Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

Welcome to today's lesson, "Connecting digital devices." My name is Mrs. Jenkins.

I can't wait to learn with you today.

Welcome to today's lesson, "Connecting digital devices," taken from the unit Computer networks.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain how a computer network can be used to share information.

Before we get started, we have three keywords or phrases that are going to appear throughout today's lesson.

So it's really important we know what they are before we get started.

The three words are connection, network, and network switch.

A connection is a link between two or more people or things.

A network is a group of interconnected digital devices.

A network switch is a device that manages the flow of data within a computer network.

So those three words or phrases are: connection, network, and network switch.

Keep an eye out for them throughout the lesson today.

In today's lesson, "Connecting digital devices," we are going to recognise different connections and explain the role of a network switch.

So let's get started with learning cycle one, recognise different connections.

Aisha asks us, "What is a connection?" Good question, Aisha.

That was one of our keywords.

A connection is the link between people, places, or things.

It enables them to share information, ideas, or messages.

I want you to have a little think now, who are you connected to and how many connections can you think of? So we're talking here, family, friends, who are your connections? Have a little think.

How did you get on? I asked you to think, who are you connected to and how many different connections can you think of? There are many different types of connection.

There are personal connections, so your friends.

Professional connections, so teachers, bosses, colleagues.

They're people you work with.

Family connection, so your parents, your grandparents, your siblings, so brothers or sisters.

All of these are different types of connection to you.

I would like you now to match the words to the correct type of connection.

So we have friend, teacher, and sibling, and we have professional connection, family connection, and personal connection.

Have a go.

How did you get on? I asked you to match the words to the correct type of connection.

So we had friend, teacher, and sibling.

We had professional connection, family connection, and personal connection.

The answers: a friend is a personal connection.

A teacher is a professional connection, and a sibling is a family connection.

Great job, everyone.

Aisha is now asking us, "What is a network?" Good question, Aisha.

It is one of our keywords.

A network is a group of many people or things that are connected and can work together or share things with each other.

Some of our everyday networks include road networks.

Road networks are made up of streets, roads, and motorways that connect towns and cities, helping people and vehicles travel from one place to another.

We have our power networks.

They carry electricity through wires and cables so that we can turn on lights, use appliances, and charge devices at school, home, or work.

We have railway networks.

They are tracks that trains travel on to carry people and goods across the country, linking stations and different places.

We also have social networks.

They're groups of people who are connected, like friends and family, and help us share news, messages, and photos, especially online.

Networks help us to move things or share things, such as roads for cars or wires for electricity.

Okay, let's have a little check.

True or false? A network is made up of things that are connected.

Have a go.

How did you get on? I asked you, true or false? A network is made up of things that are connected.

The answer is true.

A network is made up of things that are connected.

Great job, everyone.

In a classroom, you might pass a note from one person to another.

This is sharing information.

So you might start at one person and pass it on until it reaches the whole class.

How are messages shared in a network of people? What do you think? How did you get on? I asked, how are messages shared in a network of people? Messages are shared from one person to another, either through voice, message, or email.

So if I was to send a message to both Aisha and Jun, they might send it on further.

So Aisha might send it to Alex and Sam.

Jun might send it to Izzy and Lucas.

They might send it on even further than that.

So a message can pass quite far and wide quickly.

We are going to move on to task A now.

I would like you to write a message, a short message to someone in your personal network.

For example, "Do you like apples?" Decide on two or three different ways the message could pass through different people.

Show the route with arrows on paper.

Did your message go straight to the person or did it pass through others? Have a go.

How did you get on? I asked you to write a short message to someone in your personal network.

For example, "Do you like apples?" To decide on two or three different ways the message could pass through different people, and to show the route with arrows on paper.

Did your message go straight to the person or did it pass through others? Let's have a look at my network.

Your routes might look slightly different.

For me, I had my message, "Do you like apples?" And the first try, I sent it to Lucas, who sent it to Sam, who sent it to Laura.

My second route, I sent it from me to Jun, to Jacob, to Laura.

For my final route, I sent it to Izzy, to Jun, to Alex, and then to Laura.

All of your routes might look slightly different.

You have different children's names in your class and you might have chosen different directions.

But great job, everyone.

We are going to move on to our second learning cycle now, explain the role of a network switch.

Jun asked us a really good question.

Why don't we connect every computer to every other computer? What do you think? If every computer connected to every other one, there would be a lot of wires.

This would be messy and confusing.

Also, a bit of a trip hazard if we were trying to get past.

Jun has said, "I didn't think network devices needed cables to connect to the network." That's a good thought, Jun.

Many devices use Wi-Fi to connect.

The wireless access point is still connected to the network switch with a cable.

The cable helps transfer the data between the wired and wireless parts of the network.

Let's have a little check now.

What problem could happen if every device connected to every other one directly? A, there'd be too many wires; B, it would be too quiet; or C, it would work better.

Have a go.

How did you get on? I asked you, what problem could happen if every device connected to every other one directly.

A, there would be too many wires; B, it would be too quiet; or C, it would work better.

The answer is A.

If every device connected to every other one directly, there would be too many wires.

This is a network switch.

What do you think the network switch does? So I asked you, what do you think the network switch does? A network switch helps manage the connections.

It lets multiple devices connect through one central point.

A network switch is like a smart postman.

Every device has its own address.

The network switch reads the address and sends the message to the right device.

It does not send it to everyone, just the one that needs it.

Jun says, "But why do we use a network switch instead of lots of wires?" What do you think? A network switch keeps things tidy and smart.

It uses fewer wires, it sends messages only to the right place, and it helps the network work faster and better.

Messages can be passed between the computers that are connected to the network switch.

The message goes to the switch and then to the right computer.

So if computer A was to send a message and it wanted it to get to computer B, when it sends it to the network switch, the switch is able to send it on to the correct place to the right computer.

True or false? A network switch helps messages go to the right place.

Have a go.

How did you get on? I asked you, true or false? A network switch helps messages go to the right place.

It's true.

A network switch does help messages go to the right place.

Great job, everyone.

We are going to move on to our second task now.

I'd like you to use arrows or labels to show how a message can travel through a network switch.

So you are going to draw two computers.

Going to draw one box in the middle to be the network switch.

Then send a message from one computer to another.

Once you've done that, I'd like you to use arrows or labels to show a message is sent, message goes to the switch, and switch sends message to the correct computer.

Have a go.

How did you get on? So I have asked you to use arrows or labels to show how a message can travel through a network switch.

So you're going to draw two computers, draw one box in the middle to be the network switch, send a message from one computer to another, and use arrows or labels to show A, the message is sent, B, the message goes to the switch, and C, switch sends message to the correct computer.

So here we have our first computer sending the message, then it goes through the network switch, then it reaches the computer.

Great job, everyone.

You have worked so hard today.

Let's summarise our learning.

A connection is the link between people, places, or things that allows them to share or communicate.

A network is a group of many people or things connected that can work together or share things with each other.

A network switch helps manage the connections in a computer network.

It lets multiple devices connect through one central point.

Great job, everyone.

You've worked so hard today.

Well done.

I hope to learn with you again soon.