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This document is intended to inform and support primary school teachers in their professional development in this difficult area of ICT skills. It is strongly recommended that the entire document be read, as an understanding of the complete control strand is desirable in order to teach it effectively. However, access to individual units can be gained by using the links at the side of the page. What is Control and Sensing in the Primary Curriculum about? For as long as there have been computers there has been computer control. Industry, commerce and research in many fields employ computers in controlling machines and physical processes. In the UK school curriculum, computer control has been present for nearly 20 years and the UK has led the field, internationally, in the educational exploitation of this technology. Unlike most of the strands in the ICT curriculum where it is possible to pick up a unit and teach it with little knowledge of what came before or what will happen afterward, this is not advisable with the control and sensing strand. It is important to know what experiences the pupils have had and what they will be moving onto because if the children miss links or concepts it is difficult to progress their learning. Hence, it is advisable that all primary teachers have an overall understanding of the complete strand. |
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How is Control introduced in the Primary Curriculum? The full document can be viewed at the
following address: The main objectives of this unit are as follows:
The objectives are delivered through practical sequencing
activities and PE sessions - not a computer in sight! However, there
are simple programmable robots such as the Pixie that can be introduced
at this stage to provide children with the opportunity to practice their
programming skills. Find out more about Pixie at the following address:
http://www.swallow.co.uk/pixie/pixie1.htm
Programs such as 2simple's Infant Video Toolbox can also be used to give pupils on-screen experience of these important skills. Teaching and learning activity
The full document can be viewed at the following address:
The recommended equipment for this unit is:
These activities are concerned with developing the
skills for creating and recording sequences of instructions to control
the floor turtle, predicting and testing results through a geographical
context. However, there are many cross-curricular applications for the
use of this type of technology in the primary classroom (see the following
link for suggested activities). One of the main benefits of working with a programmable
robot is that through its use, even the of youngest children come to
realise the importance of care when entering instructions and that the
order (syntax) is important. As they explore, they build up rules for
themselves. This is a wonderful opportunity for the development of language
skills. Research has shown that "when using control in the early years,
children talk and listen, revise and review, evaluate and refine the
use of their language in order to be understood and to achieve their
joint goals".
The QCA scheme of work for ICT does not have a control
unit in Year 3. However, it is suggested that because control can be
used in so many curriculum areas and because of the benefit it brings
to children in the development of skills and knowledge, there is a good
argument for continuing its use across the curriculum. The full document can be viewed at the following address:
The main objectives of this unit are as follows:
The children move from a 'concrete' approach to control to an on-screen simulation. They also move from writing basic sequences of instructions to writing procedures (a list of instructions saved under a name). The programming language used to write the instructions is 'Logo'. Logo was devised in the 1960's by Seymour Papert and was specifically designed for use by learners, including children. An important concept guiding its creation was the principle of 'low floor, high ceiling' i.e. easy to use for beginners but it has no limits - within Logo is the ability to manipulate, control or respond to all areas of computer technology. Most programs using Logo feature an on-screen robot or 'turtle'. The children type in instructions to make the turtle move. Papert felt the turtle was an 'object to think with' and was a powerful way to be introduced to the idea of programming. Logo teaches problem solving, logical thinking and constructive methods and allows the user to interactively create and manipulate mathematical processes. If you would like to find out some more information
about Logo or find some activities that can be used in the classroom
try the links below: There are many Logo programs available commercially that are suitable for use in the primary school:
Superlogo
Granada Logo provides endless opportunities to develop problem-solving and investigation skills. The wide range of project ideas shows teachers how they can use Granada Logo across the National Curriculum. The program utilises five predefined levels, each with a progressive feature set that makes it suitable for all abilities. A range of turtles, backgrounds and resources, appropriate for each level, is also provided. MSW Logo - a simple but effective logo program
that can be downloaded from the Internet from the following address:
http://www.softronix.com/logo.html The control technology strand of the QCA Scheme of Work begins in Year one with children responding to instructions and sequences of instructions. In Year two children program a robot with instructions and sequences of instructions and in Year four children are taught to write computer programs in the Logo language. In Year 5 and Year 6 we are still essentially concerned with programming computers to carry out instructions, known as commands, and sequences of instructions, known as programs. In so doing we can make the computer control electrical devices such as bulbs, buzzers and motors. The skills taught in units 5E and 6C, along with those taught in science, can be applied to good effect in technology.
The full document can be viewed at the following address:
http://www.edutechsystems.co.uk/EduTech_Primary/Lesson_Plans/Lesson_Plan_Year_Selection.htm
A beginner may draw one flowchart to turn the security
floodlight on when it is dark and off again when it is daylight. Another
flowchart could control an on/off sequence for the inside house lights
after dark, and yet another to set and detect the alarm system. This
progression of flowcharts provides the differentiation needed for each
pupil. More experienced users can introduce sub-routines [e.g. for car
park barriers, automatic doors etc]. Variables may then be applied to
repeat procedures, to count cars, or used to trigger different flowcharts
[e.g. so industrial processes can be synchronized]. The solutions can
be 'modelled' by testing them in a simulation mode on the 'mimics'.
These pictures are animated to show the effect of the outputs, and you
can 'click' on sensitive areas on the mimic to trigger the inputs. A
wide selection of mimics are available but the 'Mimic Creator' allows
the user to produce their own. When a suitable interface is connected,
the real situation can then be controlled. The 'Flowol Graph' window
can data-log the analogue and digital inputs as line or block graphs
and monitor the response of the outputs.
The next unit in the scheme of work focuses on the following skills:
http://www.west-borough.kent.sch.uk/ictunit5f.htm
- click on this link to find out how West Borough Primary School is
using a data logger for work in Geography and Science. The next unit in the scheme of work focuses on the following skills:
The full document can be viewed at the following address: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes/it/itx6c?version=1
www.ict.oxon-lea.gov.uk/ICT_docs/CONTROL_AT_KS2-3_%20SOME_ANSWERS.pdf.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/assessment/y6-control.html.
http://www.primaryict.info/control_help.htm
There is a fine line in this type of work between telling the children what to do ("Your program will need to repeat itself X times"), and teaching them the skills needed to develop their ideas ("What happens if ………? How can we make sure that……..?"). The temptation is to try to cover more ground than the children may be ready to understand. With experience, the teacher knows when to ask the question: "Have you thought of trying….?" Pupils confident to progress will respond positively. A negative response, or replies like "We haven't tried yet...That sounds hard!" mean that more practice is needed. With this type of work it is important that children have as much time as they need to experiment with the template programs. They need make changes, and see and understand the effects of these changes, before they move on to designing their own programs or adding more sophisticated parts. Programs should be built up stage-by-stage with additions and amendments as pupils realise the need. This is especially important when classes may have more than a week between turns. Unless foundations are secure, each new session involves a lot of revision and/ or direct teacher intervention. Program writing is not a trick to be learned, but a logical sequence of ideas. We all remember the days when children were asked to write instructions for a simple task, then forgot the most fundamental. Control gives an opportunity to solve open-ended problems. The child's understanding of each stage is paramount. Pupils with the understanding and confidence will naturally develop more complex programs.
here is no question that the control and sensing strand of the QCA scheme of work for ICT is one of the most difficult elements to deliver in the primary school. However, as access to better equipment and improved training for teachers occurs, it is hoped that the skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils gain through programming benefits them in a range of areas of learning, vocational and life skills. The aim of this document is to provide a rationale for the teaching of these skills and knowledge and to set this against a range of equipment and activities in order to provide a context for teaching and learning. In considering this document,
it should be noted that inclusion does not constitute endorsement of
the company or product. Similarly, omission does not denigrate products
or organisations. Without prejudice. |
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