Modelling Software
Modelling in relation to computing is not the kind in front of a camera. It is very similar to simulation - it is a way to try something, test out that ' What if?' scenario. It allows you to undergo some trial and error before making the real thing.
Modelling and simulation can be (and is!) used in areas such as aeronautics, design, medicine and architecture.
We looked at some modelling software and websites designed for children:
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| My Modelling Toolkit |
- My Modelling Toolkit - designed for KS1 children, this software allows you to try all sorts of things, from designing your own monster to arranging and decorating your room.
- Purple Mash - this site has a huge range of simulation and modelling activities, from designing a car, to constructing a maze.
- ICT Kent - on this site are a collection of modelling programs from designing your own garden to simulating the perfect roller coaster or parachute landing.
- Poissant Rouge - this site has no words on it at all and is very play based, so would be great for an EAL child as there would be no language barrier stopping them interacting with the material.
These were all incredibly simple to use and would be very engaging for children. They could be used in a wide range of subjects, from the more obvious ones like DT, to others like Science (making predictions, testing ideas) and Maths (thinking up strategies, seeing patterns, understanding 2D and 3D shapes) and even provide inspiration for Literacy work.
Programming
Moving on to Programming, we looked at software and websites where this could be developed with children in the classroom. Progressing on from using a physical object and programming it, children can begin to program virtual spaces, places and things.
Microsoft Logo
This software is the closest I have seen to what I would understand as programming. It allows you to move an arrow in any direction you like, and in doing so can make shapes and designs which get more and more complex according to how confident you are with the software.
What's more, the commands themselves can get noticeably more complex, with a facility to program in certain shapes which only need one command to be drawn but which you need to tell the computer to create first. There are particular commands which need to be used, so if using this with a class I would have to make sure I had a worksheet with them all listed so as to prevent any unnecessary confusion and frustration.
Once again, in using this software children are drawing on a vast pool of skills and knowledge. they have to understand shapes, angles, degrees, geometry. They need to have good spatial awareness, and be able to think ahead and strategise.
Scratch
This software moves into a kind of games-based programming. You choose a 'sprite' and get them to do things in sequence. You are able to customise your sprites surroundings and add music and sound effects too, though these all need to be sequentially programmed by selecting certain commands and putting them into a kind of jigsaw to create a 'script'.
This felt more like an animation than gaming, as there was only one path or outcome for the programmed sprite. However, I thought it was very user friendly and can imagine children enjoying using it and it acting as inspiration for a variety of different cross curricular activities; like writing a story about your sprite or a fictional geographical report on where it comes from.
In Reflection...
I can see where things like programming and modelling fill a kind of void which other forms of activity cannot fill; being able to try things out infinitely and incredibly abstract logic puzzles like those on Logo certainly develop skills which ICT can uniquely provide. I do think that children should be encouraged to try things out for real where possible, but I know that is not always possible, and in these cases, activities like simulating a parachute fall or a roller coaster enable children to apply their knowledge a little further than they would have done other wise.
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