The Co-Spaces programme in Year 6

The class room has come a long way.  Back in the day, it was a blackboard and chalk, a spirit duplicator churning out copies of work, a television for the whole school and a (usually shared) overhead projector (you may need to Google it!).

Fast forward to today and the technological tools available for primary students is seemingly endless.  It is much less about the hardware and more about the software available to enhance learning.

This term, Year 6 has been fortunate to be working with Ms Belinda Martins, Newington Digital Learning Leader, who has introduced a programme called Co-Spaces. This is an intuitive educational technology enabling students and teachers to easily build their own 3D environments, animate them with code and explore them in virtual or augmented reality.

Currently Year 6 is studying the unit “How the World Works” with a focus on the interaction between the natural world (physical and environmental) and human societies.  In that, they have via Co-Spaces, been creating virtual environments which need to be accurate in terms of flora and fauna selected. It allows the students to add interactive information onto animals or plants which allows them to justify their choice of each.

Co-Spaces is one resource used.  The students have also been getting practical making dioramas, sketching environments before and after some form of change as well as researching the characteristics all things we see as having life, must comprise.

Co-Spaces engages the students with its coding capability and flexibility of use.  Just ask the boys:

“I like Co-Spaces.  It’s fun.  We can create worlds and design things specifically for the environment you want to build.” – Darcey

“Co-Spaces allows you to be creative and lets you use your imagination.” – Jesse

“The finished product is rewarding.” – Chase

David Musgrove – Year 6 Teacher