magazine.T4L Issue 03

ISSUE 3 TERM 4 I 2019

PLUS: IS 2019 YOUR YEAR OF TECH?

micro:bit Developing students’ critical skills while having fun

This issue we are focussing on all things accessibility YOUR MINECRAFT JOURNEY | PART 3

Follow one school’s journey

Welcome to issue 3

T4L team update

Term 4 is here and with it comes decisions about

This issue we’re looking at how PC robotics and a tiny

how next year’s budgets are spent. Will your

micro:bit can change up the classroom and get your

school be investing in new technology, or are you

students to problem-solve and even change lives!

a teacher looking for some PD? The T4L team is planning a big year of PD events around NSW for 2020. Want something sooner? Don’t worry, we have you covered. This term, the team brings hands-on PD opportunities all across the state.

Learn something new before the year is out!

Mark Greentree Director Technology 4 Learning ITD

@T4LDoE

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Subscribe to

Term 4 we are bringing NESA accredited PD to northern NSW! Stops include Ballina, Coffs Harbour and Kempsey from 11-15 Nov. We’ll also kick-off our first interactED Access All Areas event in Parramatta, exploring accessibility and technology on Fri 29 Nov. Book now to secure your place !

Don’t forget, we’re gearing up for a big #monthofcode from week 7. Online and face-toface events with Microsoft, Google and Apple will empower you to host the Hour of Code at your school during week 9. More details can be found here .

@technology4learning

We’re on

@T4L_DoE

Visit our T4L website

Catch up with issues 1 & 2

The journey so far Como West Public School have been smashing goals with their Minecraft: Education Edition (M:EE) journey! They are now reaping the rewards, having completed a very successful term of learning with Stages 2 and 3 in a Geography/Sustainability unit of work. Planning was key, first building staff and student confidence in using Minecraft, then completing a highly structured project. How did they go?

The project

The outcome

The inquiry-based learning project set for students

•

Students entered world-building prepared.

in Stages 2-3 asked a key question: how can spaces

•

Teachers used technology with purpose and identified curriculum links.

•

Parents and community understood the scope of the project and the significance of the learning versus ‘playing’.

and places be used in more sustainable ways?

The challenge To use M:EE to construct a house that displays features (internally and externally) that support

All-round, M:EE was successfully implemented at

sustainable practices.

Como West Public School!

Students were instructed to: •

Work in pairs

•

Complete pre-research

•

Investigate sustainable materials and features

•

Sketch the house using pen and paper

•

Use M:EE to build and refine their design

•

Reflect and take action

Click here for some exciting classroom ideas?

Be prepared •

M:EE licences are provisioned through a self-service form found here

•

Students were issued with their licences

•

They logged in and completed the Minecraft Tutorial: Build a Bridge

•

They began their research work

Coming up in our next issue 

How Como West is extending their journey beyond 2019!

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Road Test

micro:bit micro:bit brings a sense of fun while developing students’ critical skills Check out why our T4L experts Joachim Cohen and Phil Kazcorowski love the versatility of the micro:bit.

About the experts Joachim Cohen is a HSIE teacher and teacher librarian by profession and has spent time working in the tech industry. He is now a full-time T4L tech guru. Phil Kaczorowski has spent years in schools as an ICT coordinator and is now part of our T4L Utilisation and Innovation team.

What is micro:bit?

What piece of technology is SO tiny yet has SO much power to transform your classroom? The little micro:bit gets students coding in no time!

Every micro:bit is packed with in-built features

Did you know?

•

Bluetooth

•

USB connectivity

•

Light sensor

•

Programmable buttons

•

Accelerometer

•

25 individual LEDs

•

Compass

•

Temperature sensor

The micro:bit was designed by the BBC (UK) in 2012.

How does micro:bit work?

Breaking it down, micro:bit is a mini-circuit board that needs programming with code to do things.

Program on your

Connect and download

Bring your

computer with code

to your micro:bit

project to life

It’s a simple piece of hardware that can be used from Stage 2 up, to get students on the coding journey.

The possibilities for activities are endless and there are plenty of great, free learning resources available.

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Coding in the classroom

Types of coding

micro:bit develops key skills in students which have

Coding can be broken down into visual and text-

real-life applications. ‘It’s a problem-solver in a box,’

based. Visual coding includes graphical, block and

says Joachim. Coding using micro:bit is a gateway

drag-and-drop coding. Text-based coding uses

to explore:

languages such as JavaScript or Python.

•

Prototyping and design Where students’ ideas come to life.

•

Problem-solving Choose a current problem in your classroom, the community or at home.

•

Internet of Things (connecting devices to make the world smarter) micro:bits can talk to each other and other devices using Bluetooth, to collect data and automate processes.

Visual

Text

Getting started with MakeCode Microsoft MakeCode is a simple visual coding tool that is great for primary students. This type of coding involves linking blocks of code to create a string of commands. The block editor is really easy to program and the online resources can guide you step-by-step. We recommend using visual coding for Stages 2 – 3. MakeCode also has the potential to switch to text-based coding in JavaScript for Stage 4 and above. Best of all, it doesn’t require you to install software, as it’s a web-based app.

All of these possibilities could make great stand-

Other coding options

alone activities, or even complement project-based

Programming with text-based coding allows

learning. See our classroom crossover suggestions on

students to fine-tune tasks in greater detail.

the next page! Students can even ideate, prototype

Options include Python, JavaScript as well as Swift

and propose solutions to current and future

Playgrounds on iPad - a great way to check off

problems, such as drought and water wastage.

those Digital Technologies outcomes in Stage 4 Technology Mandatory.

While there are plenty of coding options available, the team’s favourite entry-level tool is MakeCode .

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Road Test Classroom crossover While micro:bit is great for use in STEM and STEAM lessons, it can be used across many KLAs. • •

Please note that the resources below are not controlled or curated by NSW Education

English – load up a ‘narrative’ in MakeCode or develop an arcade game.

➚ Tutorials, tools, classes, hacks, toys and

Mathematics – working with variables and patterns.

➚ Follow New Scientist’s resident maker

•

Geography – create a sustainable home or city or solve some global challenges in the ‘do your :bit’ challenge.

•

Science – create a weather station.

•

PDHPE – create a fitness tracker.

 Links to the Science and Technology (K – 6)

and Technology Mandatory (7 – 8) Curriculum » developing digital solutions » designing algorithms

more. makecode.micro:bit

on Twitter @hannahmakes for cool projects

➚ Apple’s Swift Playgrounds ➚ Enter the global ‘do your :bit’

challenge with some amazing prizes and inspiration

➚ MicroMag Follow

➚ Twitter: @micro:bit_edu ➚ Instagram: @microbitfoundation ➚ Facebook: @thebbcmicrobit ➚ Search the #microbit

» exploring networks

FREE resources

How do I get one? micro:bit starts at $26 (at time of writing) on the EdBuy catalogue on the portal. Simply search

The stem.T4L Learning Library – check out this board Coding for fun and learning – join this Yammer group

‘micro:bit’!

With the online simulator in MakeCode and Swift Playgrounds, you may not require a micro:bit for every student. Students can prototype their ideas on the simulator then practically test them using shared micro:bits in the classroom.

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Joachim’s micro:bit Challenge: Create a name badge This challenge can be completed with either the simulator or a micro:bit Everyone loves to see their name up in lights! This challenge is my favourite way to introduce the micro:bit, as it gets students creating and coding in seconds. It is also one of the featured easy-to-follow tutorials on the micro:bit site!

Unpacking the stem.T4L PC Robotics Kit with stem.T4L Leader, Brett Kent, Senior Education Officer Computer coding and automation skills may not have been high on the agenda when most teachers and parents were at school, but these are now high priorities for future employers. The new digital technologies aspects of the Science and Technology Syllabus aim to prepare students for this rapidly changing future.

Coding a name-badge 1.

Go to makecode.micro:bit.org

2. Follow the Name Tag Tutorial 3. To keep your students innovating, challenge them to enhance their name tag by coding the ‘a’ and ‘b’ buttons to add variations to the way their name is displayed.

For Phil’s take on micro:bit and how to build a smart city and train, watch here.

To address this, the department’s stem.T4L project has empowered teachers to embed STEM technologies in their classrooms. The stem.T4L kits are available to all NSW public schools with over 70% of schools already participating. All six kits are free to book, and teachers can trial technology in the classroom with access to an online resource library and professional learning.

Once you have booked the kit you are assigned a Leader, like me, to visit and support your school.

Unpacking the PC Robotics Kit •

micro:bits – see pages 4 - 7.

•

OZObots – small robots coded based on a simple colour code, Blockly and JavaScript.

•

Lego EV3 – slightly more advanced robots that can be coded in both visual and text-based code.

•

Makey Makey – a small circuit board used to create simple control functions for computers.

•

Laptops x 10 – the backbone of the kit.

Who’s it suitable for?

‘Do your :bit’ challenge and win a trip to London!

Is your class up for the challenge? Combine

•

I suggest teachers and students who have both little to no experience with robotics as well as those with experience coding and automation.

•

Those wanting to explore computational thinking and STEM concepts.

•

Throughout my travels as a stem.T4L leader I have witnessed fantastic learning with this kit – from the early years through to senior students.

your creativity with the technology of the micro:bit and problem-solve a community issue which affects YOU. Get inspo here and check out other challenges that students around the world are problem-solving. Get cracking with your solutions and ingenuity! More details here .

See the PC Robotics Kit in action!

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2019: Your Year of Tech This issue we are focussing on all things accessibility

➚ NSW DoE resources

➚ Google – Voice typing within G Suite

Want more resources on disability learning and

Did you know that G Suite programs have a range

support? Find what you need to know about assistive

of accessible options? Our fave is ‘Type with your

technologies in NSW public schools here .

voice’. Simply click on ‘tools’ and ‘voice typing’ and students with physical or motor skills impairments can be empowered to create text with improved dexterity. Check out Google Accessibility .

➚ Microsoft Immersive Reader Immersive reader is available on all MS devices with Windows 10 and can personalise the learning experience for all students. Students have the

➚ Apple update

option to have text read to speech, the ability to

Built into every iPad is a whole host of accessibility

drive student concentration and comprehension

tools . Our favourites are Guided Access and

by focussing in on a few lines of text and more. Your

Speak Screen. Guided Access helps students with

Windows device will need to have windows version

attention challenges to stay focused, as the home

1809 installed for the application to work. Find out

button to switch apps is disabled. Additionally, when

more on the Microsoft Learning Tools site . Get

Speak Screen is turned on, a simple two finger

Immersive Reader Offline Extension here .

swipe from the top of the screen will start text read to speech, providing personalised support for all learners!

The Power of Telepresence Telepresence robots can help students who can’t attend school on a regular basis, keep in touch with their teachers and peers. Looking a bit like an iPad on a Segway, these robots are remotely operated by a student in a hospital school or at home. Meet St George School student, Athan, and his mum Selena, and hear about how telepresence changed their school experience.

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Scan the QR code to access all the links to find out more or visit t4l.schools.nsw.gov.au

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