Welcome everyone to the biscitmx.com blog. At this stage what I hope to do is post a weekly blog, why only weekly? Well, like most of you I am busy working. At the moment I am working four and a half days, teaching Yr.1-10, so life is a little crazy. I am learning new skills across a range of subject areas, including furthering my Digital Technologies knowledge. This semester I am currently teaching coding to Yr. 1/2, Yr. 5/6, Yr. 7/8 and Yr. 9/10.

Last semester I focused on using OZOBOT robots and learning how to code by colour and block coding. We coded with textas and paper, iPads and computers. My Yr. 9/10 class explored augmented reality and how we can use it in a real world environment.

This semester some classes are learning about robots and are coding with the OZOBOT for the first time. My Yr. 7/8 class are beginning the journey in using and creating with script code. We are using Microsoft Small Basic, a very simple start that is user friendly with a series of lessons available online to help get them started. I like Small Basic because it is FREE, always a bonus, and because of its simplicity. I didn’t want to scare students off with complex script writing. We have also been looking at the history of gaming and gaming consoles. Students are playing and writing reports on a game (pre 1999). It has been fun with me having serious flashbacks to my childhood…Pong anyone? The students have had previous experience block coding and creating games with Scratch. As we become more familiar with Small Basic script coding we will create our own retro style game.

On my learning agenda is 3D printing. I hope to teach myself Tinker cad and get our newly purchased 3D printer up and running. My first project is looking at printing ‘print blocks’ to use in both my Textiles and Graphic Design classes. I am hoping that this may reduce the time frame required when creating lino print blocks, and perhaps the quality of the prints onto fabric or paper. I will let you know how it goes. Any advice would be very appreciated, so please do share what you have tried, what worked or what didn’t.