Week 0000 0110 ( Binary Code ) 

Wow once again I feel like a fish out of water. I have just got my head around design challenges and bam! Now I'm facing another 6 weeks of computer speak. I can honestly say I have never really come across Binary Code on any level in my schooling. Having attended high school from 2002-2006 these in depth computer skills were only covered in advanced ICT electives which I can say I had neither any interest in or skill at.

So I went into this week of Binary Code with very little experience or clue. I began by reading through the moodle site information, I can't say at first this was not any real help in fact in just made my brain swim with 0's and 1's. Then I came across the Binary Baubles lesson plan, this lesson plan was set out well and it enabled myself to really understand the purpose of why and how we as teachers, can teach Binary Code to students. There was some great ideas in this PDF and by reading through. I was able to successful write the numbers 1-10 in Binary correctly on my first go. I felt really proud of myself and had to admit I was actually enjoying myself and very keen to learn more.

Next I went in and played the Binary Game by Cisco. This was very fast paced but I found myself getting the answers right. This game would be great for older students in grades 5 and up. I only say this as it was very fast paced.

After connecting and experiencing ways of teaching and learning with Binary Code I can see why it will be beneficial to students. I understand now how Binary Code is used and why it is important for students to understand how and why it is used. According to the Australian Curriculum rationale for the technologies strands students need to learn to work with traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies  so they can understand the technologies that shape the world we live in (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015). I can see links between students learning Binary Code and this idea from the rationale as it would help students better understand how technologies work and process information. This could lead to students assessing how we could use technologies to better process information and aide us in our everyday lives.

My Binary Code Game
After assessing the resources and videos on moodle, I have devised this game to teach students Binary Code. To start with pick 8 students to be the numbers (128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1). These students stand at the front with their binary number written on a card. Individually the teacher picks students to come up and create the number written on the board by the teacher. To do this they must decide if their peers are switched on or off. To switch a number on the student gets their classmate to stand up. To switch off they sit the class mate down. The teacher and the rest of the class decide if they have the correct binary number to match the teachers number. So for example if a teacher writes 19 on the board, the coder would switch on the peer with the 16 card the 2 card and the 1 card. So the students would be sit, sit ,sit, stand, sit, sit, stand, stand. Representing 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 as the Binary Code for the numerical number 19. The teacher can switch up students to make sure all students get a turn at each part of the game.

From this week I have learnt to have more faith in myself when it comes to these types of skills. I actually found Binary Code interesting and at times fun. I will endeavor to teach this element of digital technology to my students so that hopefully they come away feeling the same sense of understanding and achievement that I have personally felt this week.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Ed 7.3), (2015). //Australia Curriculum,// Canberra, ACT: Author, retrieved from www. australiancurriculum.edu.au/