Friday, 23 November 2012

Scratch Lesson Plans (Making Pacman)

As the emphasis is strongly on teaching children the art of programming these days, I thought I should dust off my Scratch Programming lessons and bring them back to 5th and 6th grade.

I created a series of lesson plans that gradually built up a Pacman Game, and I have to say it has been way more successful than my previous attempts at creating animated stories.

I will summarise and then give the Learning Objectives followed by lesson plans and examples.

Summary: The game produced will have a maze that two different pacmen will race around to try and eat as much food as possible. The aim of this Two Player Game is for one player to eat more food than the other and this gain more points to become the winner.

Learning Objectives:

LESSON 1
Learning Objectives
I can…create a new stage
I can…create a new background
I can…create two costumes for my sprite



LESSON 2
Learning Objective
I can…give Pacman Controls and movement
Success Criteria
I can…make pacman open and close its mouth automatically
I can…give pacman controls using the arrow keys


LESSON 3
Learning Objective
To make Pacman go back to the start when it touches a wall
Success Criteria
I can…use an IF CONTROL  (IF pacman touches a wall he goes back to the start)


LESSON 4
Lesson Objective
To give pacman something to eat
Success Criteria
I can…add a new sprite which pacman can eat
I can…add a VARIABLE (which will be like pacman’s score for every time he eats)


Extra Objectives
For fast finishers I also encouraged extended learning to include:
  • Adding Sound effects when pacman walks, hits a wall or hits a ghost
  • Adding a ghost that glides freely around the maze. When in contact with a pacman it sends the pacman back to the start

If you want to look at the Lesson plans with specific instructions, then you can download them here:







Friday, 24 August 2012

iMovie Lesson Plans for 6th Grade

Here's some more lesson ideas for you. Every year I like the kids to make a News Broadcast video so I have to create an example for them and show them exampls of previous year groups.






This year I want the kids to follow these guidelines:

- Produce a video 3 minutes long
- Work in pairs
- Choose a school related story to report on (real not fiction)
- Use iMovie
- Include an "over the shoulder" camera technique for the interview

You know what? Maybe its easier for you to just watch the videos:

GUIDELINES



OVER THE SHOULDER CAMERA TECHNIQUE



A FINISHED EXAMPLE



Monday, 6 August 2012

Sketchup Lesson Plans for 6th Grade


I think I will start to share some of my resources online now, I have spent years raping and pillaging the Internet for ideas and plans so its time to start giving back.

I am nearly finished a project with sketchup where the kids have to design a new building for the school. Obviously you can modify the details a bit, but use the same principles and resources that I have made.

It is a 5+ lesson project, which takes the kids from zero knoledge to having the skills to create 2 floor buildings with windows, roof and other imported objects from the 3d Warehouse. It ends with the building being imported in to Google Earth.

By the way, the kids love it!


I can share with you the Learning Objectives and Videos that I have made and if you do like them, then let me know.

Learning Objectives: Follow this link 

Videos

Lesson 1: (Found on Youtube)


Lesson 2: Made by me


Lesson 3: Made by me

Lesson 4:Made by me


Thursday, 2 August 2012

ICT in Education - Further Study Options

I have been looking for a long time, around 6 months, to find an online course to bolster my ICT in Education knowledge. For me, the online education market is absolutely the way forward so I want to get more involved. I want to get more involved in the identification, design and development of online solutions to deficiencies in specific learning areas, be it K12, University or corporate.

I have looked at a number of blogs such as the following:










......................................................

And here is my own list narrowed down as best as I could:

1.     BOISE state University
Workplace E-Learning and Performance Support
Phone: (208) 426-1312
    

2.     San Diego University
            Instructional technology Certifocate
Telephone: (619) 594-6718


3.     University of Walden
Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology
CALL THEM +1.443.627.7222


4.     University of Wisconsin
    Instructional Design Certificate
Phone: 715/232-1088
GOOD TO GO. But the Instructional Design course. Seems very theory based

5.     George Washington University
Certificate in ELearning
local (202) 994-1701
                TOO EXPENSIVE

6. Emporia State University
                620-341-5385
Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology
              

7.     Massachusetts, Boston

I like!