|
The Thirsty
Tiger
A Week with Mr Wolf
Rosie the Hen
Before introducing the Pixie, give
children the opportunity to talk about controlled devices in their familiar
environment (e.g. controlled toys, remote control for the television,
video, etc.) If you press the big button on the photocopier, you get
one copy. If you press the forward arrow on the Pixie, it goes forward
one step.
These activities use a Pixie Playground.
This is simply a smooth white board with a wooden rim to stop the Pixie
falling off. It can be used on a table top or on the floor. It's possible
to draw on the playground with a dry marker pen. You can purchase for
£30.00, or make your own. A pattern with instructions is on the Swallow
Systems site.
Various mats may be placed on the Playground.
The teachers at St Mary's drew and laminated their own. However, it
is worth purchasing the Pixie grid (£10), which is already marked
out in blank Pixie-sized squares. The grid is made of transparent vinyl
and you may put your own pictures underneath it, so that the Pixie does
not ruck them up.
There are many cross-curricular opportunities.
The Pixie grid is marked with co-ordinates, enabling map exploration
at a simple level. The association of key presses with counting may
support children's understanding of ordinal numbers. The experience
of controlling the Pixie also supports understanding of quarter-, half-
and full-turns.
In ICT, children take an important
step when they progress from giving commands one at a time, to entering
a sequence to move the Pixie from A to B. A child may say, "Go
forward 2 steps, turn right and go forward again." This is programming,
believe it or not - a program is simply a sequence of instructions,
carried out step by step, which we can test and modify.
These activities assume that the children
already have familiarity with the Pixie keys, ability to count squares
on the grid, and some understanding of turning right or left. They are
ideal for encouraging children to predict and enter a sequence. They
show the range of creative contexts, and the scope for dressing up the
Pixie and building a scenario. All you now need is your imagination!
Now visit:
Instructions for making a Pixie Playground |
