Below is a draft/’work in progress’ of my suggested course outline for Years 5-10 in Queensland. This is very similar overall to what I have designed and implemented over recent years at Somerville House and St Peters Lutheran College.
Contact me for more details or to discuss teaching and tutoring your children through this program.
Digital & Design Technologies Course Outlines:
Year 5 DDT
- Robotics:
- While the Fable Robotics System (as implemented @ Somerville House) is brilliant, it is rather expensive. A cheap alternative as an introduction to Robotics and Coding of robotic devices is the Sphero Bolt or Tobbie the Robot II Kit (~$60) – best with a Microbit as well (~$35)
- Another alternative is the Sphero Robot Balls. The Bolt is the best ($300) but the mini-ball is still ~$100
- Binary Numbers – https://mycomputerbrain.net/
- Logic – https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/logic-overview.php
- Digital Citizenship – (Website or blog) – using template web site (WordPress, Wix or Adobe Creative Cloud Express [1] – https://express.adobe.com/sp ) creation tools to create a site with blog posts on digital citizenship
- Coding with Grok [2] Blockly plus Grok Cyber Units
Year 6 DDT
- Coding with Tynker/Grok Blockly – expand on Year 5
- Robotics & Augmented Reality – using Tynker & Computer Brain
- Logic – https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/logic-overview.php
- Coding with Drones – also possible via Tynker classes
- Collaborative Project – Digital Game or Premier’s Coding Competition [3]
- Physical Computing: Microbits & related projects (~$35)
Year 7 DDT
- Diagrammatic Coding with Tynker – Game Development
- 3D Design – Design & TinkerCAD Project – build a village or game tokens
- Digital Literacy Course (Microsoft Online)
- Online Communications & Social Media – mostly theoretical – learn ethics, cyber safety; security and cyber issues such as cyber bullying …
Note: The B4 simulator at https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/bk-overview.php is a good analog for the B4 Computer Kits with a very similar user experience. Access to the simulator is significantly cheaper than purchasing the kit. For students with a MyComputerBrain License and the the binary, logic, AI courses, then there would be no extra cost for them to use the B4 simulator. This is an excellent and appropriate extension across Years 5 – 9.
I could also demonstrate and help guide the use of the B4 Simulator with a physical B4 if students were engaging in my lessons.
Year 8 DDT
- Digital Media Design with Adobe Creative Cloud Express – https://express.adobe.com/sp
- Posters; Web Page and Video creation – Project – promoting a club or hobby
- Coding Project – Grok Intro to Python
- Robotics – Maze Challenge with Sphero Bolt or Mini-ball
- Drone Coding (Tello Drone)
- Artificial Intelligence Introduction
- Graphic Design Extension – Adobe Illustrator and Logo Design Project
Year 9 DDT
- Introduction to Digital Systems & Networking
- Computer Basics – Hardware and Software & peripherals
- Web Module 1: Intro to HTML5 & CSS – Website Design from scratch with Visual Studio Code
- Web Module 2: Website Design – Adobe Dreamweaver/Bootstrapping/Javascript modules
- Computer Animation with Adobe Animate or equivalent – Animated Advert Project
- Coding with Python – Game Project
- Physical Computing using the Microbit & Inventor Kit
- Virtual reality using CoSpaces
- Graphic Design (Adobe Photoshop)
Year 10 DDT
- UX Design, HCI & Accessibility Issues
- Algorithmic Design – Structure Design Charts
- Software Programming – Javascript Project
- Information Systems, SQL, & Social and Ethical Issues [4] Folio
- (incorporating live data & IoT’s)
- Design Project:
- Wearable Design;
- Fashion Design,
- Sustainable Design,
- Web Design and/or
- Animation/ Mobile Phone Apps
- Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality
- An Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking
Extensions:
- Coding with React
- Mobile App Development with React Native
- Gesture-based coding
Note: Other very valuable courses are available via https://mycomputerbrain.net/
Virtual B4: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/bk-overview.php
Computer Graphics: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/graphics-overview.php
Primary School Starter: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/psk-overview.php
Artificial Intelligence Introduction: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/ai-overview.php
Algorithms: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/aek-overview.php
Logic: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/logic-overview.php
AI with a Virtual Robot: https://mycomputerbrain.net/php/courses/ai-robotics-overview.php
[1] The new version of Adobe Spark is free. Some of the other Adobe options involve some subscription fees but there are economical options for Homeschool groups/classes.
[2] Grok Learning: There are some free modules but for a small monthly or semester fee you can be art of Ethical Technology Education’s classes.
[3] https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/events-awards/awards-competitions/premiers-coding-challenge
[4] Textbook recommended for Year 10 is Gift of Fire – https://www.amazon.com.au/Gift-Fire-Ethical-Computers-Internet/dp/0130082155/
Ethical Technology Education 