The Curriculum Through ICT Program

Ideas Bank

Technology & Enterprise

AN ELECTRONIC BIG BOOK INQUIRY

Task:

Students worked collaboratively to create a whole-class electronic big book.

How:

The electronic big book was based on students' text innovation of a well known Australian children's story. Students researched and reported on Australian natural environments and animals before creating their text innovations. These were sequenced using presentation software.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, online task delivery (via intranet), presentation software.

AN ONLINE QUIZ: THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Task:

Students created an email-based quiz to demonstrate their learning about the Solar System.

How:

Students learned how to organise their time, create a quiz with questions appropriate to their audience, advertise it to the school and email. They worked in groups to create their quizzes, evaluate responses and select the winners.

ICT used:

Word processor, Internet, email.

HOT AIR BALLOONS: DEMONSTRATING LEARNING WITH ICT

Task:

Students used multimedia presentation software to demonstrate their understandings about how hot air balloons fly.

How:

The students took digital photos of their models before and during testing. These photos were imported into slide presentation software. Students recorded audio to explain their understandings about how hot air balloons work. Some also added text and/or graphics.

ICT used:

Digital cameras, recorded oral speaking, presentation software.

PRODUCTIVE PICTURE BOOKS

Task:

Students produced a picture book based on a narrative structure, using either text and pictures, or through pictures only.

How:

Students drafted and edited their stories. For the pictures, they created backgrounds, "cut-out" characters, animals and objects. They arranged the characters and other features on the background as a temporary collage and photographed each picture using a digital camera. Each story was photographed this way, printed and made into a book.

ICT used:

Digital cameras, word processor.

MAKING MOVIE TRAILERS

Task:

Students explored transferring written texts to visual texts by creating movie trailers.

How:

Existing movie trailers were analysed and a set of criteria developed for identifying an effective movie trailer. These criteria were used as students storyboarded, filmed, edited and reviewed their drafts. Draft movie trailers were test-run with a target audience and feedback helped students to develop their trailers further before final publication to CD.

ICT used:

Digital video cameras, video editing software, CD creation.

NEWSPAPERS

Task:

Students created newspapers intended for an audience of parents and the local community.

How:

The purpose of the newspapers was to give the audience an in-depth view of the day-to-day activities of the class and school. The students took on the roles of journalists, editors, advertisers, designers and photographers working collaboratively to recreate the processes involved in producing “real” newspapers.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, email, digital cameras, word processor.

PROTECTING AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL

Task:

Students created an educational resource to raise community awareness about an endangered Australian animal. The resource could take the form of radio jingle, TV advertisement, poster, audio-visual presentation or other form selected by the group.

How:

Students decided what information was needed, then collected and organised it. Groups initially presented their findings to enable peers to assess what was missing. They refined their information before creating their educational resource. Draft products were reviewed by peers, the teacher and a local CALM Ranger, then improved and published.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, email, school intranet, word processor, presentation software.

SNACK YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

Task:

Students devised, produced, evaluated and promoted a high-energy health food bar suitable for a high performance sports person.

How:

Students used critical thinking tools to analyse the ingredients and health claims of commercially available health food bars. They also researched a chosen Australian athlete’s diet. Finally, they devised, produced, evaluated and promoted their own high-energy health food bar.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, online task delivery (via intranet), word processor.

SOUVENIR PROGRAM FOR THE SCHOOL MUSICAL

Task:

Students designed and created a souvenir program for the whole school musical production.

How:

The class investigated commercially made souvenir programs and agreed on criteria for developing an effective program. Students used these criteria to plan and draft souvenir programs using word processors, inserting digital photos where appropriate. Drafts were peer assessed and edited. Finished products were bulk printed in colour.

ICT used:

Digital cameras, word processor.

THE ESSENTIAL CARD SET

Task:

Students collaborated to design, manufacture and market a set of greeting cards.

How:

Firstly, enterprise opportunities were explored. Students then worked to express their ideas and feelings about the specific topic of each greeting card. They used arts elements and principles to realise their ideas, using traditional and ICT arts processes to create the images and texts.

ICT used:

Digital cameras, image manipulation software, word processor.

VALUES: A DIGITAL RESOURCE

Task:

Students created a series of movies to explain a number of values to students in a junior primary class.

How:

Students selected a value to demonstrate, discussed the target audience, brainstormed ideas and used a storyboard to plan a movie. They worked in groups to take digital photographs or digital video and used video editing software to edit and add text. Movies were reviewed and improved before publication.

ICT used:

Digital still and video cameras, video editing software.

ZOO ANIMAL REPORT QUEST

Task:

Students collaborated to create a series of eBooks (electronic book) about zoo animals for use as a learning resource by Early Childhood students.

How:

Students conducted research about a zoo animal of their choosing, paying particular attention to features of that class of animals and adaptations of the individual species. They summarised their findings in reports which were storyboarded and turned into eBooks.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, digital images, concept mapping software, presentation software.

STATE OF EXCITEMENT: PROMOTING AUSTRALIA TO THE WORLD

Task:

Students designed and created a promotional product, complete with a supporting oral presentation, to promote one of the states of Australia to international or interstate visitors.

How:

Students analysed different promotional materials and used the resulting criteria to inform their own design. Relevant information was identified, selected and organised. Draft products were critiqued using the criteria by peers and tourism commission reps. Oral presentations were crafted and the products launched to a live audience.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, email, word processor, presentation software, desk-top publishing software, CD creation.

TEACHING ICT SKILLS IN THE COMMUNITY

Task:

Students devised, delivered and evaluated an ICT skills training program to meet community needs.

How:

Students investigated community need for ICT skills training and researched adult learning styles. They made contact with senior citizen "buddies" in the community and designed a learning program to meet their needs. Lessons were delivered and evaluated by the student and by their buddy; further feedback was given by the teacher.

ICT used:

World Wide Web, email, word processor, concept mapping software.

JAPANESE STORY BOOKS: CREATING A SCHOOL RESOURCE

Task:

To create a range of Japanese language textbooks for use by upper primary students.

How:

Students identified the Japanese language learning needs of the target group. Using this information they drafted fictional recounts and narrative stories in Japanese. Following review and editing, the books were published as a print resource and as eBooks.

ICT used:

Presentation software using Japanese character sets, recorded oral speaking, digital images.