January 2018 – Page 5

Programmable Toys in the Classroom

Programmable Toys such as the Bee-Bot can be used in many ways to develop the Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes in the classroom. There are many benefits to using programmable toys for learning; they provide challenge and enjoyment for learners, they allow for hands-on learning while keeping learners engaged, as well as helping learners build skills such as problem solving in a fun and enjoyable way. “The curriculum introduces programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.” (Janka, 2008, Page.2)

NCTE ICT in the Classroom suggests that the Bee-Bot can be used in classroom application for literacy, numeracy, assessment and special educational needs. However, after discussion today, I believe that the Bee-Bot can be used for lessons across the whole curriculum. For example, languages or social studies.

Today in Digital Technologies, we created a Bee-Bot map and a lesson to go along with it which will develop the Experience and Outcome MTH 1-17a; I can describe, follow and record routes and journeys using signs, words and angles associated with direction and turning. This outcome is first level and is aimed for Primary’s 2, 3 and 4. To create a lesson for this outcome we chose the theme of flags and countries. We chose this theme for our Bee-Bot map because flags are colourful and interesting and the lesson become cross-curricular.

The Bee-Bot programmable toy can be used in many class situations. It can be used to develop many skills and topic areas such a maths, numeracy and literacy. After creating our lesson, we discussed that it would be impractical as a teacher to create enough Bee-Bot maps for a whole class lesson, however, it would be possible to incorporate an initial art lesson where the class all make an individual 15x15cm flag and they all get stuck together. This would allow the class to create the map themselves.

REFERENCES:

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How? [Online] http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Accessed: 16th January 2018]

NCTE (National centre for Technology in Education) (2012) NCTE Floor Robots – Focus on Literacy & Numeracy. [Online] http ://www.ncte.ie/media/NCTE_Floor_robots_focus_on_literacy_numeracy_primary_12-06.pdf [Accessed: 16th January 2018]

Digital Technologies Week 2.

The focus of this weeks digital technologies class was based around the use of BeeBot with regards to numeracy. Having previously looking at using BeeBot for literacy, this week we considered the advantages of BeeBot whilst carrying out numeracy lessons. Alongside this, we then began creating a BeeBot map which we tested out and will …

Continue reading “Digital Technologies Week 2.”

Pekarova Janka is a supporter of the use of programmable toys within the classroom. There are a number of opportunities which arise from using programmable toys in class settings, Janka discusses the development of children’s instructional and positional language by stating that, “In the field of mathematical development, children should develop the ability to describe simple journey and instruct the programmable toy in order to develop positional language and estimation” (Janka, 2008, p2). Alongside this, The National centre for Technology in Education (2012, p1) provides further advantages of the use of programmable toys in education, they state, “[Floor robots in the classroom] help with the development of skills such as logical sequencing, measuring, comparing lengths, space orientation and expressing concepts in words”. Similarly, Kaur (n.d) agreed with this by saying that the use of the BeeBot encourages children to engage, communicate and interact with each other. He further went on to say that pupils can share learning experiences and learn in context through the use of the BeeBot. The use of the BeeBot allows the educator to provide her students with cross-curricular activities. Alongside this, educators can assess and observe the children’s literacy and numeracy skills whilst playing with the BeeBot.

Myself and my partner agreed to create a ‘snakes & ladders’ board. We made the game so that it was suitable to use throughout the full school. For early years and Primary 1, its just a simple game of snakes and ladders. However, for Primary 2-4, the dice will be slightly different as it will have the name of the number, the visual representation of the number or the amount in the representation of circles from this, the children will have to look at these different representations of numbers and have to decide for themselves where the BeeBot should go. Finally, for Primary 5-7, the dice will have addition or multiplication questions and the children would need to work out the answer to see where the BeeBot should go.

The experiences and outcomes that we provided for the early level version of the game are as follows;

“In movement, games, and using technology I can use simple directions and describe positions.” -MTH 0-17a

“I am developing problem-solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable toys.” -TCH 0-09a

Overall, today’s session was very good for us to get a deeper insight to the Curriculum and the experiences and outcomes. I personally feel that using the BeeBot for both literacy and numeracy lessons is fun however, there is also great amounts of learning taking place. I will definitely be using this in the classroom in the future.

References

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How [Online]. Available from: http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Accessed: 16 January 2018]

Kaur, K. (n.d). Benefits of bee bots in classroom. [Online]. Available from: http://beebotsed.weebly.com/benefits-of-bee-bots-in-classrooms.html [Accessed: 16 January 2018].

NCTE (National centre for Technology in Education) (2012) NCTE Floor Robots – Focus on Literacy & Numeracy. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ncte.ie/media/NCTE_Floor_robots_focus_on_literacy_numeracy_primary_12-06.pdf [Accessed: 16 January 2018].

Digital Technologies Week 2 – 16.1.18

In week 2 of Digital Technologies, we were looked at the concept of programmable toys and in particular we focused on the Bee-Bot. I had some knowledge of the Bee-Bot from when we previously looked at it in semester 1 in our Literacy for Understanding unit. The purpose of today’s assessment task was to create a theme and make links to numeracy using the Bee-Bot. In addition to this, we also had to consider the Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes that would relate to our task. I was excited at the prospect of creating an activity using the Bee-Bot. Before we started creating our activity, we watched some support videos to convey how children were responding to the Bee-Bot and how it can be tailored to suit any age through primary school. In our group, we came up with game where we had a board with squares which were numbered from 1-12. We created flashcards with various addition and subtraction questions which were worded differently. These were split into two categories. One category had questions that were basic questions, which were worth one point. The other category had slightly harder questions for children who were more able and they were worth two points each. The aim of the game is to answer the questions and move the Bee-Bot to the correct position by programming it. The person who reaches a total of 5 points first wins the game. This activity was tailored to the needs of the early level. However, by changing the questions on the flashcards, it could be used for first and second level too. It is a great activity that is easily adaptable to the topic as well as the age range. I found the use of the Bee-Bot quite effective and is something I will keep in mind for my teaching career.

There are many benefits of using the Bee-Bot in the classroom. According to Lydon (2008), children are interacting with technology every day and she discovered that nursery children have improved their problem solving, literacy, numeracy and thinking skills whilst using programmable toys. The Bee-Bot is said to increase concentration levels, the attention span of children and can enhance their engagement in the activity (Lydon, 2008). Another benefit of the Bee-Bot is that children gain independence. Lydon (2008,p.2) claimed that “twelve children out of twenty-eight were able to use the Bee-Bot without any adult help after the initial instructions.” The children are able to quickly and intuitively work out how the Bee-Bot works and this is a useful tool for them. It is very simple and effective. Janka (2008) states that “the curriculum introduces programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.” In addition to this, the Bee-Bot can also improve other areas of the Curriculum including social science subjects such as history, geography, science and religious education (Janka,2008). I think it is a useful resource and can be tailored to suit all subjects and all ages. The National Centre for Technology (2012, p.1) also states that “[Floor robots in the classroom] help with the development of skills such as a logical sequencing, measuring, comparing lengths, space orientation, and expressing concepts in words.” Overall, many professionals agree that programmable toys definitely have a positive impact on the child’s learning. After trialling out our Bee-Bot activity today, I can understand and visualise how effective this would be in classrooms. Technology is advancing in our society and I think it is vital as a teacher, that we keep up with technology and use it to our advantage. After reading the Curriculum for Excellence, there are many experiences and outcomes that Bee-Bot can cover such as MNU 0-03a, which is the use of practical materials & can count on and back to help understand addition, subtraction and recording ideas and solutions in different ways. MNU 1-03a which is the use of addition, subtraction, mulitplication and division when problem solving, and making the best use o the mental strategies and written skills that have been developed. TCH 0-9a and TCH 1-09a show the development of problem solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable toys (Education Scotland, 2009). This indicates that programmable toys cover various experiences and outcomes in CfE and is an excellent resource for teachers.

References

Education Scotland (2009). Curriculum for Excellence: Numeracy and Mathematics. Experience and Outcomes. [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed: 16th January]

ICTopus Article (2008) Sharing Good Practice: Robots in Early Education by Alison Lydon. [Online] https://oponoa-programmeertalen.wikispaces.com/file/view/BeeBot_article.pdf [Accessed: 16th January 2018]

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How? [Online] http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Access: 16th January 2018]

Digital Technology Week 2.

Programmable Toys are the subject of the week two workshop and the focus is on the use of Bee-Bot. The Bee-Bot is a simple way to introduce controllable technology to children and young people in a learning environment (Lydon, 2007), … Continue reading →

As part of a group of 3, myself and my fellow group members were to create a lesson using the Bee-Bot. Importantly the lesson was to deliver experiences and outcomes from the curriculum for excellence around numeracy.

The use of floor robots can “help with the development of skills such as logical sequencing, measuring, comparing lengths and expressing concepts in words” (National Centre for Technology in Education, 2012). In addition, the integration of a programmable toy such as a Bee-bot in the classroom brings a new level of challenge and enjoyment to a classroom and allows for a teacher to link lessons across the curriculum, for example literacy and numeracy.

The aim for our Bee-Bot was a simple game with easy to follow instructions that would be fun and engaging for children in the early levels. It was also important that the game had the ability to grow and become something that young people would want to continue to engage with. A priority was to ensure that the activity met the target of achieving the experience and outcomes listed in the Curriculum for Excellence.

The areas of the curriculum that our game delivered experience of was:

Tech and Math’s MNU 0-03a

MNU 1-03a

Tech TCH 0-09a/TCH1-09a

Attached to this blog is a photograph that gives the description of these outcomes in more detail.

The game involved picking a math question and working out the answer. Once the player (or players, if playing in a team) knows (or thinks they know) the answer, they should programme the Bee-Bot to arrive at the designated place on the game board. Research suggests that the benefits of a floor robot such as the Bee-Bot include the development of skills such as logical sequencing and they encourage group discussions and teamwork (The National Centre for Technology in Education, 2012). Whilst playing the game we observed that we completed mathematical problems, used a variety of mathematical language, used positional and directional language, completed basic programming and benefited from the interactive feedback from Bee-Bot, learning from our mistakes.

A challenge that the group wanted to tackle was to ensure the activity was able to provide extension work for children who required it but also to that others did not feel left out or left behind. The simple concept of the game allowed for this as we discussed options such as children increasing the playing mat which would encourage using other skills for example, using tools to measure distance. Another extension idea was the children could think of other questions to add to the game. These extensions were inclusive to those who were not quite at the stage for making extensions themselves. As the curriculum for excellence outcomes become more advanced the game is adaptable whilst retaining a familiarity for the children playing the game.

Janka suggests “The curriculum introduces programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world” (Janka, 2008, P.2) and this is evidence in the curriculum guidelines for experience and outcomes TCH 0-09a “I play and learn with … programmable toys”. (Curriculum for Excellence, 2008 P.311)

It was an enjoyable activity and looking round the classroom there was a range of ideas from other groups. I look forward to pinching some of my cohort’s ideas in the future!

References

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How? [online] http://oponoa-programmeertalen.wikispaces.com/file/view/BeeBot_article.pdf [Accessed 22 January 2018]

Lydon,A. (2009) Lets go with Bee-Bot. Kirby-in-Ashfield. TTS Group

NCTE (National Centre for Technology in Education) (2012) NCTE Floor Robots – Focus on Literacy & Numeracy. [Online] http://www.ncte.ie/media/NCTE_Floor_robots_focus_on_literacy_numeracy_primary_12-06.pdf [Accessed 22 January 2018]

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed 22 January 2018]

Week 1 Digital Technology – 09/01/18

Today was the first day of the Digital Technology module. When I saw that this module was available to me, I jumped at the opportunity. This is because, when I myself was at primary school as a child there was very little digital technology and I am interested to know where digital technology can be […]

At this stage in my BA Honours degree I currently feel that children probably know more than me regarding digital technology and this was reflected upon when I was out on my first school placement. I was completely taken a back to see how much of the school day the children use digital technology and also that it was second nature to them.

I think this a wonderful idea as the children of today will continue to use technology throughout their education, moving with the times. This then means that they will be more than prepared for the outside world when it comes to gaining employment in the future (Beauchamp, 2012).

In the lecture today we were told that the Scottish Government have invested a vast amount of time and money into IT, this can be seen in ‘The National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy (2016)’. The strategy will be funded over the next 3-5 years and will focus on children aged 3-18 years old (Scottish Government, 2016). Which again I feel is going to be very beneficial to Scotland in the future as the country will have well educated young adults with adaptable skills in IT.

In the document the government have broken down how the departments involved can contribute and enhance the quality of digital technologies not only for children but for educators, parents and carers. Included in the document is information about the role of the Government, the role of local authorities, the role of the establishment and what they can all to ensure pupils have the relevant level of IT skills.

Examples of this could be that schools are encouraged to involve children, parents and carers in areas of development in order to encourage anytime/anywhere learning. They are advised to take onboard new ideas and utilise staff/parents alike, which hand in hand works with the role of the Government who will now take onboard tried and test ideas which encourages partnerships (Scottish Government, 2016).

At the end of the lecture, I did wonder if I will ever know all there is to know about digital technology and the answer is possibly not. However, I had a conversation with my lecturer about was it acceptable to use a child’s knowledge during a lesson and this was fedback to me as defiantly yes. To involve a child in a lesson not only means that the information is coming from a reliable source (as the child will have embeded knowledge). This also means that the child will have a great sense of achievement, communication and leadership, which will encourage them to help others. In result of this, confidence and self esteem are present in the child which is of great value to children today.

If I can achieve this then I will know that I am doing my job correctly “the role of the teacher as scaffolder, mentor and facilitator will always remain vital,” Beauchamp (2012, p.142).

In conclusion, the first lecture went very well. I now know about Government strategies that are in place to support and enhance digital technology within education. I know there will be support for me as a student and as an educator. Therefor, there should be no need to worry about my knowledge and skills as there are procedures in place to improve and support. I carried out further reading and look forward to continuing with this, as it will help me to understand why digital technology is so important in education today.

References

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School. [Online] Available: dawsonera.com/readonline/9781408251379 [Accessed: 13 January 2018].

Scottish Government. (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505855.pdf [Accessed: 11 January 2018].

Digital Technologies Week 1 9/1/18

Based on my personal knowledge alone, I expected Digital Technologies to be an informative module focusing solely on how to best use online resources effectively in future classroom settings. I presumed the teaching would be based on how to construct lessons using online devices and apps. However, after experiencing the first session and reading “The National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy 2016” by the Scottish Government, I recognise that digital technology also includes using programmable toys, coding devices and many other tools as opposed to exclusively improving online skills. Education Scotland (2015) defined digital technology as, “a term used to describe those digital applications, services and resources which are used to: find, analyse, create, communicate and use information in a digital context.” In addition, although I believed use of digital technology in the classroom enhanced the learning of pupils, I was informed during this session that it is beneficial to parents also.
I recognise that this module will be beneficial to my teaching skills since the Scottish Government have decided to begin a strategy to place an emphasis on using digital technologies in the classroom. I learned that the Scottish Government began enforcing the importance of digital learning since they believe, “if used effectively and appropriately, digital technology can enhance learning and teaching, equip our children and young people with vital digital skills and crucially, it can lead to improved educational outcomes” (Scottish Government, 2016, p. 3). One reason why there has been an emphasis on digital technologies placed is to introduce technology that will allow parents to communicate easily with their child’s school to be aware of and support their child’s learning. Alongside pupils and parents, teachers will also reap the benefits of increased digital technology in the classroom. The Government want to allow teachers to receive training on how to appropriately use new technologies in order for it to be more frequently and confidently used for teaching and assessing in education (The National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy, 2016). This empowers teachers and older generations with additional knowledge to comprehend and use up-to-date technology in both personal and social environments as well as professional.
Additional reasons for introducing technology more frequently in the classroom are known to be: to raise attainment and achievement, to close the attainment gap, to engage learners and to develop the young workforce (The National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy, 2016). The strategy for emphasising this new skill in schools focuses on four key objectives: to develop the skills of our educators, to enhance curriculum and assessment delivery, to improve access and to empower leaders of change.
This session also allowed us to navigate our way around ‘Glow’ which is a digital learning environment available to educators and learns in Scotland. Previously, I had limited knowledge about this learning tool therefore found this aspect of the class beneficial. I now understand the benefits and uses of Glow in more depth and hope to continuously develop my knowledge.
Overall, I believe this first session helped me in identifying my personal needs for improvement in relation to digital technology and also improved my knowledge on what to further expect in upcoming classes. I am looking forward to the additional information I am still to learn and am hopeful that I will use my skills in future classes.

References:

Scottish Government. (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government (Online) Available at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/0050 [Accessed: 09 January 2018]

Digital Technology in Scottish Education & Personal Reflection

Upon completion of my first class in Digital Technologies, it has opened my eyes wider and allowed me to discover the real potential and benefits that Digital Technologies have in the Scottish Education system. As a first year student, the thought of using technology in the classroom to me feels natural due to being surrounded by technology along with the ever-changing society we live in, thus keeping in line with modern technology that encompasses us naturally on a daily basis. I feel as being both a parent and a student undertaking a degree programme in primary eduction, contextualising every day situations for young learners is crucial in order to provide like for like examples of everyday living. This can be done throughout various areas of the curriculum including numeracy, literacy, health and wellbeing and science. The importance of using digital technologies throughout education will be explored and analysed along with evidence supporting the cause of using this autonomous learning tool throughout schools for children and young people.

Having accessed and read through the Scottish Government published document ‘Enhancing Learning and Teaching through the use of Digital Technology – A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland’ (2016) it allowed me to gain a greater understanding on the proposals set out by our Government alongside crucial evidence which supports the basis for their strategies. The Scottish Government intends to expand the use of Digital Technologies in educational settings in order to achieve four goals:

To develop the skills and confidence of educators in the appropriate and effective use of digital technology in order to support learning and education; to improve access to digital technology to all learners; Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery and empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.

These strategies if met, will ultimately benefit Scotland’s children between the ages of three and eighteen. Research has been conducted in order to gain a deeper insight into what beneficiaries really think of their current educational system in regards to digital technology within their classrooms and the results of these were which intrigued and surprised me by far. A Children’s Parliament consultation which seen ninety-two children between the ages of eight and eleven take part provided researchers with an insight into how they believed technology impacted their education. It was concluded that participants stated that the use of Digital Technology makes learning more fun and they would like to see it used more (but not over-used). They also stated that their access to Digital Technology in school was constrained due to a lack of digital equipment and their teachers being limited in skills in relation to the use of Digital Technology. Similarly, a separate consultation conducted by Young Scot which saw 250 children between the ages of eleven and twenty-five participate, gave an outcome of similar stance. They stated that teachers lacked knowledge of how to use the technological equipment they already had and also noted that the resources they do have could be unreliable and misused. However, on a positive note, they also found that Digital Technology was an important learning aid in the classroom, a good tool for revision and provided and interactive learning experience.

Furthermore to the evidence given by our own young Scottish learners, the Independent Literature Review on the impact on digital technology on learning and teaching proposes that there is potential for digital technologies to support and contribute to five educational priorities:

Raising attainment; tackling inequalities and promoting inclusion; improving transitions into employment; enhancing parental engagement and improving the efficiency of the educational system.

From the resources I had access to, to allow me to base my reflection upon it has became highly evident to me that indeed Scottish education needs to crucially implement the proposed strategies in order to give our future generations the best chance to succeed in life. This can be done by meeting their proposed goals of raising attainment, improving employability and learners skillsets along with keeping young people and educators up to date with the technology that surrounds them in the society they are surrounded by. As a prospective teacher I am feeling very encouraged by the plans and strategies outlined in order to give pupils and teachers the best educational results for both parties and look forward to continuing my Digital Technology module by gaining new skills and ideologies that will support me in my own classroom one day.

References

Scottish Government (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government (Online) Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/0050 [Accessed: 09 January 2018]

Digital Technologies Week 1

Today’s class was an introduction to the digital technologies module. We discussed the definition of digital technology and what will be covered throughout the module, we reflected upon our own skills with regards to technology and explored Glow. Firstly, we reflected upon our own technology and digital skills whereby we marked down how confident we […]

Firstly, we reflected upon our own technology and digital skills whereby we marked down how confident we felt within different areas of technology. By marking a one, that indicated that the area within technology was a particular strength. However, when marking a five it indicated that the area of technology was an area for development. This allowed us to highlight our strengths and weaknesses with regards to technology.

We looked at and discussed “Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of digital technology” in depth to evaluate the importance of digital technology within education. It explained many key messages that described how vital digital technology is within the curriculum. The document highlighted that the Scottish Government is devoted to embedding digital technology into the curriculum and for young people to receive the full benefit of technology. It also shows that digital technology has been proven to raise children’s attainment and enhance learning and teaching for them.

Finally, we navigated our way around Glow in order to become more familiar with some of the features that are available. We added tiles to our own personal launch pads that will be useful to us as student teachers and as we progress after university.

To conclude, today’s input was very useful and informative. It gave us a clear insight into the digital technologies module and allowed us to analyse our own digital skills. It also gave us the opportunity to have a look at an academic source to evaluate how important digital technology is within the Scottish curriculum and navigate around Glow. I believe that this module will be enjoyable and beneficial to me and allow me to develop my digital skills.

References

Scottish Government (2016) Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of digital technology. [Online]. Available from: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/391375/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%20Strategy%20.pdf

Digital Technologies – 9/1/18

Taking part in the digital technology module is a great opportunity for me to build upon and enrich the ICT skills I have already developed, in both a professional and […]

Taking part in the digital technology module is a great opportunity for me to build upon and enrich the ICT skills I have already developed, in both a professional and personal setting. Looking at the many ways in which digital technology can help enhance both learning and teaching is extremely valuable because as time moves forward technology advances as well. Technology is now used in many different forms throughout classrooms including, smart boards.

Having not been able to attend the first class due to personal reasons, I viewed the PowerPoint at home and looked over the materials provided. Looking through the module handbook and the assessment criteria, I was able to gain a better understanding of what will be expected of me throughout the module. After doing this, I went on to review the introduction PowerPoint and reflected on some of the points made on the slides. To me, digital technology is a device that allows people to gain access to larger variety of knowledge. According to Education Scotland (2015), digital technology is a term used to describe those digital application, services and resources which are used to: find, analyse, create, communication and use information in a digital context.

I then went on to read through the National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy (2016) and I was able to pick out the main points throughout the article. Overall, the main outcome Education Scotland(2016) is working towards is to raise attainment levels through children gaining the highest level of literacy and numeracy skills to allow them to become successful. They are also trying to achieve equity so that each child has an equal opportunity to succeed. Education Scotland (2016) believe that digital technology can help enrich both teaching and learning, which in turn can lead to better educational outcomes including the two I have previously discussed.

The main beneficiaries of this strategy are the learners aged 3-18 who will be able to acquire ICT skills that are an essential part of life and when they start work, especially as nearly everything today is digital. The teachers as well will benefit, as they require training in order to learn the sufficient level of skills needed to then teach to the children.

My own digital skills are an area that could be developed, especially as digital technology is now playing such as important part of everyday teaching in the classroom. My skills are competent enough that I am able to use technology for writing essays and doing research. I also use devices for reading, such as a kindle. I am hoping to become more aware of other technologies and devices and understand how to use them properly and implement them into my teaching. As a parent, I get to see the vast range of digital technology used at my daughter’s school and how she as a learner uses this technology, which has been very insightful.

Being a student teacher today, having digital technology skills in my opinion is one of the most important set of skills to have. With technology playing such an important part in everyday life, these need to be taught to learners in order for them to succeed.

References

Scottish Government (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available at:http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505855.pdf[Accessed: 14 January 2018]

Digital Technologies Week 1

During this class I have further explored the meaning of digital technology. At the beginning of the period we looked into the module handbook and assignments so that we are aware of what it will involve. I was able to explore the meaning of definition of digital technology throughout the session and I know its key objectives as stated by The Scottish Government (2016) are to improve the skills the teachers have, develop the possibility of a wider connection with the world, boost curriculum and assessment distribution and empower the leaders of change. The use of digital technology such as computers, tablets, games or programable toys are an interesting way to make education a lot more interactive and ‘makes learning more fun’ for the children but one of the possible problems that may appear, which personally I found quite unexpected, is that a lot of teachers don’t have the skills and knowledge about the items to be able to use in their classroom (The Scottish Government, 2016).

The Scottish Government (2016) Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of digital technology [online] Available from- : http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/391375/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%20Strategy%20.pdf [Accessed 9th January 2017]