ICT, Technology & Mathletics

Coding, Robotics and STEAM

In this rapidly changing world, we are preparing our students for jobs that have not even been created with technology that is constantly evolving. The students at Joondalup Primary are beginning to be immersed in the use of this technology in increasing different ways during their lessons. This year has seen the implementation of Robotics, Coding and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) into one of our year two classrooms.

The students completed a STEAM unit that created the stepping stones in our school vegetable garden over a semester of work. They investigated, measured, designed, revised, sourced and created these stones with the help of our wonderful parents.

The students also began their learning of Robotics with the use of a tiny robot called Ozobot. We started with investigating how we are able to control our Ozobot using simple pen and paper codes. We created a set of instructions and tips for using the Ozobot. Then we linked our coding knowledge to our work in geography and coded a pathway around the world for our robot, stopping at each continent.

We also began using the program Code.org in conjunction with off line coding games to strengthen our knowledge of giving simple instructions to control a computer. The coding program used Angry Birds which we all loved using. Some of the off line coded activities we participated in were codemysandwich.com, paper planes and ‘My Robotic Arm’ which is similar to a game at TImezone.
In third term we began using the ‘Scratch’ App to create short coded scenes on the IPad. The students created some short stories and turned these into a coded program to share with their classmates.

At the beginning of term four we were lucky enough to receive a sample pack of robots as part of an initiative to promote coding from the Education Department. We have loved learning to drive the Dash and Dot Robots and even used our STEAM knowledge to create a carriage so Dash could drive Dot around.