Computing · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Smart Choices with Technology

Active learning turns abstract ideas about technology use into concrete experiences that young children can see, touch, and discuss. When students physically sort, act out, and share ideas about tech and non-tech time, they build lasting understanding beyond simple reminders to ‘have balance.’

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Computing - Technology Beyond School
• KS1: Computing - Digital Literacy

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hot Seat
• 20 min · Small Groups

Sorting Game: Tech Choices

Provide picture cards of daily activities like tablet games, outdoor swings, TV watching, and drawing. In groups, sort into 'uses technology' and 'no technology' piles. Discuss one good thing about each pile and why mixing them matters.

How does technology help make things easier or more fun in your life?

Facilitation Tip

During the Sorting Game, circulate and ask each pair, ‘Why did you put that card here?’ to surface reasoning and gently correct misconceptions in the moment.

What to look for

Show students picture cards of various activities. Ask them to hold up a green card if the activity uses technology and a red card if it does not. Discuss their choices for a few examples.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 30 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Balanced Day

Pairs act out a school day: start with a tech task like a learning app, then switch to non-screen play like tag. Switch roles and add a break signal. Share with class what felt best.

Why is it important to take breaks from screens and do other things?

Facilitation Tip

While running the Role-Play, pause halfway through to ask observers, ‘Which part of the day looks most fun? Why?’ to deepen metacognition.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Tell me one thing you like to do on a tablet or computer. Now, tell me one thing you love to do that does not use any screens at all. Why is it good to do both?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 25 min · Whole Class

Circle Share: Five Fun Things

Each child draws or lists five non-tech activities they love. Sit in a circle to share one each, passing a talking stick. Note patterns on a class chart.

Can you think of five things you enjoy that do not need any technology at all?

Facilitation Tip

In Circle Share, keep turns short—about 15 seconds each—so quieter voices still feel safe to contribute.

What to look for

Give each student a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one picture of something they enjoy that uses technology and one picture of something they enjoy that does not use technology.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Hot Seat
• 15 min · Pairs

Discussion Pairs: Tech Helpers

Pairs brainstorm three ways technology helps at home or school, like timers or photos. Then name three non-tech helpers. Report one pair idea to the group.

How does technology help make things easier or more fun in your life?

Facilitation Tip

For Discussion Pairs, provide sentence starters like ‘I like… because…’ to scaffold complete explanations.

What to look for

Show students picture cards of various activities. Ask them to hold up a green card if the activity uses technology and a red card if it does not. Discuss their choices for a few examples.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Research shows that modeling balanced use yourself matters more than rules alone. Use real examples from your own life, like checking your watch for time limits during playtime, to normalize pauses. Avoid lengthy lectures; instead, let children discover limits through guided sorting and role-play where they set the pace and rules. Keep language simple and visual—children this age respond best to ‘screen time’ and ‘play time’ as distinct, labeled blocks.

By the end of the activities, students will confidently name technology tools that help them, recognize when to pause for other play, and explain why balance matters in their own words during sharing. They will use picture cards, role-play props, and personal lists to demonstrate these choices.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Game: Tech Choices, watch for students who place every card in the ‘technology helps’ pile without hesitation.

  Prompt them to compare their choices aloud: ‘You put drawing on a tablet here. Would a blank paper and crayons still help you create pictures? What if we tried both?’

• During Role-Play: Balanced Day, watch for students who insist the screen-heavy version is always best.

  Pause the role-play and ask the group to vote with thumbs up or down after each segment. Then ask, ‘Which version felt best at the end? Why did our bodies feel different?’

• During Circle Share: Five Fun Things, watch for students who only share screen-based ideas.

  Show the class list of shared ideas and point to the non-tech items. Say, ‘Look at all the fun that doesn’t need screens! Which one would you like to try first this week?’

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Methods used in this brief

• Hot Seat