The Premier's Coding Challenge curriculum alignment to
Australia Curriculum: Digital Technologies (PDF, 161KB) can help with creating lesson plans and assessment. Teachers can also access the Queensland Coding Academy teacher site, STEM discussion list and coding discussion list.
A guide for teachers
Learning about cybersecurity and creating digital solutions that use cybersecurity as a context is aligned to Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies at all bands from Years 3–10, covering all sub-strands of Processes and production skills: Creating digital solutions.
Cybersecurity as a context is well supported for both primary and secondary students through resources produced by:
Students' digital solutions could address a range of age-relevant contextual problems, including:
- Password security—how to create stronger passwords and why we don't share them with friends.
- Personal vs Private data—what information is ok to share online in a game or on a profile.
- Suspicious emails—what to do when we receive an email from someone we don't know.
- Phishing, malware, viruses—how to protect ourselves from malicious "free" offers.
- Social media etiquette—how to help our friends and stay safe when interacting on social media.
To help Queenslanders improve their cybersecurity, you will need to do some research. You'll also need to create an award-winning video with your entry. See the great resources below to help you get started.
coding@homeTV
As seen live on 10Peach and on-demand via the department’s YouTube channel, coding@homeTV will show you how to create an entry for the 2020 Premier’s Coding Challenge. From explaining the importance of cybersecurity to planning a digital solution for a specific audience, writing an algorithm, turning the algorithm into visual block code using Scratch or text-based code using Python, all the way through to supporting you to self-evaluate your prototype and film a video explanation of your design, coding@homeTV is an ideal resource for using in class or at home. You can even see how the process is used in the real-world with examples and career tips from coding industry experts and education professionals.
Cybersecurity websites
Access information on cybersecurity at the links below.
e-Safety kids (Years 3–6)—be a security superhero and learn about cyber-criminals. It's up to you to protect the data and personal information on your phone, tablet or computer.
Online scams and identity theft (Years 5–10)—scammers are people who may try to steal your money or personal information, they are modern day fraudsters. Find out how to protect yourself.
Lost Summer "Shockwave" (Years 5–8)—The Lost Summer is a role-playing video game, designed to be a highly engaging experience for 11–14 year olds while building digital intelligence skills and encouraging online safety.
Keeping your online accounts secure (Years 7–10)—keeping your online accounts secure and your privacy settings up to date might not be high on your list of priorities but it should be.
Schools Cyber Security Challenges (Years 7–10)—the Schools Cyber Security Challenges are designed to provide high school teachers with resources to support the teaching of cyber security concepts, and to inform students of career opportunities in the field. The Challenges are classroom ready, and aligned with both the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies and the ICT Capability.
Scamwatch (Years 5–10)—the different ways that scammers may attempt to gain your personal information and statistics.
Video tools and tips
How to make a good video:
- Plan your video—use a storyboard to plan out your video and write a script or some dot points to detail what you want to say and when.
- Use a quality camera—if you are using a phone camera, film in landscape mode.
- Select a suitable location—ensure there is adequate lighting so that your face can be seen. Make sure there is no background noise (wind, traffic, TV in the background).
- Choose a good composition—test your camera angle and frame to ensure you have an eye-level shot of your head and shoulders in the frame.
- Speak well—practice your script and use as many takes as you need to get your message across clearly.
- Smile—deliver your script with passion and purpose as if you are presenting to an actual person.
- Edit for clarity—check to make sure that your video makes sense and the message is clear to the viewer. Avoid distracting transitions.
- Test your video—show your video to a parent/teacher or a friend for some honest feedback. Is there anything that you could do to improve it? If you decide to redo part of your video, focus on how much better it will be when you are done.
Video resolution
Please ensure that your video:
- is at least 16:9 widescreen 480p (or 854 x 480 pixels) resolution
- has clear audio with no environmental interference.
Film production resources
A non-exclusive list of software and tips has been provided as a starting point for students and teachers to create participant video presentations.
Mac computers and iPads
Apple iMovie
Apple Keynote
Adobe Spark Video for iPads
Microsoft PowerPoint
Windows computers
Microsoft Movie Maker
Microsoft Photo Story 3
Lightworks
Microsoft PowerPoint
Video production
8 Beginner Tips for Making Professional-Looking Videos
Videography Basics: Tips for Beginners
Contemporary Storytelling by Anna Cornell
Documentary Teacher Edition
Learning Filmmaking Vocabulary by Making Films