Category : Computing

Year 2’s Computing unit this term has been exploring Computing Systems and Networks. They have learned about the topic IT All Around Us. In the first lesson they learned that IT is a computer or something that works with a computer.  They then sorted different objects into two categories; IT and not IT.

In our second lesson they learned about how we use IT in school. They looked at the IT we have in our school and thought about the purpose of the IT we have. They then sorted several IT by their purpose.

In our third lesson, the children learned about IT beyond school. They thought about the features of different IT and sorted them into two categories; IT found outside and IT found inside!

During lesson four, the children learned about how information technology helps us. The children explored the roles of a barcode, scanner and till in a supermarket during the lesson and they learned about how these work together.

In lesson 5 the children thought about how to be safe using IT. They helped Jessica identify the rules she was breaking when using IT.

Finally, in lesson 6 they learned about how to use IT in a variety of ways and how to be mindful of the time they spend using IT.

Our new unit in computing is “Creating media – Digital writing”

 

Lesson 1- Exploring the Keyboard

This is the first lesson in which Year 1 have experienced using a computer to create and manipulate text. In this lesson we familiarised ourselves with word processor and thought about how they might use this application in the future. The children also identified the different keys, before adding text to their page by pressing keys on a keyboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2- Adding and Removing Text

In this lesson, the children continued to familiarise themselves with word processor and how they can interact with the computer using a keyboard. We focused on adding text as well as exploring more of the keys found on a keyboard (such as the numbers). Finally, we began to use the backspace button to remove text from the computer and learned how to create a finger space using the space bar key. We also briefly touched on how to do a capital letter using the shift button.

Year 5 have enjoyed celebrating Safer Internet Day! We discussed how technology has changed over time and how we would want technology to look in the next 20 years.

This week Year 1 were introduced to the Bee-Bots.

Bee-Bots are robots that need commands to make them move.

We spent time linking outcomes to each button.

The commands we learnt were:- forwards, backwards, turn, clear and go.

This week our focus was following the rules we talked about last week, which were:-

Hold your device carefully

Stop using your device when someone is talking to you

Only use the apps you’re asked to

Take turns with your partner

The children worked in pairs on the app https://ncc.io/drag to complete puzzles and mazes, using their trackpad skills.

They were able to follow all the rules and all really enjoyed working together with their partners, as they were able to help and share each others successes.

This week our focus was about using computers safely in our school setting.

First, we looked at why we have rules in school and how those rules help us.

After some discussion, we found at that rules enable us:-

To stay safe

To make sure we are all happy 

So that we can learn

To help us to be good people 

Next, we looked at how we can apply this understanding to rules needed for using computer technology safely. Our 4 main rules in Year 1 are:-

Hold your device carefully

Stop using your device when someone is talking to you

Take turns with your partner

Only use the apps you’ve been asked to use

Finally, we recapped on all we had learned during our technology lessons.

We know that technology is something that has been made to help others, that we have different types of computer technology, that we can name the different parts of computers and that we have used a mouse and keyboard to draw pictures and write words.

 

This week, Year 1 continued to develop all their new skills learnt over the past two weeks.

We are now all confident using the track pad and are able to use the keyboard to type our names.

We explored the tool bar more this week, finding out that as well as change colours and type, we could make shapes, fill with colour and use a spray paint effect.

This week we also discussed and looked at saving our work, so we can work on it again.  We understand that we need to save it as something sensible so that we can easily find it again.

After completing our lesson this week, we were all able to place our laptops in the charging station and carefully plug the lead into the correct hole.