Inputs and Outputs

We've had a great time with Year 2 Learners in the Exploration Station over the last few weeks.  They've enjoyed learning about what an algorithm is and creating their own algorithms, as well as debugging their algorithms once they'd tested them. 

Our Year 2 learners worked together in groups to talk about what they thought a digital device was.  They came up with a few criteria but weren't one hundred percent sure so we're going to keep looking into what makes something digital.   

We also talked through what we thought the inputs and outputs for each device were.  We shared other devices we had at home or had seen before and what their inputs and outputs were too.  Other inputs we noticed were keys, trackpads, light or lack of light (a sensor) and microphones.

We then got to design our own creation that had an input and an output.  Some of us created things we'd seen before others decided to create completely new devices.  

Year 1 Algorithms

Some of our youngest learners have been back in the station this week and enjoyed figuring out how to write their own algorithms.  We used resources from Barefoot Computing to learn about algorithms.

An algorithm is a process or set of rules or instructions to be followed.  We can create algorithms for computers using code.

Learners thought about a character that they could teach someone else how to draw.  The all tried drawing Mrs Lee's Mr Monkey character by following her algorithm.  Then they worked with a buddy to and told their buddy their algorithm to create a character they had thought of.  Their buddy had to follow their algorithm to draw the character.

Here are our Mr Monkey drawings

We talked about how a set of instructions we give a computer is called an algorithm.  We need to be really specific with our instructions because computers only do what we've told them to do. Sometimes we need to debug those instructions if the computer doesn't do what we intended.

Each learner got their computer (a classmate) to follow their algorithm to create their character. Learners then debugged (changed, added, took away) their instructions and asked a different buddy to give them a go.

Here are the instructions we created and a few photos of us working the process of creating them and testing them: