Dear Parents and Carers,

Computing newsletter – Terms 3 and 4

Media literacy: Everyday digital skills

There is rarely a moment that we’re not online in some way. It might be scrolling on the phone while having lunch, streaming the radio while hanging the washing, or checking the group chat while queuing at the supermarket checkout. It’s a basic, everyday part of life. Making sure your family is switched on when it comes to their online media literacy skills and habits is more important than ever. ParentZone offer some tips on how you and your family can start to consider:

• Content – and how to be critical of what you see and hear 
• Data – and how to protect your privacy online
• Environments – and how to be wary of the places you go online 
• Consequences – and how to understand the impacts of your actions online 
• How to participate positively

https://parentzone.org.uk/Everyday-Digital/Skills

Worried about online scams?

You know the local streets and dark alleyways you’d avoid at night. You should treat the online world just the same. Scams can happen in many online spaces, from messages and inboxes to gaming and social media. Being wary in online environments can help you stay safer and spot if you or your child may be at risk. Understanding how spaces in the online world are connected, which parts are risky, and how they could affect your family can be just as important as knowing how to stay safe when out and about. Read the full article here: https://parentzone.org.uk/Everyday-Digital/Environment

AI chatbots

AI chatbots are designed to replicate human interaction. Some can function as service tools (e.g. customer service helplines). But increasingly, AI services are being developed to function as ‘virtual companions’, responding to conversations, and assuming an appearance through the use of avatars, chatbots learn about users from the information they input via text or voice chats. ‘How artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots affect young people’s mental health’: https://parentzone.org.uk/article/coded-companions-young-peoples-relationships-ai-chatbots

Purple Mash

In September, we introduced our new computing scheme Purple Mash! Purple Mash offers a wide range of curriculum activities, resources and games specifically to support learning for primary aged children. Children can also log in at home with their individual log-ins here: https://www.purplemash.com/sch/cotham#/. There’s also a Year 6 Purple Mash club Thursday lunchtimes.

Here’s an overview of our Purple Mash learning in Terms 3 and 4.

Year 1: We’ve been thinking about technology outside school and starting to use spreadsheets – using our new Chromebooks!

Year 2: We’ve been presenting ideas and pictures – using our new Chromebooks!

Year 3: We’ve been learning about online safety and using graphs and spreadsheets.

Year 4: We’ve been learning about online safety, using 2Logo and 2Animation to code shapes and create short animation sequences. 

Year 5: We’ve been learning about online safety and 3D modelling.

Year 6: We’ve been learning about online safety and creating our own quizzes.

For further information on computing and/or e-safety, please speak to Seth Insall (Safeguarding), Hannah Bayat (Computing) and Beth Latham (Computing) or your child’s class teacher.

We wish you a great half term and a very Happy Easter!