Technology all around us
Computer Science · Early Years · The School
Technology hunt
Technology means machines that people invented to help with jobs. Some are easy to spot. Tablets. Phones. TVs. Some hide from you. The washing machine. The microwave. The traffic lights. The car. Walk around your home and count the technology. Most people find far more than they expected.
Computer inside?
Some machines have a tiny computer inside. It tells them what to do. A microwave counts down. A washing machine chooses its spin. Some machines have no computer at all. A spoon. A book. A bicycle. Sort ten things into the two groups. Here is a tricky one. What about a torch? Usually no computer. Just a switch, a battery and a bulb.
Screens need rests
Screens are brilliant tools. But eyes and bodies need a rest from them. Here is a good rule. After screen time, do something that moves. Run. Build. Draw. Help in the kitchen. Technology is at its best when it is one of MANY things you love doing. Not the only one.
Walk round the house. Ask this about each thing. Does it WAIT? Does it SENSE? Does it CHOOSE? A washing machine waits for a cycle time and chooses a spin speed. That is a computer. A microwave counts down and beeps. Computer. Traffic lights sense a car waiting and then change. Computer. A kettle with a simple switch just heats up and pops. That is a clever spring, not a computer. Most things on your list will have no screen at all.