBits makes an open source library of electronic modules that snap together with tiny magnets for prototyping, learning, and fun. littleBits consists of tiny circuit-boards with specific functions engineered to snap together with magnets. No soldering, no wiring, no programming, just snap together for prototyping, learning and fun. Simply combine the different littleBits together and start creating your own design made of sensors, motors, input and output modules
Introductory Lesson with Year 6
At the start of the lesson I provided the group with a bowl with a power (9V battery) and output (LED). I discussed the anatomy of a bit, before moving onto the four categories of bits:
We explored how bits joined together magnetically and from there I encouraged the students to connect their power and see if they could get their LED (output) to shine. Following student successes, I provided each with an pink input. Each student had a different type of switch. I instructed them to add it to their circuit. Some added it to the end of their circuit and discovered that it had no impact on their output, this being a valuable discussion point. We moved on to discuss the order of bits. I set the challenge of creating a circuit with multiple outputs and inputs to control them. The majority of students took a little time to work on this but were all successful in the end. Without much in the way of prior learning to base their explanations, the students made connections and constructed a pleasing understanding. We ended the lesson by testing how the REG LED could be adjusted with the tiny screwdrivers from the littleBits Library.
The images below were used to support the lesson in our Class Notebook, which I found on the Resources for Education on the littleBits website.
Sharing Learning with Class Dojo
In Australia, the ICT Capabilities were released prior to the Digital Technologies curriculum. Many teachers are confused by the purpose of the Digital Technologies subject area and how it differs to the ICT Capabilities. In this blog entry, I will discuss the aims of both and what makes them different.
The ICT Capabilities
Some content descriptors explicitly identify the inclusion of technology as essential, as can be seen in the Year 2 English example below. Other content descriptors identify the role of ICT as a potential way to enrich the content descriptor. An example of this is the example from Year 5 Science. Additionally, ICT presents a natural partner in the collection and representation of data in Mathematics. An example of this is also pictured below.
The Digital Technologies
Digital Technologies is the natural home for the ICT Capability BUT it is important to understand that the content area deals with the deeper concepts of technology. The ICT Capabilities are about using and working with technology, while the Digital Technologies is about understanding technology and developing a particular way of thinking.
The common misconception is that the Digital Technologies curriculum replaces the need for teachers to try and integrate technology into their classrooms. I would argue that it in fact will drive the role of technology in the classroom to new heights as our students become increasingly skilled and knowledgeable.
The Digital Technologies Hub is a fantastic resource for teachers getting started with the Digital Technologies subject. They have produced an excellent poster (shown below), which you can download here. It provides a clear comparison of the ICT Capabilities and the Digital Technologies subject area.
A lovely idea for Class Story on Class Dojo has come out of one of the classrooms of a late Class Dojo adopter. It is always pleasing as the Class Dojo Mentor to see people getting on board and having success. We now have all of our classes using Class Dojo on the Primary Campus.
This teacher has used Class Story to post his "Daily Recap". This is a great idea for combating the "What did you do at school today?" question parents often ask their children at the end of the school day.
I love how this idea makes learning transparent for parents but also how it makes students accountable for their own learning.
I'd love to hear about how other teachers are making use of Class Story. Please feel free to comment below!
The students at my school start working 1:1 with a device from Year 4. There is a lot to learn and this is big step for sure, but I strongly believe that the students are up to the challenge and can do amazing things when you put the skills in their hands.
I was so delighted to see this lovely example come out of a Year 4 Science Lesson this week. These students are only 8 and 9 years old! After learning how to add a picture and doing some work with tables in one of my Digital and Design Technologies lessons the previous week, the classroom teacher decided to go digital with her Science lesson this week. The students conducted a field study of erosion in the school grounds. They utilised the skills learnt previously and applied them to a new situation by creating a table of their observations and adding photographic evidence. The teacher was thrilled with what the students achieved and the ability to add pictures to their field study notes enhanced the activity for the students.
I have to say I was thrilled also. It is always pleasing knowing you are having an impact in your role, but also seeing the independent transfer and application of skills in another subject area - YAY!
This example of student work illustrates two points I want to make:
What is Kahoot and how do I use it?
Kahoot is a platform that allows you to create your own multi-choice quizzes, discussions or surveys. The way that students engage with Kahoot is social and interactive - a bit like a game show! Students can join the game from any device via the internet or via the app on iPad or android. They enter the game pin shown on the classroom screen. Once the teacher starts the game, students respond from their devices by pressing one of the four coloured buttons. The interaction is shown in real time with results displayed after each question. Points bring a fun competitive edge, but are done cleverly, only showing the top 5 participants in the class and not making someone feel bad for coming last.
If you are looking for a fun way to liven up the delivery of content in your classroom, I would highly recommend Kahoot. You can get started at https://getkahoot.com or find out more at https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works.
Six reasons to love Kahoot
Read all about my thoughts on teaching in the 21st Century, my experiences with technology in the classroom, running a Maker Space, launching STEAM and Design Thinking with students, coding, robotics and much more!
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