Teach your students about coding and algorithms without a computer

To make a computer act like a human such as a robot, first we need to teach humans to think like a computer.  

Strangely enough this process does not, and and in some cases should not involve a computer.

CSunplugged is an excellent resource for teachers and students which is completely free and teaches students about computational thinking through a series of hands on activities.  

CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities teaching Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.

The activities introduce students to Computational Thinking through concepts such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression, separated from the distractions and technical details of having to use computers. Importantly, no programming is required to engage with these ideas!

CS Unplugged is suitable for people of all ages, from elementary school to seniors, and from many countries and backgrounds. Unplugged has been used around the world for over twenty years and should not be missed if you are considering teaching robotics or coding with your students.

Setting up a school Facebook page to communicate with parents

Schools utilise a range of traditional and technical platforms to communicate with parents and students including websites, newsletters, mobile apps and SMS messaging.

One option that is often overlooked by schools is creating a school Facebook page.  Facebook is by far the most popular social network platform and the majority of parents are familiar with it in some capacity.

School Facebook pages can be created for free by a member of staff in well under an hour, and used as a platform to broadcast information to parents which they can access on mobile devices and computers.  

Just remember that nearly all of your parents are sitting up at some point of the day with Facebook on their phone.  Whether it's the school car park, office or home.

You can tailor the level of interaction parents have with the page, from a completely one directional conversation being lead by the school, through to varying levels of interaction and feedback by parents.  As the creator of the page you also have the right to remove and moderate content.

Getting the setup process right is essential as you would not want to create a platform that could breed negativity about the school from parents and external sources.

I have put together this video which walks you through the set up process and highlight the areas of most concern to schools.  I hope you find it useful.

YouTube for Kids launches to make the net a little more family friendly

Today YouTube launched YouTube for kids.  In the United States anyway, but we are assured the rest of the world will come on board soon.

As a teacher and a parent this is a real win for kids aged under twelve who Google have targeted this new app at on iOS and Android.

It contains a mixture of syndicated material such as sesame street and select user generated content.  Furthermore, it has features designed to make parents feel comfortable about leaving their children to use YouTube such as the ability to turn off the ability to search and specifically play educational material only.

This may be useful for teachers who wish to allow their students to view content as part of a study of digital literacies as they can really filter the content and options through the settings on the app.

From a business perspective this definitely allows Google to zoom in on a specific audience but we all know that there is no such thing as a free feed, especially on the internet.

This video below from Tanya Awith demonstrates some practical ideas oh how you can use this new app in your classroom.

Great resources to discover more about enquiry based learning

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Teachers out there who are interested in inquiry based / interdisciplinary learning might want to visitwww.educatorsresources.com.au for some interesting free resources. The focus of many of the resources is on inquiry based learning projects and culminating ‘rich tasks’. The tasks are excellent examples of curriculum that is open ended, authentic and truly interdisciplinary.

The first sample  ‘Does Biodiversity Matter?” is a primary aged inquiry into biodiversity. It aligns with Australian Curriculum standards in Science (‘biodiversity’ and ‘adaptations’) but could also be used to assess progress against English outcomes along with the interdisciplinary areas of Communication and Thinking Processes.

The second sample is an inquiry for secondary students (years 8 and 9) ‘Can I Defend Human Rights?” The culminating task invites students to ‘take action that matters’ in relation to a Human Rights.

All of the rich tasks are examples of performance pieces that culminate a structured and well-scaffolded inquiry.

Feel free to download the two posters above and visit www.educatorsresources.com.au for more free resources specialising in inquiry/ interdisciplinary learning.

Teaching the vocabulary of Charlie and the Chocolate factory

Learning Intention / Overview

Understanding vocabulary in a text aids students in understanding events and concepts in a story.  Using context clues from stories also ensures that students look closely at text and examine word meanings. Once students comprehend vocabulary they are better able to make connections in text and in conclusion better understand the story.  This lesson will also provide students with the opportunity to practice using a thesaurus.

Methods / Teaching Strategies

•  Group work
•  Understanding Context Clues
• Thesaurus Practice
•  Personalized Learning

Assessment of Learning

·         Vocabulary Sheet (provided)

Click here to download the free lesson plan

How to use the Google Research Tool to improve Essay Writing

Whilst the Google research tool has been a part of Google drive for a few years now  It amazes me how few teachers and students are aware of what it can do.

In short the research tool is the perfect accomplice for writing an essay or creating a project.  It will not only provide you with all the facts and answers you require but also cite them.  And that's just the beginning.

I have put together this six minute video tutorial to make every student and teacher an expert around getting the most out of using the Research tool but also assist teachers in identifying work that has basically been written entirely from this tool.

I forgot to mention in the video that this applies to Google Docs, Slides and Sheets.

Please leave any thoughts or suggestion on this below.

What does the Surface Hub have to offer education?

Many of the schools within my region are currently in the process of replacing their ten year old SMART boards in the classroom with large flat screen televisions equipped with casting devices such as an Apple TV.

The cost of replacing projector bulbs, poor visibility, maintenance and single touch interface has meant that some schools are left with boards that they can literally not give away.

This week as part of Microsoft's Windows 10 preview event in Seattle we got to see the Surface Hub which is essentially made up of the following components.

• A 55 or 84 inch 4K multi touch screen
• A full functioning inbuilt Windows 10 PC
• A HD Webcam and Microphone for conferencing and collaboration.

When you factor this in with the huge array of compatible established windows software already on the market such as one note, Office, Airserver ( Essentially acting as an Apple TV for mac and iOS compatibility.) Adobe Creative Suite, Skype, Chrome and Google Docs we are presented with a highly versatile classroom projection hub which has no 'all in one' competition.

It would appear that Microsoft seem to have deliberately avoided mentioning the word education  in any of their promotional content for this device which may suggest we will expect something soon targeted directly at the classroom.

From my perspective this would be the ultimate 'classroom screen' but we still have not details on the all important price.  

We are told from Microsoft this device will be available in late 2015 with more details coming soon.  In the meantime feel free to view the obligatory cheesy promo video, ponder the possibilities and voice your thoughts in the comment section below.

How to build and outdoor classroom at your school

We often think of a classroom as essentially... A room.  But there are days when mother nature offers far more enriching learning opportunities in the open.

And the effort and expense to build one of these in your school is minimal.  It is really surprising to think that every school doesn't have one when you consider the opportunities it offers students and teachers to break the mold every now and then.

I came a across these simple plans from kaboom that outlines one idea but I am sure that you could adapt this to suit your needs.  You can download them here.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has had any experience in this field and could share their insights.