Computing · Year 1 · Technology in Our Lives · Summer Term

The Future of Technology (Simple Ideas)

Students imagine and draw future technologies, considering how they might solve problems or make life easier.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Computing - Technology Beyond School
• KS1: Computing - Creating Content

About This Topic

In Year 1 Computing, students imagine and draw future technologies that solve problems at school or home. They consider how computers and devices might change by the time they grow up, focusing on gadgets that make life easier. This aligns with KS1 standards for technology beyond school and creating content. Children answer key questions by sketching inventions, explaining their purpose, and identifying users, which sparks creativity and basic problem-solving.

This topic connects computing to design and technology in the National Curriculum. Students develop skills in visual communication and critical thinking as they evaluate needs and propose solutions. Discussions about real-world changes, like smarter phones or helpful robots, build awareness of technology's role in daily life and prepare for units on algorithms and data.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly because future imagining is playful and child-led. Drawing in pairs, sharing prototypes with the class, and iterating based on feedback turn vague ideas into confident designs. These hands-on steps make abstract futures tangible, encourage collaboration, and celebrate every child's unique perspective.

Key Questions

1. Can you imagine a new gadget that could help solve a problem at school or at home?
2. How do you think computers and devices might be different when you grow up?
3. Why would your imagined gadget be helpful, and who could use it?

Learning Objectives

• Design a new gadget that could solve a specific problem at school or home.
• Explain how a proposed future technology could make life easier for a specific user group.
• Identify potential changes in everyday technology devices by the time they grow up.
• Create a drawing or model representing an imagined future technology.

Before You Start

Identifying Objects and Their Purpose

Why: Students need to be able to recognize common objects and understand what they are used for before they can imagine new ones.

Basic Drawing Skills

Why: The ability to represent ideas visually is essential for students to sketch their imagined technologies.

Key Vocabulary

Gadget	A small, often novel, mechanical or electronic device or tool. Think of a new kind of remote control or a special helper for your toys.
Future Technology	Inventions or tools that do not exist yet but might be created one day. These could be robots that help with chores or screens that float in the air.
Problem Solver	Something that helps fix or improve a difficult situation. A gadget that tidies your toys by itself would be a problem solver for a messy room.
User	A person who uses or operates something. For example, you are a user of your school's computers, and your family are users of your home television.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Future technology will solve every problem perfectly.

What to Teach Instead

Technology helps with specific issues but still needs people to use it wisely. Group discussions of gadget limits reveal this, while peer feedback on drawings encourages realistic improvements. Active sharing builds balanced views.

Common Misconception

Only experts can invent new gadgets.

What to Teach Instead

Anyone can imagine helpful tech based on everyday needs. Pair sketching shows children's ideas are valuable, fostering confidence. Class presentations highlight diverse contributions, countering expert-only myths.

Common Misconception

Future devices will be like magic.

What to Teach Instead

Inventions build on current technology, not magic. Comparing drawings to real devices in discussions grounds ideas. Hands-on prototyping with recycled materials makes evolution clear.

Active Learning Ideas

Pairs Brainstorm: Gadget Sketches

Pairs discuss a school or home problem, like tidying toys. Each child draws one gadget to solve it and labels its features. Partners share and add one improvement to each other's drawing.

25 min·Pairs

Small Groups: Invention Pitch

Groups of four present their best gadget drawings to each other. Listeners ask questions about how it works and who uses it. Groups vote on the most helpful idea and explain why.

30 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Future Tech Gallery

Display all drawings around the room. Class walks the gallery, leaving sticky notes with compliments or questions. Teacher leads a discussion on common themes in future tech.

35 min·Whole Class

Individual: Gadget Diary

Each child draws their gadget in a booklet and writes or dictates one sentence on its benefit. Add a before-and-after picture showing the problem solved.

20 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Consider how smartphones have changed since they were first invented, evolving from simple phones to devices that can take pictures, play games, and connect to the internet.
• Think about robotic vacuum cleaners that now help keep homes clean, showing how robots are becoming useful helpers in everyday life.
• Imagine a future classroom where interactive whiteboards or holographic displays might assist teachers and students, making learning more engaging.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Ask students to hold up their drawings of future gadgets. Prompt them with: 'Point to the part of your gadget that solves a problem. Tell me one person who might use it.'

Discussion Prompt

Gather students in a circle. Present a drawing of a future gadget. Ask: 'What problem does this gadget solve? How is it different from technology we use today? Who would find this gadget helpful?'

Exit Ticket

Give each student a small card. Ask them to draw one simple future gadget and write one word describing how it makes life easier. Collect these to see their ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you introduce imagining future technology in Year 1?

Start with familiar devices like tablets or robots, asking how they might change. Show simple pictures of past-to-future tech shifts, like phones. Then pose key questions on school problems to guide brainstorming. This scaffolds creativity while linking to children's lives, ensuring all participate confidently.

What computing skills does this topic develop?

Students practice creating digital-age content through drawings that represent coded ideas. It introduces problem-solving as a computing process and builds vocabulary for technology beyond school. Discussions enhance communication of computational thinking, like inputs and outputs in gadgets, aligning with KS1 progression.

How can active learning enhance future technology activities?

Active approaches like pair drawing and group pitches make imagining engaging and iterative. Children test ideas through feedback, refining designs collaboratively. This boosts ownership, critical thinking, and speaking skills, turning passive fantasy into practical computing exploration that sticks long-term.

How to assess understanding of future tech ideas?

Observe discussions for problem identification and solution logic. Review drawings for labelled features and user benefits. Use simple rubrics on creativity and explanation. Peer votes provide self-assessment insights, showing grasp of technology's helpful role without formal tests.