When I was in primary school, it was all chalk-and-talk; using a blackboard and copying notes into our books. Now we have interactive technology including whiteboards and these fabulous tables. They're excellent for individual and small group work, particularly during Literacy Group work.
WeDo
.... Lego Education as a Stage 1 Robotics cocurricular activity. Lego
offers a variety of robots/machines for students to build and program,
including Lego Mindstorm NXT for older students, and WeDo for the
younger. WeDo allows students to follow instructions to build up to 12
different robots (with the basic kit). Students then use simple drag and
drop software to program their robots to complete specific tasks. Here are a couple of different robots my Stage 1 students completed during WeDo Club:
The "Goal Keeper" is programmed to move in front of the goal to block it.
The "Sleeping Giant" is awakened and moved using a crane.
The "Drumming Monkey" beats a tune and bangs his arms.
This is the most amazing and comprehensive ICT resource site! Check it out!
It contains weblinks to just about every online classroom resource you can imagine - from music to mathematics, classroom management to languages, English to PE webtools - this guy has researched and added it to his wiki.
This is a collection of some of my favourite web tools for primary classes:
Story Bird is a great website where you can write a publish electronic story books using artwork supplied by a range of artists.
Blabberize is a tool which allows you to make an image speak by selecting an area that reacts to voice.
Little Bird Tales is a great site that allows students to write, illustrate and narrate their own stories.
Wacky Web Tales helps students practice parts of speech, grammar, reading and more. Students first chose a story title and then create an amusing short story.
TesiBoard has a vast collection of interactive online resources for Stage 1 students.
This is Alpha Rex. He is a humanoid robot made using Lego Mindstorm NXT hardware and programming software.
As a Robotics coordinator, I provide a weekly cocurricular activity to primary students to make and program robots.
Students
follow a series of instructions to construct a variety of robots and
program them using Mindstorm software. Touch, light, sound and
ultrasonic sensors can be programmed to complete specific tasks.
Robotics
provides students the opportunity to pursue self interests whilst
challenging their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Here is a Robotics Club evaluation sample sheet I made for students to fill out upon completion of their cocurricular lunchtime Robotics Club:
I take lots of photos and video footage of completed robots so that I can make a movie for assembly at the end of each term. Parents are invited and they enjoy seeing what their children have been involved with in Robotics Club.
