Week 6

Using the Binary Code

Learning the binary code has been a very big challenge for me. I found the information I was trying to process very confusing so it took me a very long time to begin to grasp this concept. I have learned that the binary code is what is used for digital circuits and to begin to understand this you must understand how the binary code works. This concept is something I am sure most people will not use in their lifetime but as it is part of the curriculum, it must be taught. 

The word Binary means 'two' and therefore only uses two numbers - 1 and 0. 

The image below helped me to understand the concept of Binary numbers, however, I am still trying to get my head around it. 

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies outlines binary numbers as a year 5-6 concept under the content descriptor:

• Investigate how digital systems use whole numbers as a basis for representing all types of data (ACTDIK015)

My little understanding of this concept means that at this stage my pedagogy surrounding this topic is very limited. Through research on the topic I have seen it taught in games such as the dot game, memory, true or false and puzzles. Until I can completely grasp the concept I haven't felt comfortable creating a game to teach it. Other factors that might influence teaching this concept in the classroom could be student diversity and community values. The diversity of the classroom will affect the effectiveness of teaching this topic as we are faced with many different types of learners, some who may grasp this concept easily and some (like me) who struggle to gain an understanding. Another example is that Indigenous students require tasks to be related to real world concepts and this is something most students will not use in their adult lives (Dhinawun Consltancy, 2011). To add to this, the values of the community (including parents) will be another consideration as some parents may not see this topic as an important concept in relation to numeracy and literacy. For me, I struggled to see the real life relevance for the students and that almost deems this irrelevant at this age. 

Dhinawun Consultancy. (2011). 101 Effective Teaching Strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students. Retrieved from www.dhinawun.com.au.

Maths is Fun. (2014). Binary Digits. Retrieved from http://www.mathsisfun.com/binary-digits.html

Info-graphics

This task was more my style. I am very creative so this task was fun and and gave me an opportunity to continue to expand my knowledge on the binary code. Infographics are used to encourage visual literacy and are described by Chiara Ojeda to do the following: 

1) to grab an audience’s attention (students as we know have short attention spans).
2) to pare down ideas, theories, and content so students can not only understand the information more easily but retain information longer.
3) to challenge students to think critically about course concepts and create a non-traditional mode of composition/communication.

I believe that the infographics could be used in the classroom to promote creativity and digital thinking if they were used as an activity to describe a topic. I found the website easel.ly extremely easy to navigate and this would be a website students could use as well. Of course, resources are a consideration for this activity as the school may not have the technology to support the students (for example, computers). And once again, student diversity is another consideration as some students will require further assistance to be able to complete the activity. 

Below is an example of an infographic I created on easel.ly outlining the binary code. This is information aimed at educators and would need to be adapted to suit the needs of the students if it was going to be used in the classroom.  

Infographics fit into the technology curriculum under the following year 3-4 content descriptor: 

• Work with others to plan the creation and communication of ideas and information safely, applying agreed ethical and social protocols ACTDIP013