Ngā Matapakinga | Discussion

Technology Online has hosted another great presentation, where primary teacher and STEM specialist Sarah Washbrooke shares how she makes connections locally across her community to find authentic ways to integrate both Computational Thinking and Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes. Well worth viewing and sharing.

Download the slides: Local curriculum projects and digital technologies (PDF, 3 MB) Taken from Technology Online

Integration has to be the key - it cannot stand alone as the timetable is already bursting full.  

A plan is needed to ensure there is professional development wrapped around to meet the depth of knowledge required.

I'm a mixture of both, and it depends on where I am in the learning - at the start of new ideas I can be pretty methodical, but when I get a basic understanding, or I find an interesting connection, I'm more likely to jump around a topic.

Kia ora @Deborah.Newman1, thanks for sharing your current reality. I think you'll find you're not alone in this scenario. 

My 11yr son has programmed some simple games in Scratch and would tell you he has used Scratch 'heaps' (he hasn't). What he also probably couldn't tell you is, his understanding of what coding concepts are or what programming is - in terms of the six elements of programming:

1. Sequence
2. Input
3. Output
4. Selection/ IF statements
5. Iteration/Loops
6. Storage/Variables

Taken from Pīkau 07: CTDT: What is programming?

What we need our students to do, is develop a programming mindset that can be transferred into other text-based programming languages (in addition to Python). What we can do as teachers, is to make the language and meaning of the fundamental concepts and processes of Computational Thinking more overt (logic, algorithms, decomposition, patterns, abstraction, testing, debugging), as well as make correlations to six elements of programming above. These can then be transferred across to any programming language.

I’m also thinking, if students show an understanding for what the blocks do in Scratch (control blocks, motion blocks operators, variables etc) then they might be more able to see the patterns/instructions required text-base coding might help too. Like this example illustrated in Pīkau 07: CTDT: What is programming?

Scratch is a layered programme, we really can go as shallow or deep as our own knowledge allows. The wonderful thing about it, is the potential for students to code together to make something more complex. Mr Google has some resources to help teach segways from block coding in Scratch to Python. 

Also wondering if you Deborah (or anyone else) has dabbled with Gamefroot (NZ web based platform) that helps transition from Scratch blocks to blocks in Gamefroot? Love to hear more about how teachers are transitioning students from block coding to text-based coding language.

Thanks Debbie, this will be very useful. 

Nicki 

A big huge thank you to Karl Summerfield and Warren Hall who up-skilled us about types of 3D printers, practical tips to consider when purchasing and using them, as well as contexts and examples of effective use in yesterday's webinar.

Anyone starting out or already using 3D printers will get something out of this webinar. The recording and presentation slides (and much much more) are available in the Enabling e-Learning discussion thread, DISCUSSION POST: Using 3D printing in real-world contexts. 

If you are starting out and have dived into these resources, I'd love to hear your feedback.

You're so right @Laura.Butler2 and Clive! I think it's timely to have well-rounded discussions about this space with our kids. Who makes the decisions? Who will they benefit? How do we know if the decisions are moral, ethical, just and fair?  

As we face an increasing amount of global issues/wicked problems, then the effective use of AI may well help the human condition...just like this Microsoft AI advertisement I found myself being drawn to...

This could become part of a localised electric garden project or a project using Micro:Bit moisture sensors Laura for your juniors - tracking the growth of plants etc.  https://www.electricgarden.nz/

Long term, interesting to be aware of the potential implications of Artificial Intelligence for education and industry (CORE Education's Ten Trends, p57). What do you think, is this something we can take to the kids

Found some examples on how to explore Beebots in maths. Do you have Beebots in your school? How are your students using them? Any other ideas to share?

@Natalia.King-Taylor TIP is a great idea to help grow knowledge and capacity collectively. I'm going to try the same TIP activity with the teachers I work with, so thank you for sharing this.

I'm also going to make some time to explore some more of these archived activities from CSUnplugged as well. How were you going to collate the teacher resources? In a website or folders?

No I have not used the sorting network activities yet. However, once the weather warms up I will head outside to have some fun. Would be a great one to do in our school Wonderhub as well. (Library)

It basically looks the same way it does for you and me, @Tessa.Gray - be open to un-learn and re-learn in order to remain relevant. I believe that real problem solving, outside a given framework, an ability to discern between fact, fiction, apparently factual information and possibly proven probability could be a start for a new set of "key competencies". Computational thinking would provide a good platform for the development of those skills. Currently, our high school students are acquiring a considerable level of descriptive skills, which to a certain point, involve some analysis ability. However, analysis doesn't necessarily involve creativity, or at least the kind of creativity I was referring to earlier.

I wouldn't wish to sound too radical, but as I have previously mentioned, we need to adapt to a world that is changing at an exponential rate. Subject specialized individuals are becoming a species of the past. Universality is what keeps our minds open and our spirit ready to be surprised. Successful computer games have a powerful story line, more often than not, historical, as well as amazing graphics. Medical robots and devices are created by doctors and ultimately, the technical solutions to our current environmental problems will be solved by engineers who have a profound understanding of the living world and our history in the Universe. 

Most 2-state or cascading 2-state logic problems can be solved with boolean algebra.

Example 1 - which car warranty would provide wider coverage:

a) your car warranty covers 100,000 Km or 5 years

                                                or

b) your car warranty covers 100,000 Km and 5 years

Example 2 - use of IF, AND, FALSE, NOT etc. functions in Excel formulas

i.e. Working out the amount of tax and net pay for someone who earns between $14,000 - $48,000pa - =IF(14000<Gross<48000,14000*0.895+(Gross-14000)*0.825,0) This will return the net pay per year.

Example 3 - for ax^2+bx+c=0 - IF((b^2-4ac)>=0,REAL,IMAGINARY)

I came across this article today:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90356441/the-30-second-trick-that-can-make-anyone-more-creative

It reiterates the importance of the "empathise" step. In creativity terms, it's more important to understand your audience, and really dig into how they feel and see the world than to focus on the details of the problem you're trying to solve.