Learning Technology Monthly Update #5
Year 1 have been learning how to use the laptop computers since the start of the term. They are making great progress in learning how to navigate using the keyboard and touchpad and to access simple web addresses. Over the coming weeks they will progress to learning how to move objects using drag and drop and to enter a simple password to access content. I am aware that some students do not have access to a laptop at home these days easily, but if they do then any practice of simple keyboard and mouse/touchpad skills are very useful for them.
It was fantastic seeing all the parents for the Year 2 sharing day last week. The children had worked hard on their animations about celebrations and were pleased to share them with you.
Over the coming weeks Year 2 will return to using the laptops and their Google accounts. We will be learning more around the presentation and organisation tools available to the students.
Year 3 have made some amazing creations over the last few weeks using the Micro:bit devices and some of the robotics equipment. We have not yet had chance for the students to test the completed fitness bands they created yet but will be doing that over the next 2 weeks.
Student’s in Year 3 have just started learning how to build 3D objects using TinkerCAD.com. This will be used to design and 3D print their own car that the students will be testing during their forces unit of inquiry.
Students in Year 4 have been learning to use the MakeBlock robotics equipment over the last few weeks to build their own inventions. They took this further to use Google Drawings to then design their own machine. We did not get time to build all of these but students created small elements of them (moving arms, motorised wheels, etc).
As the students are now starting a new unit around structures we will be looking at how we can work with cardboard to create strong structures. This will tie up with digital technology as we build simulations and models of our designs using 3D CAD software. The students will be creating a cardboard chair that can support their own weight.
Students in Year 5 took a bit of a break from their game and controller design work to learn about creating interactive display boards using Makey Makeys and how to create infographics using canva.com.
We are now back in the making stages of our game controllers. Students have been adding digital buttons, joysticks and other wiring to get them working. We will be finishing these over the next two weeks before opening our own arcade to allow others to play.
Year 6’s Living Museum this week was fantastic and showed some excellent uses of technology by some groups including VR, electronic buttons, scratch coding and animation. Over the coming weeks we will be introducing Year 6 to the Micro:bit microcontroller and learning how to code it to create wearable and portable devices.
