Digitech/Lego Club

Digitech 

What an interesting few weeks we’ve had! Week 2 saw my good friend Mic Lowne introduce our new topics whilst I was away. Week 3 saw the need to suspend Digitech to enable me (Mr Evans) to support classes in the smooth running of our first NAPLAN Online, and a big shout out to our amazing Level 3 and 5 students who made a smooth transition.  

Week 4 and we were back on deck! Level 3 and 4 have been gradually developing their skills using a Photoshopesque online program ‘Photopea’ and are doing a great job refining their abilities each week. This week, they’re using layering and sampling to integrate a foreign item into another picture… such as a watermelon into a basketballer’s hands!  

Level 5 and 6 have been programming the LEGO EV3 rover robots and have begun using sensors and motors to perform automated tasks. Of course, the most enjoyable part so far was a little bumper-car program where we sent all the robots into the middle of a circle and watched them mindlessly bump into each other and knock each other over. But it’s always so much more fun to learn with a smile on your face! 

Some of the Level 2s got to have been able to have a go with our new BricQ Motion sets that were part of the prize we received as a result of the competition to become a LEGO Education Brand Ambassador I entered last year. I think it would be fair to say the students loved the builds and got particularly excited when they realised all of the builds have some kind of animation, reaction or special skill involved in their movement. Think simple machines and basic engineering all wrapped up in the fun of LEGO bricks and minifigures. 

LEGO Club 

I’m sure many of you noticed that our favourite TV show reappeared on channel 9 at the start of the term and my weren’t our students excited about it (though more than one mentioned they were disappointed I didn’t make a cameo appearance). I absolutely loved the amount of technical challenges this season and have been inspired to emulate them and break down some of the mechanical designs they included. As a result, we have a highwire currently set up in the Digitech room! Students in LEGO Club have been able to see these machines in action and then take part in a bit of a twist on a previous LEGO Masters challenge by having to create something that hangs from the wire. I wish I’d taken a photo of every creation so far as there have been some truly inspired builds! From monkeys to rockets and everything in between. I can’t wait to see what the next group manage to build! 

A bit of housekeeping – As much as I’d like to publish all the future dates for the LEGO Club rotations, I’ve been reluctant to as whenever I am absent, the session is postponed to the following week, having a ripple effect for the rest of the term. My sincere apologies for this. I do, however, make an announcement each Wednesday and I send some senior helpers to collect the Foundation students on their week. Also, as I’ve made the contribution optional this year, I’m more than happy to have students who haven’t signed up come visit a session and see if they enjoy it. Next year we will be going back to official sign ups, so now’s a good chance to see what it’s all about if your child is curious or has friends that attend. 

Ryan Evans

Digitech and Lego