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Cogs2Computers, our 2020/2021 project, is designed to support and bring the Red2Green community, the local schools and the public together to learn the history of computers, to enjoy interacting with one another and to learn something new. We are incredibly grateful to all who participate in the National Lottery, as their money allows for these kinds of projects to happen!
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Please visit the websites of our project partners, Swaffham Bulbeck Primary School and The Centre for Computing History!
December 2020
Technology week
R2G teamed up with Swaffham Bulbeck Primary School and The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge to have a week of activities, linking up via MS Teams between the 3 parties.
Activities included a virtual session led by Dr Anjali Das from The Centre for Computing History where she demonstrated how computer programmes work using musical instruments, and lead our clients and learners through the steps, constructing a piece of ‘music’ through computational thinking/methods. Many of the clients enjoyed the sensory side of the instruments, and Neil, an Aspirations volunteers really enjoyed understanding the process too.
We had 2 unplugged games which simulated computational thinking, Paint Feet, and a Mouse card game.
Paint Feet
Clients and the children at SBP stood in different coloured paint and took a card which told them what to do, take 1 step forward, or 3 steps right etc and they had to get to the other side of the canvas, one side of the card had the instruction and one side a code picture which they had to look at against the code sheet. This was an absolute hit with everyone and even our clients with mobility issues joined in and Molly used a sack barrow to simulate her wheelchair and David brought in his walking frame. Reece joined in and the smile on his face said it all, his parents were so pleased that they actually had some photos of him enjoying an activity.
Mouse Card Game
Clients had a pack of cards and laid them out like a maze which had treats along the way. 1 person acted as the mouse in the computer and 1 person was the programmer telling them where to go, 1 move forward and 2 spaces right etc, if they got a treat on the way they got to keep it.
Each group made their own version of this and we saw table top and floor versions, floor versions with them moving people instead of a mouse and a floor version using giant cards. Adam instructed his support worker and found it hilarious, as did everyone else.
Swaffham Bulbeck Primary really enjoyed these games and we linked up through MS Teams for some of these sessions which was lovely, the children’s excitement was infectious for some of our learners and really helped to tie it together.
We also had a Quiz with the different key stages at Swaffham Bulbeck Primary with members of Aspirations acting as quiz master, there were prizes for the winners and best team name. Everyone enjoyed this and Aspirations members overcame many personal challenge in presenting via MS Teams. We were all so proud of them.
A final activity that Aspirations learners had to master was presenting their work around what technology means to them to other bubbles and Swaffham Bulbeck Primary on teams. They did so well and nominated Neil to be their speaker and Swaffham Bulbeck Primary also presented back to us. This was a lovely collaboration.
R2G teamed up with Swaffham Bulbeck Primary School and The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge to have a week of activities, linking up via MS Teams between the 3 parties.
Activities included a virtual session led by Dr Anjali Das from The Centre for Computing History where she demonstrated how computer programmes work using musical instruments, and lead our clients and learners through the steps, constructing a piece of ‘music’ through computational thinking/methods. Many of the clients enjoyed the sensory side of the instruments, and Neil, an Aspirations volunteers really enjoyed understanding the process too.
We had 2 unplugged games which simulated computational thinking, Paint Feet, and a Mouse card game.
Paint Feet
Clients and the children at SBP stood in different coloured paint and took a card which told them what to do, take 1 step forward, or 3 steps right etc and they had to get to the other side of the canvas, one side of the card had the instruction and one side a code picture which they had to look at against the code sheet. This was an absolute hit with everyone and even our clients with mobility issues joined in and Molly used a sack barrow to simulate her wheelchair and David brought in his walking frame. Reece joined in and the smile on his face said it all, his parents were so pleased that they actually had some photos of him enjoying an activity.
Mouse Card Game
Clients had a pack of cards and laid them out like a maze which had treats along the way. 1 person acted as the mouse in the computer and 1 person was the programmer telling them where to go, 1 move forward and 2 spaces right etc, if they got a treat on the way they got to keep it.
Each group made their own version of this and we saw table top and floor versions, floor versions with them moving people instead of a mouse and a floor version using giant cards. Adam instructed his support worker and found it hilarious, as did everyone else.
Swaffham Bulbeck Primary really enjoyed these games and we linked up through MS Teams for some of these sessions which was lovely, the children’s excitement was infectious for some of our learners and really helped to tie it together.
We also had a Quiz with the different key stages at Swaffham Bulbeck Primary with members of Aspirations acting as quiz master, there were prizes for the winners and best team name. Everyone enjoyed this and Aspirations members overcame many personal challenge in presenting via MS Teams. We were all so proud of them.
A final activity that Aspirations learners had to master was presenting their work around what technology means to them to other bubbles and Swaffham Bulbeck Primary on teams. They did so well and nominated Neil to be their speaker and Swaffham Bulbeck Primary also presented back to us. This was a lovely collaboration.
