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. 

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:

• powers(blue)
• inputs (pink)
• wires (orange)
• outputs (green)

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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.

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.

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.

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!

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.