Week 5 : Modelling and Computer Programming

Today's lesson began by looking at 'modelling' - This term obviously has many meanings but in ICT it is used to describe when a computer simulates something. It allows the user to test ideas and designs on a computer before creating them in the real world. These days nearly every new product that comes to market will be first designed and tested on a computer. When talking to children about using modelling programmes in the working world I would speak to them about architecture. I would ask children to imagine the building that we  were in and think about what you need to know before you build things. With older children I might mention a programme that is most commonly used CAD (Computer Aided Design). In this discussion I would hope the class mention that walls of buildings need to fit together, you need to know where to fit windows and doors, you need to know how a building will fit in a given space. I would then ask them to think how designing a building on a computer first will help achieve these things. The message I would be trying to get across is that we can use computers to try things out before we commit ourselves to the real thing.

In the classroom it can often be safer and more practical to use a computer to model concepts. Programmes such as 'my modelling tool kit' allow children to decorate cakes. They also challenge children with questions such as 'who's birthday is it?', and 'how old are they?' to help them plan the decoration. There is also a fantastic website, Purplemash (Link to website) which has so many different features. In the ICT lesson today I played around on it and had a go at designing Polygons and Buses, on 2simple software, using a net design that can be coloured in. There are lots of other different things to explore, with some members of the group looking at building maps and mazes.

The website also features a programme on 2simulate that simulates situations children might find themselves in.

A further website that I would recommend is part of the Kent Trust (who in general I have found brilliant for all things IT!). The website is Make and Do and has many different ideas to work with children. To have a look follow this link. There is also http://www.poissonrouge.com/ which is great for EAL children. I would use all these websites to help children understand about modelling, particularly in maths and design technology. It would strengthen children's ability to visualise and increase their spatial awareness. These are also key skills for science.

With designing mazes it is a brilliant way to get children to start thinking about how computer games are designed. It provides children with an insight into the background of what goes into the process of designing computer games.

Logo and Scratch

The second part of our lesson focused on both of these programmes which are computer generated versions on beebots and pixes (Link to previous blog). I remember using Logo at school and the pictures it draws make me thing of spirographs. See below picture (if you weren't born in the 80's!)

Logo is a simple programme where you 'programme' the curser to move and make shapes. It can be used to draw simple shapes, or more complicated designs. What is brilliant about Logo, is children will be able to see how a code such as 'Repeat 12 [Repeat 4 [Fd 50 Rt 90] LT 30] can create the below shape.

This is important to show children as it will help them start to understand about computer programming (similar to thinking about designing computer games). It demonstrates how powerful one code can be and it will hopefully enthuse the computer programmers of the future.

Logo in the classroom

Logo is brilliant for mathematics. Children can explore; angles and spaces, gain knowledge of shape and polygons; and begin to understand programming. Focusing on shape in particular, children may struggle to draw and make shapes by hand so Logo is able to do this effortlessly for them. The software requires persistence as it can take a while to come up with the correct code which fits into 2c of the IT KS2 National Curriculum, developing ideas and making things happen.

Scratch 
I've never seen scratch but it is an extension of Logo as it involves programming characters using commands such as 'move x degrees right'. However, the characters are much more interesting than logo, you can have cartoons, photos, objects. There is also an option to set a background, use sound effects, more advanced movements such as glide, and you can also have more than one character. Children can create scenarios that are scenes from a story, or part of a computer game. Scratch is therefore brilliant to enhance IT skills, but I would be using it in English and Drama. An idea I had in class was to use Scratch to set a scene that would start a story. The class would all have to design their own opening science and then write the rest of the story.