Programming BeeBots in Early Years

These numeral cards devised at 15cm intervals provide a good visual context and purpose for programming. 

These pre-purchasable BeeBot grids with 15cm square grids provide an opportunity to incorporate story telling to programming.

Pre-purchasable alphabet mats with 15cm grid are great for incorporating spelling and sounds.

The KK and PP students continued their learning about programming with BeeBots by progressing from programming their friends in an 'unplugged' programming activity to programming BeeBot robots. They used the actions they learned from their unplugged experiences to navigate a robot around various mats that have 15cm grids to guide their programme. The students were excellent at using directions and actions to successfully remember and run their programmes.

Coding Unplugged in Early Years

Using Forward/Backward to Programme Friend Robot on the Grid

Using L on Left Hand to Direct Friend Robot Left on the Grid

The Early Years students learned how to code unplugged last week. In pairs they took turns to be a 'programmer' and a 'robot'. They then programmed their friend using directions and actions forward, backward, left, right to navigate a grid and retrieve the object. The students practiced what the directions and actions were and strategies to remember them. They found it fun to succeed in coding their friend robot! Next they will learn to programme BeeBot robots.

Coding in Year 1 & 2

The Year q and 2 students learned how to block code with Scratch Junior app. They synthesised their knowledge of 2D shapes to code Scratch the cat in a square, rectangle and triangle path. They also used their addition and subtraction skills to code Scratch the cat to navigate a room.

QR Codes in Year 5

A QR Code created as a note

The Year 5 students in Mrs Logue's class have learned how to create QR codes as a Note with the QR reader app on their iPads. They used their descriptive language skills to write describe themselves without giving too much away. They then scanned all the classes QR Code descriptions and are currently attempting to complete a list of the whole class. This list is also accessed and edited via a QR code created by Mrs Logue.

Letters and Sounds with Show Me App

The Year 4's in Mr. Cramer's class learned how to use the digital whiteboard app - Show Me - to develop new word lists with the sound, research a visual of words they are not sure of and then write a short sentence with at least one new word present. The students really valued the in built web browser function to conduct their research.

Digital Recounts in Year 5

A tailored character tells a recount in a real setting.

The students in Mrs Logue's class used the Telegami app to create digital recounts of their holidays. Telegami provides the option to create a character of the students choice and place this character in a real and relevant setting. After recording the recount the app will enact the character performing the recount with expressions too! The students were certainly eager to do their recounts, including writing them and in much faster time too!

Fractured Fairy Tale eBooks

Cinderella now 'Pink Cinderella'

Little Red Riding Hood fractured as 'Little Red Riding Roo'

The students in Mrs Lague's class have been continuing to develop their Fractured Fairy Tale plans with Book Creator app. They will be drawing, writing and reading to create eBooks about their very own Fairy Tales. 

Word Work with Letters and Sounds

The Year 4's in Mr. Cramer's class have been using Popplet app to extend their letters and sounds lessons they have been learning in whole class lessons. They have been able to use the app to extend the word lists and then write a rule or pattern they observe about the sound in their words. Popplet app saves their work as an image on the camera roll. From here they can export it to various apps and locations such as the class Showbie folder.

Design and Programming in Mrs Logue's Class

The Year 4 students in Mrs Logue's class continued to learn how to programme a Sphero robot using the Lightning Lab app. After designing a vehicle for the Sphero to drive and achieve the goal of transporting a real chocolate to the teachers desk, the students have been busy programming their vehicle designs through various pathways to achieve their goal. They are learning that it is hard fun!

Developing Re-Telling Skills in Mrs Stankiewicz's Class

Following from developing Mother's Day posters using Pic Collage the students in Mrs Stankiewicz's Year 2/3 class started using Book Creator app for developing their Fractured Fairy tales. The students enjoyed using the inking function to draw pictures for the cover page of their book. They also continued to develop their keyboard typing skills. They are excited to continue developing their re-tells on more pages with more functions.

Learning Maths through Padlet in Mr Cramer's Year 4 Class

The Year 4 students in Mr Cramer's class used Padlet to collaboratively develop their addition strategies in Maths class. By accessing the Padlet board created by Mr Cramer as a guest, via the QR code the whole class shared out their strategies for addition using carrying. This enabled the students to not only conceptualise their own strategie/s as a verbalised/written explanation but to learn other strategies from their peers.

The QR code to access a Padlet board can be scanned from the projector, computer screen or printed and distributed around the class.

Learning Technology Prefects in Year 6

To help build learning technology fluency in the class and beyond a group of Learning Technology Prefects in Mrs Taylor's Year 6 class have taken on the role with the goal to help distribute, manage and troubleshoot the learning technology the use. The Prefects retrieve, book and distribute devices to the class e.g. iPads allocated to their block. Also, they assist peers with troubleshooting e.g. Wifi connectivity, determining if a device switch-over is needed and most importantly helping peers utilise the app/s being used for learning tasks. After using the learning technology, the Prefects return and charge the devices, respecting the rights of others to use the technology for learning. The prefects have even assisted peers in other classes.

Seesaw - Digital Portfolio

Seesaw can be used as a digital portfolio of student work and achievement. To get started simply download the app 'Seesaw: The Learning Journal' at the App Store (iPad), Play Store (Android) or at this website https://web.seesaw.me/
Create your teacher account and begin creating your classes, linking specialist teachers and using the various management features. The main features are a Class Feed to see general notices about all posts and activities posted by you, the teacher, and students in your class.

Class Feed View

There is also a Calendar to allow you to create, activities, assignments or notices specifically related to dates.

The Class Blog provides a public window to the activities in your classroom, which you can password protect (highly recommended). You or your students can tag a post in the Class Feed to be added to the class blog, by clicking the globe icon under any post in the Class Feed. Further, you can print a QR code of your class blog to post outside your classroom for parents and carers to gain easy access and see what has been happening.

Items are added by both students and teachers by selecting the + button in the top right corner. Items to add include those pictured below.

How do Students Contribute?

To access the class Seesaw portfolio students simply open the Seesaw app or website, choose 'I'm a Student', then scan the QR code using Seesaw's QR reader. The other option is to make the Text Class Code visible and students can enter this code on their iPad to log in.

You can set all posts by students to be approved by you (recommended).

Students have multi-modal input options to elaborate on their work in their posts. These included, pen or inking a note, using the microphone to record a voice over explanation, a link, an image or a text typed note.

How Do Students Upload Work Done with Other Apps? 

Seesaw is compatible with many other apps, providing a quick way for students to upload their creations made with other apps directly to their Seesaw portfolio. The link below provides a list of apps that are compatible with Seesaw as well as the file modes with which you can advise your students to upload their work to Seesaw e.g. as an image from the camera roll.

https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us/articles/204910545

How do Parents Contribute?

The short answer is with the Seesaw Parent app. The smart answer is to master the process of creating a portfolio and guiding your students to independently be able to contribute to their portfolio before inviting parents.

Have fun and remember to go to the Seesaw help page at any time if you need help: https://help.seesaw.me/hc/en-us

Narrating Books in Mrs Law's Year 2 Class

The year 2's continued to learn how to create their books about 'Australia' today. They learned how to import pictures from a Google Advanced Search and how to use the voice record function to narrate the information in their books.
Looking forward to seeing the completed books!

Learning to Ceate Books in Mrs Lyon's Year 1 Class

Following our lessons about Creating Posters with the Pic Collage app the class learned how to create a book using the Book Creator app. By adding text with the keyboard and drawing pictures with the ink pen the students designed a cover page for their first ever book about Easter.
Looking forward to seeing more pages!

Reflecting on Writing in Mrs Taylor's Year 6 Literacy Class

After establishing some feedback protocols and agreements as a class using the Padlet app, the class used Explain Everything app to record a self assessment of a writing task. Green represents action required. The class set a number of goals for themselves to improve their writing as a result.

Creating Books About Australia in Mrs Law's Year 2 Class

Through learning the main functions of the Book Creator app on the iPad and how to do an Advanced Search on Google, the class were able to begin creating books about the topic. Students incorporated their research areas into their advanced image searches e.g. Weather in Australia, Animals in Australia etc.
The class also had the chance to enhance their learning by teaching their friends in the other Year 1 class to learn how to create a book in Book Creator about Australia too.

Pic Collage Posters in Mrs Dichiera's Year 1 Class

After doing lessons on using iPad devices safely and learning how to take photos on the iPad the class started learning how to make a poster using the Pic Collage app. The poster was about using iPads in a safe way. Students used their photo taking skills to take photos of friends that matched their sentences about being safe with the iPad.

Padlet for Writing Persuasive Text in Mr Klaric's Year 4 Class

Using a Padlet board created by Mr Klaric, students continued with their scaffolded learning task of writing a Persuasive Text. Students were able to refer to an example prepared by Mr. Klaric and then independently write their Persuasive arguments on the Padlet board. This allowed students to share out their arguments and refine their counter arguments by viewing some opposing ones.

As a differentiation strategy some students were provided the choice to upload a video explaining their persuasive arguments. Mr Klaric set a grid layout to make it easier for the students to view their contributions. The class also discussed self management strategies if the app wouldn't work e.g. exiting the app and restarting again.

Students accessed the Padlet board created by Mr Klaric by either:
- Using the Padlet app on their allocated iPads. On the home screen students selected 'Proceed as Guest' and then scanned the QR code in the Padlet app.
- By using a QR code scanner app already on the iPad.

Padlet for Literacy in Ms Taylor's Year 6 Class

Using a Padlet board created by Ms Taylor, all students in the class shared out their 'ea' words from their allocated iPad. This enabled the class to collaboratively expand their word list. They were then able to write their 'ea' word sentences in their workbooks with expanded vocabulary.

To set up a Padlet account go to padlet.com on your lap top or desktop computer. After you have set up your account, create a padlet board on the dashboard (grid layout works best in the beginning). Students can access your Padlet board by scanning the QR code for your Padlet board (which you can do by clicking the 'sharing' button) from the Padlet app on the iPad.

Padlet is a free app on IOS and Android platforms.

The Learning Journey Begins

In 2017 Gwynne Park PS has partnered with Winthrop Australia to engage staff in ongoing professional development. The journey will enable a measured yet fluent synthesis of the pedagogy at Gwynne Park with emerging learning technology. This blog will share the journey.