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Making PIXIE work
By pressing buttons you can make PIXIE pause or move forward, backward, left and right.
Press Go to tell it to start a program.
Press CM to make it forget its program.
You can stop PIXIE urgently by pressing any button.
This is a game for children who are beginning to program PIXIE to move around a two-dimensional grid or microworld.
Players take turns to select a letter card from the top of the pile and talk about their programming in the usual way before sending PIXIE to the matching grid reference.
Check that pupils are remembering to press CM each time a new program is entered.
As pupils gain greater confidence, practitioners may begin to scribe, recording the planned program onto a laminated record card. If this is read back together, there will be an opportunity to check if the new program is likely to be successful. Allow time for reprogramming if necessary and encourage the children to work together.
Pupils may use PIXIE to carry a picture or small object to its initial letter.
Practitioners may suggest a program to each new player, asking them to predict where PIXIE will end its journey.
PIXIE may be programmed to pause at 3 letters, spelling a CVC word.
Sing or say the alphabet.