Diane Gordon

Information for teachers

 

This resource is a learning experience that has been created for use in year 5 to 6 classrooms. The learning experience is presented on Blendspace, a free web tool for teachers to collect resources in one place to form an interactive lesson for students. This online learning experience is designed to give students an understanding of how digital systems use whole numbers, that is the binary system of numbers, to represent all data. Students are also required to collaborate online using agreed ethical, social and technical protocols. Students collaborate and share information and ideas using Padlet walls that are set up for each collaborative area.

 

Students should develop an appreciation of the processes through which technologies are developed and how technologies can contribute to societies. However students also need to consider the use and impact of technological solutions on ethics and social values. This learning experience will expose students to how digital systems use technology to function and in addition will give students the opportunity to collaborate with peer in discussing ethical and socially acceptable ways to communicate online.

 

Students should be allowed to progress through the series of learning experiences that comprise of videos, online activities, contributions to collaborative Padlet walls and quizzes at their own pace. A series of lesson should be used to allow enough time for students to view and complete each activity and revisit learning experiences if needed.

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Important Note

Students should be familiar with the use of Blendspace and Padlet before this series of lessons. Specifically, students should know that they access each learning activity in the Blendspace lesson sequence by clicking on the small circle in top right corner of each activity and can return to the lesson sequence by clicking on the cross, or close window button of each activity. Similarly, students should be made aware that they can contribute to the Padlet space by clicking on a vacant area on the wall and adding a 'sticky note' style comment.

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A quick tutorial for teachers on Blendspace can be found here

 

An online tour of how to use Padlet can be found here

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Content descriptors

 

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems (ACTDIK015)

Modified Elaboration

Recognising that digital systems represent all types of data using number codes that ultimately are patterns of 1s and 0s (called binary digits, which is why they are called digital systems) and converting numbers in the decimal system into binary and converting binary numbers into the decimal system. 

 

Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Plan, create and communicate ideas and information, including collaboratively online, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols (ACTDIP022)

Modified Elaboration

Exposure to online ethical and social protocols and the opportunity to post own ideas regarding these protocols and collaborate online.

 

 

 

Curriculum Key Ideas

 

Systems thinking

 

Students will gain an understanding of the complexity of digital systems and the system that is used to store and transmit all data using digital systems. Students will also appreciate the consequences of unethical use of digital systems and the possible social cost to themselves, their peers and the community. 

 

 

 

 

General Capabilities

 

Literacy

Students use literacy skills to navigate through the Blendspace learning environment.

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Numeracy

Students will use existing numeracy skills and learn additional skills while learning about the binary system and converting between the decimal and binary systems.

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Information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities

Students use ICT capabilities to navigate through and complete tasks in the Blendspace environment. Students expand their knowledge of how ICT operates and their own ethical and social responsibilities when using ICT devices.

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Personal and social capabilities

Students explore how to manage online relationships through their collaboration on the Padlet board and exploring social online responsibilities

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Ethical Understanding

Students will gain an understanding of online ethical behaviour when viewing video and collaborating on the Padlet wall with their peers. 

 

 

 

Cross-curriculum priorities

 

Sustainability

Students will gain an understanding of the ways social systems interact to support human life and society.

 

 

 

 

Differentiation

 

Content

Learning activities are presented in small, sequenced steps. Content can be revisited by students many times to reinforce understanding.

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Resources

Resources are visual, audible and interactive which will appeal to a wide variety of learners. Unnecessary detail is not included and there is a minimal requirement for reading which makes the learning accessible to many more students.

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Differentiated Instruction

Content can be retaught through mulitple access of resources. Students understandig is supported and scaffolded through peer interaction via a collaborative online resource. Students can access learning activities at their own pace.

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Differentiated Student Output

Students have choice on what they contribute to the collaborative online resource. 

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Differentiated Assessment

Students can access assistance when completing formative assessment tasks in the form of quizzes and worksheets. Students can work at their own pace when completing formative assessment tasks.