Tag: css23reloaded

Locked in the DATA base: A data science escape room – Follow Up #CSSscotland23

Recap

Huge thanks to Data Education in Schools for running this session!

Agents K (Kate Farrell) and J (Jasmeen Kanwall) guided recruits through a series of taxing problems during this escape room event. 

Brief: You were working late on paperwork from your recent DATA mission and you’ve realised that you’ve been locked in the base. Solve the puzzles to get out without setting off the alarm.

Description of learners’ task: Learners use graphs and tables of data about theme park rides to answer questions. The answers to the questions provide them with the alarm code to be able to escape the base.

The recording of the activity is not yet available, but you can carry out the escape room task with your learners yourself by visiting https://dataschools.education/resource/locked-in-the-data-base/

Resources that learners will require

  • Access to a calculator or calculator app
  • Rollercoaster data sheets (printed or electronic) – one copy between 2-3 learners
  • Questions Worksheet (printed or electronic) – one copy between 2-3 learners
  • The resources are on the data education website
  • There is also an optional pre-activity logic puzzle, also available on the website.
  • Access to an internet browser to check if you manage to escape!

Further Activities

If you managed to escape and are looking for a new mission, why not try:

Agent Briefing Logic Puzzles

Find the Vikings Secret Lair

Stop the Time Heist!

 

 

Build an AI Smart Classroom Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

Recap on session and resources

During this session, Brian explored machine learning using the website machinelearningforkids.co.uk. Learners were guided through one activity where learners trained a machine learning model to recognise different ways someone might ask for a light to be switched on/off or a fan to be switched on/off, tested this model and used the model to build a virtual smart classroom using Scratch.  

This activity is one of many available on the site.  The smart classroom activity can be found here The live lesson was based around the shorter version of the activity.

You may want to check out the Intro video first before following the lesson.

Introduction

YouTube player

Smart Classroom Walkthrough

YouTube player

Next Steps

Once you have completed the smart classroom activity, you may want to 

  • add a new device (sprite) to the classroom like a television
    – give it an on and off costume
    – add 2 new buckets to the machine learning model to turn it on and off
    – add appropriate phrases
    – update the model
    – add new code to the Scratch program to operate the television
  • try the full version of the activity
  • explore the other beginner activities looking at text, images and numbers – you can use the filters to make sure you find beginner Scratch projects

Microbit Hot Potato Game Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

Recap

Lorna Gibson from the Micro:Bit Education Foundation guided learners through a coding activity to turn you micro:bit into a (virtual!) hot potato!  This particular activity looks at using loops and variables to create a timer.  The recording of this session didn’t work very well, so here is an alternative instructional tutorial from Micro:bit.

Next steps and related activities can be found at the bottom of this post.

The Hot Potato Game Demo

YouTube player

Video Instruction from Micro:Bit

YouTube player

Acknowledgements: Videos on this page originally created and hosted at Hot potato game | micro:bit (microbit.org)

Next Steps

  • can you think of another use for the random timer? For example, you could try to code your micro:bit so that at some point during the school day it alerts you to get active – eg the message “Do 10 Star Jumps” could appear at random.  

Related Micro:bit Activities

Makecode Arcade Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

Callum Croughan, Mary Frances Stewart, Zoe Shanks and Alistair Mackay –  Digital School Digital Pedagogy Practitioners guided learners through building a maze game using Makecode Arcade

 Learners explored aspects of computing science such as variables, algorithms, parallel programming and loops.

Resources 

YouTube player

Follow Up Activities

Your Data Selfie Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

This live lesson saw Craig and Daniel from Cyber Skills Live guide participants through using data about themselves to create an abstract self portrait using code. (This is activity 5 on the website).  All of the coding is done in a web browser with no other software required.  Larger screen devices are preferable as learners are required to edit code.

Teacher support / next steps

  • You can follow the instructions online and carry out all the activities with your learners. Please visit Code Your Own Data Selfie (cyberskillslesson.com)
  • Screen shots from one of the activities are shown below.  Learners can take a copy of the selfies they take after each activity.
  • As a follow up for teachers, Craig and Daniel recommend checking out the Cyber Skills Live website, which has over 20 other activities.
  • Pupils can learn about cyber security and learn “How To Rob A Bank“, or find out how artificial intelligence is used to protect animals in Africa in “Defend The Rhino with Data Science

Screenshots for Cyber Skills Live Data Selfie (Activity 3)

Example Code Activity

Example Instructions

Example Output

Games Design Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

Resources from Games Design Workshops 6/11/23 and 8/11/23

Amanda Ford from West College Scotland took participants through Game Design techniques focussing on the purpose and scope of the game, followed by a session on level and character design.

The resources are available for you to use as you wish. You can use the slides to prompt discussion and design ideas for games.

The order in which they were used was…
 
Monday
 
Wednesday
 
Amanda has suggested some design lesson plans available to download / edit / use:
 
 
 
Additional
Towards the end of the second session we talked about using your hand drawn designs in your Scratch programs. A quick demo of this was shown.  The videos showing how to do this are below.
 

Video Resources

Use Powerpoint to get your hand drawn images into Scratch
YouTube player

Create sprites from real world objects using Powerpoint
YouTube player
 
 

Exporting transparent images using Keynote on iPad (they can be used in Scratch!)

YouTube player

Adding your own objects to Scratch as a Background or Sprite
YouTube player

App Prototyping Workshop – Follow Up #CSScotland23

Resources from App Prototyping Workshop from 8/11/23

We hope you enjoyed the app prototyping session with our colleagues from Inspire Learning in the Scottish Borders. The presentation from the Inspire Learning team can be found here

You can make use of the app prototyping design sheet below:
 
 
Here are the follow up videos that will help support you and your learners create their app prototypes using Keynote, Powerpoint or Google Slides.
 

Watch out for the Inspire Learning Christmas digital skills 2023 sessions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUQbUd-jk:

Video Support

Keynote and Powerpoint demo on prototyping:

YouTube player

Google slides how to make links:  

YouTube player

A 10 minute video of how developers at Apple use Keynote to create App prototypes 

YouTube player

DigiLearnScot App Prototyping Tutorial from Digital Learning Week

YouTube player