Purple Mash Computing at Home
Meet our new Computing Scheme - PURPLE MASH
We are pleased to introduce our new computing scheme - Purple Mash.
Whilst with us at Willow Wood, we have funded an annual subscription for every one of our children to Purple Mash - an exciting, educational but fun online world!!
Purple Mash a creative, educational website for children that is accessible both in school and at home for Willow Wood pupils!
Across each year, through a sequenced series of units, pupils will be taught about the three strands of computing and will learn about the vocabulary needed to discuss these.
Supported by the Purple Mash website, Willow Wood pupils will develop a progressive understanding of digital literacy, computer science and information technology - appropriate to their age and stage of learning.
Our long term plan is featured below and via the curriculum tab (found on the schools website homepage). To further understand what your child is learning, knowledge organisers are accessible via the Teaching Teams tab (found on the schools website homepage).
How do I know this website is safe for my child?
In an increasingly complex, digital world, you can be reassured that Purple Mash is safe for your child to use! At Willow Wood, online safety is an over aching theme taught throughout the year at appropriate level for your child's age. We are responsive to the children's online, real-life experiences and bolstering learning through progressive, planned teaching of annual Online Safety units of work. An understanding of how to keep safe is in the digital world forms on-going discussion in regular school assemblies and to acknowledge events such as Safer Internet Day. Purple Mash is a safe environment for your child to learn about email and blogging, all under the watchful eye of the teacher. Your child cannot receive or send emails outside of Purple Mash. Purple Mash enables positive online behaviours, providing a safe way for children to learn to email, blog and express themselves online.
How do we log in to Purple Mash at home?
Click the image below to access the website OR follow the hyperlink here: https://www.purplemash.com/willowwoodcommun to access Willow Wood's personal Purple Mash space.
Enter your child's log in details (Found inside the cover of your child's yellow reading diary OR on the parent letter sent home at the start of each new school year - example letter at the bottom of this page).
Log ins are made up of images and/or characters meaning your child can log in independently (after a few practises!)
Enjoy and explore from the dashboard!
What can the children do on Purple Mash?
For our youngest learners we have 'Mini Mash' where functional skills including tracker pad and keyboard control can be developed. Children will learn to drag and drop, control the cursor, explore the functionality of direction keys, develop an understanding of alphabetical and numerical keys on the board. They will explore Purple Mash software and learn to understand how we save work online using their own named digital 'tray'. They will learn to name parts of the hardware they are using whilst developing an awareness of we stay safe when computing.
Mini Mash allows safe opportunities for even the youngest learners to explore digital media safely and creatively! Children can listen to talking stories, use in-built cameras and make musical content.
Most of all Purple Mash is fun and learning becomes incidental as children develop these skills whilst playing games, creating fun charts and completing interesting self-chosen tasks.
In both Primary Key Stages 1 and 2 the fun continues as learners progress they can:
Play fun, educational games in chosen subject areas
Explore a range of fun tools to support learning at home such as data handling charts, writing templates, spelling games, times tables games and songs
Explore how to create media content such as music, avatars, logos, online robots and animate online
Learn how to code and program using online characters or avatars
Experiment with programming online - understanding how to fix mistakes by debugging
Learn to appropriately use email and experiment with blogging (see below for online safety assurance)
Learn about binary, have fun coding and problem solve
Work collaboratively on shared projects
The following link is an in depth You Tube video (20mins) full of things that you can do with your child on Purple Mash! Remember - you do not need to sign up for Purple Mash - Willow Wood have paid for your child's annual subscription.
