kids
ISSUE 5 — TERM 3, 2021
technology 4 learning
Your classroom in the cloud Connecting and learning from anywhere
kids
technology 4 learning WRITERS
’S
EDITOR
Note
Yvette Poshoglian Sandy Phillips Joachim Cohen EDITORIAL TEAM Mark Greentree Linda Lazenby DESIGN & LAYOUT Aditi Verma For more information and teacher notes visit T4L.link/T4Lkids
T4L Kids is a magazine that is published by the T4L team at ITD for NSW Education. All rights are reserved.
HEY THERE T4L KIDS!
This issue is jam-packed with challenges and braintwisting ideas to get your creative juices flowing! Whether you’re working in the cloud or offline, you can put your ideas to the test with the 6 challenges contained inside. Can you design a website for a brand-new business? Can you save $$ and grow your pocket money?
to share with your class? Don’t forget to share your GENIUS creations with us! There are fantastic prizes up for grabs so start getting your entries in as soon as you can! Have fun in the cloud and stay safe online. Mark Greentree Editor-in-Chief
Could you and your friends create a podcast
How to use this magazine 1. There are 6 challenges in this magazine! 2. Each challenge has a goal, some handy hints and resources to help you along the way. 3. You might complete some of these challenges while you’re online and some while you’re offline! 4. Each page has a handy tip to help you if you’re working offline! 5. Share your ideas with us and be in the running for some great prizes (NSW public schools only).
NEED MORE IDEAS?
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Don’t forget to check out the other editions of T4L Kids for ideas to help you with this issue’s challenges!
T JUS NG! DI D I K Q: A:
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LoL!
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compu What do a snack? s! Microchip
Before you get started... When you’re working online it’s important to remember to be safe. Here are some of our top tips for staying safe online: 1. Think about who else is online and who you might be sharing information with - brush up on your digital citizenship knowledge. 2. Never share personal information online. 3. Make sure your passwords are strong and secure.
What makes a strong password? Connect the words to create smart instructions for strong passwords. • Start with a memorable ______________________. • Only you and your _________________ should know your password. • Never use any ________________ identity information in your password. • Create passwords with at least _____________ characters. • Use letters, numbers, and ___________________ in your password.
Word bank: 1. symbols
2. eight 3. phrases 4. private 5. parents
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CREAT E A G A ME
Why create a game? Gaming can be lots of fun – especially if you challenge yourself to create your own! Games can help us solve real-life problems in the world. They can also be characterbased or situational.
What skills do I need? Game developers are very creative people. Coding is just a part of the skill set required – have you thought about the storyline, location and problem for your player to solve?
Try these tools! MakeCode Arcade Try the inbuilt tutorials and Skillmaps to build your skills before you create
Hot
tip!
Swift Playgrounds Watch the demos, brush up with Everyone Can Code - and then get playing
Google Earth
Read Issue 1 of T4L Kids it’s all about game design!
Discover some of the features of Google Earth including Timelapse and using Voyager
Working offline? Grab some cardboard and create a board game or play one you already have to get ideas!
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B U IL D A WE B SI T E
What skills do I need? Some of the jobs involved in building a website include web development and coding, web design and layout and content creation. Think about what your website’s landing or homepage will look like – will it draw people in or turn them off. What is the purpose of your website? Is it to share information? Are you launching a business? Do you want lots of traffic? Think about your audience and what purpose your website serves.
Why build a website? Websites can help share information, create business, report on news or build a movement. They are usually a set of web pages housed in one location with single identity, or idea.
Try these tools!
Hot tip!
Google sites Watch this episode of T4L Kids TV to get started
Sway Watch this episode of T4L Kids TV to get started
Make your website distraction free with these tools: • Reader view on iPad and Mac • Immersive Reader on all devices • Read Issue 3 for more on website building
Working offline? Why don’t you draw a mindmap of your website and plan and design the homepage?
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WRIT E & PUBL IS H A STO RY
Why publish a story, poem, news report or information article? Writing and publishing stories can inform, entertain and inspire others. Are you a budding journalist, poet or author?
Hot
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What skills do I need? If you’re a good storyteller, can make people laugh with a joke or if you have a way with words – you might want to be a writer.
Try these tools!
PowerPoint
Word
Create a persuasive presentation - head here for tips
Bring your words to life with Word
Keynote
Everyone’s an Author
Turn your words into an interactive presentation
A program featuring ten Aussie authors sharing their best tips for writing + ten videos
Docs
tip!
Collaborate with other writers on a story – check out Google Docs help
There are 10 Learning Journals to download for each chapter of Everyone’s an Author.
Working offline? Pick up a notepad and pen and sniff out a story in your neighbourhood!
PRODU CE A PODCAST
What skills do I need? Are you a creative genius? You’ll love podcasting. It involves writing scripts and planning, recording with your voice on microphones, producing and editing recordings, adding sound effects, and then publishing and sharing – there are lots of different jobs involved.
Try these tools!
Why create or produce a podcast? Podcasts are an incredibly popular way to share information and entertain. Podcasts can be factual, informative, or creative.
Hot
tip!
Student podcaster Watch this online course for kids - there are oodles of ideas for your planned podcast!
Digital Learning Selector The DLS has lots of other ideas for podcasting and recording with different tools
Try voice recording on a device like a mobile phone.
Working offline? Write your own script on paper and try making your own sound effects!
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Why build a budget?
B U IL D A B U D G ET
Budgets can help you plan what to do with your money – and even how to make it go the extra mile. Planning to buy a new bike, or even build a new community garden at school? You’ll need to know how much money you will need for each project. Budgeting helps by seeing where you could save more and spend less.
What skills do I need? Maths skills, like addition and subtraction are great for budgeting – but using a spreadsheet might help you with watching the dollars grow – even a simple formula can help you plan and prepare your spending.
Try these tools! Google Suite - Sheets
Microsoft Off ice 365 – Excel
hink spreadsheets are just T about numbers? Explore Pixel Art in Google Sheets while you learn about formatting.
Discover the mathematical functions of Excel on T4L Kids TV
For more support, go to Google Sheets support
For more support, go to the Excel Support Centre
Apple Numbers Hot
tip!
Learn how to make numbers tell a story with the power of Numbers on iPad and Mac For more support, go to the Apple Numbers help centre
Whatever you want to do in life, budgets are going to play a part. Watch Teenage Boss on the ABC to meet some young entrepreneurs!
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Working offline? Grab some paper, a calculator and a ruler and create your own spreadsheet!
Why code?
SOLVE PR OBL E MS WITH COD I NG
Do you think about big problems and wonder about how to solve them? Using coding, you might be able to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges – from saving our oceans, to something smaller like designing a classroom of the future.
What skills do I need? Coders are problem-solvers, and are good at planning out and visualising answers to big and small problems. They are creative, with technical skills and often like working in teams.
Try these tools! MakeCode and virtual micro:bit
Apple Swift Playgrounds
Could you help solve some of the UN Global Challenges with the Do your bit challenge using micro:bit?
Get coding and gaming and go on an adventure
tip! t o H
Digital Learning Selector The DLS has lots of other coding tools
Working offline? Problem-solving? Start thinking about your first steps by drawing a flow chart or diagram.
Watch the nightly news, BTN or listen to the radio - can you find some inspiration for your coding challenge? Read Issue 1 and Issue 4 to find out more on coding steps and tools.
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Sea Museum Think you could locate and discover a shipwreck? The Sea Museum (which used to be the Maritime Museum) has a whole game centre to try out including the Wreckseeker game.
Digital Technologies Hub There are plenty of cool games and resources to try as well as seeing some other student creations that might give you ideas...
ABC TV Education Shhhh....don’t tell your teachers that some of these resources are TV shows! Some of our favourite shows on this online channel include the Wacky Word Show (all about writing), Citizen Code (all about game creation) and Teenage Boss (all about budgeting).
Looking for more fun games, ideas and apps online to try? Check out these awesome f ree resources too & get creative!
coding@homeTV There are 10 YouTube episodes of coding@homeTV which is perfect for anyone who likes watching YouTube and coding (possibly at the same time).
The Student Filmmaker Do you want to make better videos and grab your audience’s attention? Maybe you’re going to make a full-length feature film? Check out this online course made especially for kids.
Totally Tech Do car n’t fo r on er kn get: t m sta o or ows w ake wa ys afe tch hat sure on ing you a p ’ a lin e. - to h re log rent or g e lp 10 you ing
Did you know Australia has a supercomputer? Go on a tour to Canberra and check out these other virtual excursions you can watch from anywhere.
g n i h n t o y ! l r d a e e v ne rt e o p d ou n r i u F y o y Many of the resources in this magazine are tools that you can f ind at the tip of your f ingers. Click on the GSuite button to access Google Docs, Google Earth, Google Sites, Google Sheets and more.
K-2 portal – this is what the junior students portal looks like
Click on the Microsoft Office 365 button to access Sway, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more.
3-6 portal – this is what the middle school portal looks like
7-12 portal – this is what high school students can see
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