Science Lab Days a great success.

Science lab days were a great success. Eight primary schools visited ,over the two days, to participate in a variety of STEM challenges.

Engineer, Trevor Olsen, was on hand to lend coding support to the electronics projects.
Medina School attended to demonstrate the sensor potential of the BBC Microbit.
Barton school children acted as technicians to support children from the other schools.

2 weeks to go!

Dear Colleagues,

 

We are now 2 weeks away from the first Island wide Primary coding event (fanfare!)

Here are the plans so far. Please contact me if anything is incorrect.

Schools attending Thursday 16th June.Wroxall   St Blasius.  Honeyhill   Brighstone  Niton  Summerfield

Schools attending Friday 17th June.Wootton  Yarmouth and Shalfleet  (Godshill Arreton Oakfield Chillerton mixed teams) Bay Primary  Broadlea?

Schedule for each morning

9.15-9.30 : arrival and refreshments.
9.30: welcome and introduction.
9.45 : circus of activities begins. Groups of 6 to rotate around a variety of coding challenges.
These will include Mr Trevor Olsen (inventor of GPIO box). Medina School pupils will be demonstrating their early work with The BBC Microbits.

11.45 Feedback and demonstrations of good work.

12.15 finish. Schools are welcome to stay and have packed lunches here. If it's nice we could all eat them on the field. 1 pm event finishes.


Hopefully this should be great fun for everyone. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any queriesAndy Fessey

Code-it day Friday 17th June.

So far 8 primary schools on the island have indicated they will be sending teams of 6 children to our Science Code-it day.As part of the grant award from the Primary Science Teaching Trust, Barton School pupils will be sharing our learning and resources with other local schools.

Participating schools: yarmouth,Shalfleet, Niton, Wootton,Wroxall,St Blasius,The Bay,Summerfield.

Dear potential code it participants,

Thank you for responding to this idea. It will hopefully be fun and a chance to cross pollinate.

I am not any kind of specialist but am exploring the potential of new technologies.

My plan so far is to have a Science/coding challenge using scratch linked to GPIO boxes.

I would also like to have examples of other coding for the children to experience.

Perhaps each school could bring something along to share as well? I'm very happy for suggestions.

Many thanks

Andy Fessey

Great video release by Graham Hastings.

A guide to using Raspberry Pi with the GPIO interface.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQGedyDcfA&feature=youtu.be

Date	Activity	Science link
1-3-16	Blink To write a scratch code that activates the LED on the gPiO box Connect wiring to external bulb. Children are to try out different inputs Notes: Trained up Reece and Taylor to cascade this through class. Difficulties with space to set up all the equipment.	Building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components, for example, switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They should learn how to represent a simple circuit in a diagram using recognised symbols.
1-4-16	To broadcast for varying amounts of time controlled from code Add a buzzer as fog horn Children are to try out different inputs Lighthouse code	Pupils might work scientifically by: systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit; designing and making a set of traffic lights, a burglar alarm or some other useful circuit.
	What is the password? Burglar alarm. http://resources.gpio.co.uk	Pupils might work scientifically by: systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit; designing and making a set of traffic lights, a burglar alarm or some other useful circuit.
1-5	Create simple tunes using sonic pi. Match to tuned (vibrating) glass bottles.	Sound
	Design a Science quiz
1-6	Day of code- schools invited to attend. A series of challenge activites for IOW schools.	June 2016

PSTT College Bid

College Fellow/Member name : Gail Eagar School : Barton Primary and Early Years Centre Email address : gail.eagar@bartonpri.iow.sch.uk
Background to the project There are a number of schools in special measures/requiring improvement, the majority of schools prioritise literacy and numeracy.  Last year, our school (based in the most deprived area on the Island) was also in special measures.  Barton school ensured that Science was still of high importance.  Through good quality Science teaching and leadership, standards and attainment were raised in both in Science and other subjects. In May,  OFSTED rated us as a ‘good’ school.  Now we want to take this achievement one step further and support other schools to help them raise the standard of the teaching and learning of Science. As technology is at the forefront of Science and learning, we want to make a ‘Science Technology lab’ for schools on the Island to use.  Recently, a new member of staff (Andy Fessey) joined us. He has the knowledge, vision, drive and enthusiasm to support this venture.  He has been trialling different ways to enthuse his students in Science.  Using new technologies, he found that children from disadvantage backgrounds (of which there is a high percentage in our school) were more switched on and eager to learn through the use of technology.  He found that by teaching Science in this creative/technological way, supported raising the standard of not only Science, but computing, literacy and maths skills.  (Evidence of this available on request).
Description of your project  Our project idea is to have a ‘Barton Science Tech Lab’.  In the lab will be up to date technology to help children investigate Science using the latest digital equipment. (See equipment budget breakdown).  The ‘Science Tech Lab’ is a project that will bring Science to children in a way that is interesting, relevant, engaging and motivating to Barton them. The project – when up and running will be child –led, with older children modelling to younger children and those from other schools.  The equipment will enable our school and other interested schools to teach parts of the new primary Science curriculum in ways that we have not been able to do before due to lack of equipment.
Impact Staff lack knowledge of how to use technology linking with Science.  So this project will enable teachers to receive the training required to become more confident to use the different technology. The project will give the children from Barton the opportunity to be ‘tutors’ to the children from Barton and other schools.  This will help raise the attainment and enthusiasm of Science.  Using technology (i.e. ipads) will help the SEN/less able children to record orally and give them a sense of achievement at being able to speak about what they find out instead of the frustration of trying to write about it.  Higher ability children will have the opportunity to move forward with their own learning, by helping others learn and the freedom of trialling new tech in their own way. Pupil voice showed that last year, when the children were taking part in Science lessons using technology- they were motivated and engaged.  Children (-prioritising those from disadvantaged backgrounds/SEN/LA will have access to ‘Barton Science Lab’ once a week after school to help raise attainment in Science.
Shared Practice Science coordinators will be invited to an open evening. As the Island is quite small, we will be willing to share the facilities with any schools that are interested.  (We can make a cluster of specific schools if required). We will host a ‘Science Technology’ day which other schools can bring children to sample what we have to offer. Interested schools will come and use our facilities. When the project is established – Barton will host child-led joint Science technology projects.
Evaluation Staff questionnaires Pupil voice Feedback from other schools Work scrutiny Progress measures
Timescale Activity Funding By beginning of December Ordered equipment needed   (See equipment needed breakdown) £8997 £200 supply cover By the End of December Set up ‘Barton Science Tec Lab’ £400 supply cover By the end of January Children from KS2 introduced to ‘Barton Science Tech Lab’ Regular Science lesson taught in lab £0 Feb Barton Staff training £200 supply cover to prep for training session April All children from KS2 to access ‘Barton Science Tech lab’. £0 Spring term Local engineers/experts to work with children in lab £300 £200 supply cover May Science co-ordinators to visit ‘Barton Science lab’ for open day £200 supply cover to prep for open day June Schools from around the island have a ‘taster’ session during Science technology day. £200 supply cover Summer Term Schools from around the island use the ‘Barton Tech Lab’. £1400 time out of class Summer term Local engineers/experts to work with children in lab x 2 days £600 £400 supply cover
Time out of class needed & Science engineers
Time out of class to order equipment & set up the lab (3 days x £200)		£600
Time out of class to train Barton Staff (1 day x £100)		£200
Time out of class to support other schools using lab (9 days x £200)		£1800
Expert engineers: (3 days x  £300)		£900
Time out of class to work with engineer so that info can be given to other schools.  (3 days x £200)		£600
Equipment needed
Digital microscopes (2 x £50)		£100
Rasperry pi, cases and external hub (5 x £30) (£50)		£350
7 inch LCP monitors with keyboards (5 X £70)		£350
Raspberry Pi cameras (3 x £25)		£75
Connecting leads		£100
GP10 boxes: (5 x £70)		£350
Mini ipads (30 x £200)		£6000
Digital stop watches (20 x £5)		£100
Data loggers (2 x £150)		£300
Lab coats:  KS2 size (30 x £13)		£390
Lab coats: 30: KS1 size (30 x £11)		£330
Digital weather station (2x£30)		£60
4 Tronix integrated robots (2 x £66)		£132
Movement sensors 96 x £10)		£60
Headphones 30 x £10		£300
Total request		£13097

Activities and Science links.

Date	Activity	Science link
1-3-16	Blink To write a scratch code that activates the LED on the gPiO box Connect wiring to external bulb. Children are to try out different inputs Notes: Trained up Reece and Taylor to cascade this through class. Difficulties with space to set up all the equipment.	Building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components, for example, switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They should learn how to represent a simple circuit in a diagram using recognised symbols.
	To broadcast for varying amounts of time controlled from code Add a buzzer as fog horn Children are to try out different inputs Lighthouse code	Pupils might work scientifically by: systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit; designing and making a set of traffic lights, a burglar alarm or some other useful circuit.
	What is the password?	Pupils might work scientifically by: systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit; designing and making a set of traffic lights, a burglar alarm or some other useful circuit.
	Day of code- schools invited to attend

The story so far.....

I had introduced a few Raspberry Pis into Barton Primary (IOW) soon after my arrival. I saw the potential of these devices for STEM project work. I wasn't wrong as I witnessed the engagement and interest from the pupils.
I quickly saw the potential to extend their use into other curriculum areas, particularly Science.
In July 2015 a computer engineer visited our school and I saw Arduinos being used to great effect in the classroom. However the components were not user friendly enough for little hands.
Over the summer I investigated other options and discovered a small independent inventor, Trevor Olsen who had created a GPIO box ,with junior friendly components, designed to extend the Raspberry Pi into the physical world. I purchased one and 'road-tested it with my class and could see its potential.
The next issue was finance. Through a generous funding grant from the Primary Science Teaching Trust (secured by Gail Eagar) the school was able to buy 10 GPIO units and Raspberry Pi peripherals.
This blog will chart our progress in applying their use to further our understanding of the Sciences.