data representation - csunplugged

On Wednesday night I stayed a bit later at school to work on the relief for the next day, as I had a meeting in Wellington. I started last week teaching the students the beginning of data representation using bits.

One of the best resources to support teachers is csunplugged.com

Using the resources the focus was teaching the students to learn binary up to 32 places.

This provides them the start of being able to develop the language required. Symbols also help provide clarity for students as well as they are able to see it visually.

I thought about what we have been talking about at school recently and the focus of my teaching as inquiry. I need to think about how I present some of my information.

So I thought of what Georgi has been suggesting that I do, and that is to start creating videos to help for those visual learners.

The first video is of the instructions for today showing two forms of data representation. One using chalk in the carpark, the other using cards. Using the titles at the start to include what was required. Though next time I might change it to be my voice.

On my way to the meeting I thought I needed to include a representation of a message. Thanks to the wonderful flight attendants who cooperated with the request.

How was the lesson. Going by a few of the glass walls around the school and comments from the teachers, they are seeing binary being used around the school. To have a message come through my my phone at 2:39pm form a student with the correct code answer also showed that they were developing their understanding.

I look forward to next week when the student receives the prize, The Air New Zealand lollies.

I plan on teaching ASCII and unicode next. Considering this week was Maori Language Week it would have been a great discussion.