This week we were introduced to the concept of Binary code, which represents how data in computers is stored and transmitted using a variation of zeros and ones in a pattern. This concept was demonstrated in alignment with the decimal system in order to relate our prior knowledge of using a base of 10 and converting it into the binary equivalent using a base of 2. At first I found this very challenging to understand as I felt that the system was quite mathematical, which I don't see as one of my strengths. However, completing a kinaesthetic activity using paper plates - in which one plate represented the decimal system (by labelling it 0-9) and the other four represented the binary system (by labelling them 0-1), and each time a number was changed in the binary system it was also changed in the decimal system - really assisted me to understand the counting process (see image below of the activity which I recreated at home).
Once I understood the basics of how the binary system worked using the base 2, it was time to understand how the binary code of zeros and ones represented numbers. I found the YouTube video on the Moodle site (below) was another useful tool to visually represent how the binary system works by relating it to other counting systems including decimal, octal and hexadecimal.
From there I gained an understanding that wherever there was a 1, that meant that the number in that column was used and added to other columns where there was also a number 1. For example, the binary code below is equal to 32+16+4+1 (totalling 53) because they are the only four columns containing a 1. The columns with a zero in them are not counted.
132
|
64
|
32
|
16
|
8
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
|
Code:
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Although I now understood how to count in the binary system, I did not completely grasp how the binary code was used to store and transmit data in computers. This was an area of interest to me and so it prompted further research. I discovered that the 0 and 1 in binary code actually represent off (0) and on (1). A computer breaks binary code down into four binary digits or bits which are then used to send out pulses. These are then passed or blocked, depending upon the coding used, (Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 2015) to store and transmit information, all of which is processed in a matter of milliseconds.
Although this was interesting, the questions running through my mind were "Why are we learning this information to teach to children and how can it all be taught to children?" The answer is that children need to possess the fundamental knowledge of how digital systems work in order to understand how to not just adequately use them, but to create, engage and explore their functions. Within the Technologies Curriculum Years 5 and 6, binary code is examined as students explore how the on and off functions of the 0 and 1's are used to alter the electrical states in items such as hardware and robotics (ACARA, n.d.). To explain this concept to children and teach them to count in the binary system may initially seem challenging; however, kinaesthetic activities such as the simple one illustrated below can be explored as the first concept, without the digital element, to assist students to develop understanding and are easy to achieve in a classroom environment. The selected activity teaches children how to count in binary on their fingers by using basic mathematics. Each finger on the right hand is worth a binary value - thumb is 1, pointer finger is 2, middle finger is 4, ring finger is 8 and pinky is 16 (see below - MathIsFun, 2014). From there the students can understand the patterns needed to create the other numbers which are not represented, such as 9, which would be represented by putting up the ring finger (8) and thumb (1) which are added together to create 9 (MathIsFun, 2014). The table below indicates how to count to 31 in binary using one hand.
Sourced from: http://imgur.com/gallery/bHsGB
This counting system could be practised with children and then used within the classroom environment as a game. The teacher could stand at the front of the room and call out a number such as 10 and the students would be asked to create that number on their fingers. Each time they created a number correctly they could receive a point which they would tally. At the end of the game the child with the highest tally total would win. Adding a competitive element to the counting system makes it more engaging and enjoyable, and is a great way for the students to practise their counting skills in binary in order to become quicker at counting in this way. This activity could be completed easily as it uses very minimal resources and is a kinaesthetic and visual way for students to represent the number, therefore caters for a range of learning styles.
Although this teaches students how to count using the binary system, it is also important for them to be able to decode binary code. This could be completed in the classroom in a number of ways such as using the white board and magnets to create a binary code. The teacher could write the binary values from 1-132 on the white board with spaces between each number and then have two different types of magnets - plain black representing the 0 of off and white with the number drawn on to each, such as 16, representing a 1 or on. The educator could then ask the students to take turns and manoeuvre the magnets to create binary codes which could be decoded (see example below where the drawings represent magnets).
This activity still requires an understanding of the mathematics behind the binary system, but also uses the binary code of 1 and 0 in order for students to understand how to decode binary. The concept of on and off could then be explored with the students to assist them in understanding how electrical states are changed to enable computers to store and transmit data. Despite my initial concerns, using the binary system and understanding binary code does not need to be a daunting process - it can be fun and engaging as demonstrated through the above activities.
No comments:
Post a Comment