Week Eight Post

Digital Pedagogy
This week explores the nature of digital pedagogy through the completion of several digital learning challenges. In entire form, this topic is harder to cover than those mentioned in previous weeks as it tends to relate more to the tools used in a classroom rather than the pedagogy implemented. As seen in the course material, digital pedagogy is largely about using high order thinking to solve problems. In saying this, skills like project planning, communicating instructions, evaluating alternative designs, collaborating and managing, and making decisions are fundamental when finding digital solutions.


Algorithms
Continuing on from last weeks focus on Algorithm, the course material for week eight explores this concept through simple algorithmic programming. As explained in the moodle video provided, this refers to the series of ordered steps taken to solve a problem. "Algorithm is one of the trickier terms in the Scope and sequence content descriptors of the Digital technologies curriculum" . This concept is explored in the following digital challenges.

Programming a Robot (3-4)
For this digital learning challenge presented, I was required to participate in an Angry Birds game where coding and sequencing is used to direct the bird to the pig.

As the computational skills introduced in the activity are quite simple, I was able to further develop the knowledge I had of digital processing; implementing it in a fun interactive way. Evidently this requires high order thinking to manipulate the data to achieve the desired result. For this reason, I would use this resource to encourage the use of algorithmic programming in my classroom. This is supported by the Australian curriculum in the Year 3-4 Digital Technologies content descriptor Processes and Production Skills.... 





Creating a game 
To complete this digital learning challenge, I was require to create my own online game in the Scratch program. Users program in Scratch by dragging blocks from the block palette and attaching them to other blocks like a jigsaw puzzle. When blocks are structured in interrelating combinations this is called creating a script. This programming method where codes are sequenced together like puzzle pieces is called 'drag-and-drop programming'. My experimentation with this is seen below.  

Instructions: 
The aim of the game is simple. You are required to use the paddle controlled by your cursor to keep the ball from hitting the ground. Every time you hit the ball you receive one point, whereas every time the ball hits the ground you loose 5 points. Click the green flag to begin. Good luck!



Reflection
This digital tool is similar to the program introduced in the previous challenge, as learners are encouraged to find digital solutions by creating algorithms and manipulating the data presented. As mentioned in the moodle video, 'Teaching kids to think using Scratch', the scratch program  demonstrate how software and computer programming works, provides high level challenges for learners of varying ability, encourages students to develop computational processes and vocabulary, supports experimentation, and builds on prior knowledge to solve problems. For these reasons it should be a tool integrated into my personal digital pedagogy. To complete this task, students will need to use their process and production skills to: check existing solutions and identify transferable solutions, use and interpret data, describe their problem, and evaluate each other's solutions. In this way, students are developing computational thinking as well as their process and production skills. This relates to the Aims overview provided in the Digital Technologies area of the Australian Curriculum.








 
References 

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2015). Technologies.

Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/technologies-across-foundation-to-year-10

CODE. (2015). Learn an hour of code. Retrieved from http://code.org/learn

Interactive, V. (2012). Digital Technologies- Algorithms in Plain Enlish. Retrieved from Digital Learning and Teaching : https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=13735