Reflection

I am gladly part taking in a Entels Project via H2 Learning and the following reflection is a prerequisite of this course.  To introduce myself, my name is Miriam Bergin, I am a Business/Accounting and ICT teacher in Coláiste Mhuire Co Ed, Thurles for 16 years, I worked in one other school for one year previous, so I guess whatever I know I learned in Thurles!.

1. The first app I will use is http://edu.symbaloo.com/ in ICT coding class.  
2.The second app I chose is mindmaps in Business studies class.

We are a pilot school for the coding specification and so I am interested in finding the best way to teach the computer theory to our first years.  

The following is a reflection on teaching binary numbers to a first-year mixed ability class.
The student handout includes 8 tasks related to binary numbers and five referenced links to useful websites. The latter could be used repeatedly to achieve other learning outcomes in strand 1 of the coding specification.  
I used this www image to draw attention to the website links but students did not use their own initiative to access the websites.

I think that Symbaloo may address this issue but I did not know of it at that time.  So I have created a coding webmix that I can share with students.  I can stimulate interest in the websites by creating a treasure hunt quiz to find information based on the specification and will encourage students to find good websites to add to our class coding webmix.  To hopefully give them a sense of ownership, additionally the webmix will serve as a revision tool.  The webmix includes 4 computer theory websites, one youtube clip and 2 computer coding websites.


http://edu.symbaloo.com/mix/coding181

1. Student handout with tasks on binary numbers: 

(Word) http://bit.ly/1TI5hIG

(PDF)   http://bit.ly/1TfFWYe

2. Answers to tasks:

(Word)  http://bit.ly/1Qn9lJP

(PDF)   http://bit.ly/1RxsZ8p 

3. My reflection (PP) on teaching binary numbers to first years..

(PPoint version)  http://bit.ly/1QlF0Pk 

I used mindmaps with 2nd year business as a means of summary and revision for my students.  I created the mindmaps as I want them to learn from me initially, what detail I  expect and in the next class I will ask them to make their own mindmap on another topic(either electronically or on paper).

Mindmap 1 -business documents
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzoOi1a8UpioaGhublNaaWIzX3c/view?usp=sharing



Mindmap 2 - Business Documents Keywords

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzoOi1a8UpioUHREenYyNG03N1k/view?usp=sharing

The students liked learning from the mindmaps and I informed them, they needed to know this information for the quiz which followed.  The main drawback of the mindmaps is the font is too small and the students asked to increase this next time.  I also shared the mindmaps electronically but many students like to learn from paper.  So the size of the font is an issue.  If I print on A3 such sheets are more difficult to mind.

I assessed the mindmap with a Kahoot quiz which they loved.

https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/607a6635-0906-485c-bed2-01d809b1248f

Students used their ipads and I booked ipads for those that needed them. (60% have ipads)  They loved this quiz, only problem was wifi strength as some questions had a time delay, so I think next time I will go to the computer room when using Kahoot but this requires more planning.

Finally, I used Prezi, but did not share this with my class as I think I have too much content on it.  I may use it in the future as I can see its' potential.

http://prezi.com/n5gdvmwl9hdd/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Scratch Assignment

Scratch Assignment:

This assignment will be assessed based on the following table:

Ref: Jose-Manuel S  aez-L  opez , Marcos Roman-Gonz  alez, Esteban V  azquez-Cano, Computers & Education, Vol:Computers & Education 97 (2016) 129e141, www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu accessed:3/4/2016




Create a game or interactive story include the following tasks:

Task 1a:To create a game in scratch, you need to think about the order of steps, this is the Sequence.

Task 1b: Use of Costumes

Task 2: Use forever loop. 
(Iteration: (looping) forever and repeat can be used for iteration. It is repeating a series of instructions)

Task 3: Use glide script for some movement.

Task4: Use Events block to write a script to move a sprite with arrows.

Task 5a: Draw shapes by using repeat and calculate how to draw different shapes. 

Task 5b: (Iteration) Click on link and do a screenshot when finished.     http://bit.ly/1V2rIdp

Task6: Include an IF statement. (Conditional statements - if and if else check for a condition)

Task 7: Include Music or make you own audio. eg. if it is a story.

Task 8: Use broadcast to send a message from one sprite to another or to the stage,

Click on link for an example:    http://bit.ly/1UNgE4m

Task 9: Conditional Statements: if else check for a condition. and keyboard input with the quiz.

To add a quiz: using broadcast, if else, sequence and variables.

Click here to see example of a quiz.  http://bit.ly/1MLOpA1

Task 10: Use the drawing feature by painting a new sprite or stage.

Example of drawings;   http://bit.ly/1RGtFqm

Task 11:To insert images from the internet without breaking copyright laws.

click here for example: http://bit.ly/1RVnl3A

Task 12: Use decisions, whereby clicking on one sprite can bring you somewhere else depending on which sprite you click.  Or click on a sprite to get to the next level.  

Task 13: Use the clone script, eg....

Task 13: Work in groups to evaluate and improve the game.

Here is a webmix of useful websites for coding

: http://edu.symbaloo.com/mix/coding181