Workshop 4: Control and Monitoring Technology

Today's session was quite different in that we started to use different ICT-related equipment and discussed how and when we would use these with children in school.

We discussed 'computer control' and spoke about the different equipment and devices which use computer control, e.g burglar alarms, washing machines, microwaves and many more.

We also discussed the advantages to using computers to control things.

In the session we looked at different programmable toys and robots.

A first was a 'Beebot'.

Bee-Bots are programmable floor robots aimed at the Eary Years and Key Stage 1 students.

Bright buttons for the students to use to input instructions. Remembers up to 40 instructions / steps entered by student

Moves accurately in 15cm steps and to turn in 90° increment. Sounds and flashing eyes let students know that their instructions have been entered.

There are many different games and activities that could be carried out with a bee bot. The first learning points are learning about the commands: forwards, backwards, left, right, clear and go. Once children have mastered how to use these commands then different levels of activities can be given to help them improve their abilities in these areas.

This is one of the activities that I carried out today in the lesson. It involved rolling dice and then programming the Bee bot to move to where the dice landed.

Listed are a few examples of actvities that can be carried out with a Bee bot.

• Literacy - Moving to different pictures in a big story book from beginning to end. Using commands in a sequence to get it to the end of the story in the correct order.
• Maths - Putting the Bee bot on a mat consisting of different shapes. Rolling a dice and entering the correct number of commands and see who could be the first to collect each of the 2D shapes (for example)
• Geography - Making a map of the school, taking the Bee bot on a tour and then writing/talking about where it had been.

http://www.terrapinlogo.com/files/TreasureMat.pdf - useful link for games using Bee bots

Below is a video of Beebots being used in a numeracy lesson.

Useful websites showing how some schools have used Bee bots in their school:

http://www.slideshare.net/stmbtech/beebots-at-st-michaels-school

http://www.schooljotter.com/showpage.php?id=118278

Here is also a website which allows you to have a go online :)

http://www.mape.org.uk/startower/unit/index.htm

Another similar programmable toy is a 'Pippin'. 

 The Pippin is just like the Bee bot except it can carry out more complex commands, (e.g. you can command it to go 20 degree to the left, whilst Bee bot would just do a straight left). These are more common with older children such as Key stage 2.

You can also place pen in the middle so that you can command it to draw perhaps shapes and things. 

The Pippins are also less attractive than the Beebot and so some schools have activities where they design covers for them, depending on the activity being carried out.
A few examples are shown below:

There are so many activities that can be used with the Pippin, the website below shows a few ideas:


http://www.swallow.co.uk/pippin/contents.htm

 
Next is Computer Monitoring.

Computer monitoring involves the use of sensors to record information about environmental changes over a period of time. The results can be examined in a table or as a graph and is known as data logging.

This equipment would normally be used in primary science lesson. Children can record information such as temperature changes, sound changes, change in light or darkness, etc.

In the lesson I went outside with my partner and we recorded temperature, light and sound changes and then connected it to the computer to see the changes recorded. I think this is brilliant!! Such an enjoyable task for children and yet they would learning a whole lot as well.


Below is a link to a step by step guide and worksheet that a teacher could use with a lesson using data loggers.

http://www.sycd.co.uk/primary/pdf/ict/3.3_teach.pdf  


The final activity that we carried out in today's lesson was using a 'Digital Microscope'.


This is such a brilliant tool to use in science with children, where they can look at things like microbes in bits of food, certain materials and much more. These can also be used in DT where they can look at patterns an structures of things.


Below is a video link showing how pupils have used digital microscopes in a lesson:




It is so evident that using resources like these really bring a sense of reality into the lessons and make it so much more realistic and enjoyable.

Until the next time! Thats all folks!