February 2018 – Page 2

Movie Making 13/02/2018

When I realised today we would be making our own movies, I was quite excited at the prospect and had a few ideas float around in my head of what I thought would work well. Working in a group, we were given the task to create a short movie, using the iMovie app on an iPad. The product was to be centred around the topic of ‘Internet Safety’ and be appropriate to view by primary school children which also gave a clear message to it’s audience.

Once we got our group, we came together and brainstormed, we collaborated effectively which resulted in us combining a few of our ideas together and came up with the idea to create a short film based on a popular young wizard and his friends – but with a twist. We all had various roles in the group; actor/actress, visual technician, head of wardrobe, runner and producer to name a few. The role I undertook myself was that of one of the main characters – Hairy Snotter. Miss Snotter was a young witch who was invited to a meeting place to meet with one of her friends. Little did she know that by talking to her ‘friend’ online she was actually being targeted by a stranger posing to be her friend and in fact almost landed herself in a lot of trouble. Thankfully her friend Mermione came to the rescue and advised Hairy to get rid of the imposter by casting a spell on him. Once they worked their magic on the imposter, we came out of character to inform the audience on the importance of staying safe online and advising them on where they can seek more help and information about keeping themselves safe online.

We centred our movie around cross-curricular experiences and outcomes. These touched on areas such as Health & Wellbeing, Literacy and Technology:

As I listen or watch, I can identify and discuss the purpose, main ideas and supporting detail contained within the text, and use this information for different purposes. LIT 2-04a

I listen or watch for useful or interesting information and I use this to make choices or learn new things. LIT 0-04a

To help me develop an informed view, I can distinguish fact from opinion, and I am learning to recognise when my sources try to influence me and how useful these are. LIT 2-08a

I can communicate clearly when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, using selected resources3 as required. LIT 1-10a

I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-01a

I can explore online communities demonstrating an understanding of responsible digital behaviour and I’m aware of how to keep myself safe and secure. TCH 2-03a

I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances. HWB 0-03a / HWB 1-03a / HWB 2-03a / HWB 3-03a / HWB 4-03a

Our message to the audience was clear – you cannot be too careful when using the internet. You may think you know who you are talking to and feel like you can trust the person at the other side of the screen. However, the internet can be a very dangerous place and can cause hurt and serious harm to those who choose to use it.

As a group we all had great fun creating our mini movie. There were great laughs and enjoyment throughout the time we were in character and out of character and used various props, settings and visuals to create an effective movie which would be memorable for the right reasons. When it came to using the iMovie app it was a brilliant resource that allowed us to put together snippets of video clips and stills we had created and piece them together in a way that produced a great end result. The tutorials we viewed individually prior to starting our movie were very useful as it gave us a valuable insight into the features and tools that were available to us and which gave our movie the important finishing touches.

Crating the movie was all fun and games yes, but remembering the reason why we were dong it left quite the impact on me being a mother and also a student teacher. Being an adult and being responsible for the safety of my own child and pupils now and in the future, creating a short movie reminded me of just how scary and dark the internet can be and that it can suck in the most vulnerable and trusting of children and have terrible outcomes. It is of great importance to educate our children on the importance of using the internet safely and effectively both in and out of the classroom and ensuring they are aware of what they should and should not be doing online. It is also vital to ensure children know they can seek advice and help from trusted adults such as their parents/carers or teachers regardless of how much trouble they might think they are in or if they feel they are being targeted in any way whatsoever. As stated by Simpson and Toyn (2012), ”If we can educate children that they always have an adult they can seek support from, we can help keep children safe online”.

Using the iMovie app in today’s class certainly demonstrated and evidenced that it would also be just as an effective tool for children in the classroom as it was for me as an adult learner. The iMovie app would allow children to develop their skillset in technology and other areas of the curriculum by allowing them to work on their own project or movie as an individual or as part of a team. It can be from as simple as taking the iPad out to film a simple literacy task such as recording items they can see in the classroom or playground that begin with a certain sound or letter, to interviewing peers or members of staff in their school as part of their IDL topic or for research on a class project. iMovie can give children the opportunity to be autonomous and create something that maybe otherwise they wouldn’t be able to create through writing, talking or drawing. iMovie allows for children to show off their creative talents and witness their end result by viewing their finished product and feeling a great sense of achievement.

Beauchamp (2012) suggested that “…the most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong”. By teaching our future generation about the safe use of the internet, we are ensuring our children and pupils are set in good stead for a future where they will be engulfed by technology, the internet and social medias. Children take chances and make mistakes. They are testing their own boundaries and their parents and teachers. However, by implementing e-safety in primary schools we are making our children and young learners know that it is important they ask for help and advice when it comes to the internet and to trust the adult they know and can see, not the person behind the keyboard.

Overall, today was a great success. I found using the iMovie app enjoyable and it is certainly a resource I will be looking to use in my own classroom in the future. I found it to be particularly effective around today’s topic and can only imagine the other types of awareness can be raised through the use of one digital technology tool in the classroom.

References

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [First Accessed 13 February 2018]

Simpson D., Toyn M. (2012) Primary ICT Across the Curriculum. Sage

Digital Technology Week 7 – Animation

Digital Technology Week – Animation This weeks lesson was based around animation and its uses in the class room. ICT allows pupils to” achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.54). We discussed about how the importance of teaching children to use technology in […]

Digital Technology Week – Animation

This weeks lesson was based around animation and its uses in the class room. ICT allows pupils to” achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.54). We discussed about how the importance of teaching children to use technology in this modern-day world. We first learnt about what ways animation making could be used in the classroom to make lessons and then we learnt how to make our own and did.

The way we learnt how to introduce animation in the classroom lessons was through stop motion animation. We did this through an app on the iPad which may be available in classroom for the children to use. We learnt about what animation is and how it can be defined. “Animation involves the stringing together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move.” (Jarvis, 2015, p89). Children should be given experiences with all sorts of technology as it can open doors and their imagination which could help them discover what carer path they would like to go down and it may open jobs that don’t currently exist. animation in the classroom doesn’t have to be with plasticine models – cut out animation is by far the easiest technique to start on. (Moving Image Education). Children won’t be making masterpiece movies, but they will do their best and will be able to imagine up ideas with what they are provided with in the classroom. The most obvious example of stop motion animation is Wallace and Grommet which is made using plasticine models. It works by taking a picture and then moving the model a tiny bit then take another picture this is repeated several times and when all the pictures are played in sequence quickly it looks as though the models etc are moving themselves.

I as in a pair to make our animation. We went with the simple idea of drawing on paper and it would look as though the paper was drawing the picture itself. Our short story line was of the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. We took hundreds of photos that when put together illustrated the simple story. This would be simple to do in the class as all that is required is paper and pens. We learnt quickly that a key point that needs to be taught is that the pad must stay in the exact same position for the animation to look real and not jumpy.

This can be seen in the curriculum in the experiences and outcomes. one of which is “I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts.” TCH 1-01a. Which relates to the use of the technology and the child enhancing and extending their knowledge of how to use technology to the best of its ability. It also relates to experiences about their literacy if it can be applied to their animation. It could also extend to experiences referring to them working in groups, using their imagination and sharing their ideas and outcomes, all depending on what relates to the lesson you as the teacher sets them.

Overall, I really enjoyed learning about and making a stop motion animation. I feel like this would be a great set of lessons to teach a primary class and to allow the children to use their imagination. I will use this in my classroom if I get the chance and if the resources are available to use.

References

· Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

· Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences 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 on 26th February 2018]

· Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom: A Very practical Guide for Teachers and Lecturers. Routledge.

· Moving Image Education website: [Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed on 26th February 2018]

Animation – Week 7 Digital Technology

This week in digital technology, we were studying animation. We looked at the different ways animation could be used within the classroom and also where the benefits of animation lie within the curriculum. The animation applications we studied today were on an iPad and they were; Puppet Pals, iMovie and iStop Motion. I have briefly […]

The animation applications we studied today were on an iPad and they were; Puppet Pals, iMovie and iStop Motion. I have briefly used some of these apps in the past and having the opportunity to revisit them reassures me that my confidence is growing with this kind of technology. Which makes me think of the positive impact that these types of technologies can bring to young learners for example; confidence, communication, expression and collaboration. Moving Image Education state that when making mini movies or trailers there different skills involved which means that the full class can participate. Everyone will have something to contribute therefor, making a film creates an opportunity to extend talents and empower the young learners mean while it is working on team spirit.

Today our task while working in pairs was to create a short and simple animation piece, there were many resources available to us such as toy cars, toy characters, lego and soft toys, along with pens and paper. We decided to use lego as we felt the scene would be fairly easy to build and also that we could move the characters with ease throughout the short animation piece. This however proved us quite wrong as the lego figures often fell over and were quite delicate. We had to keep them exactly where they were in order for each still to move in order as we were using the iStop Motion app.

The iStop Motion app runs a series of still pictures together at a speed selected by the creator, the app also allows for sound to be added to the pictures when they are moving. We also struggled to secure our iPad in one position as we couldn’t find the right objects to help us prop it up, this resulted in our animation piece being quite jumpy and not as precise as we would have liked.

In result of the above I feel this will help me to guide young learners through an animation lesson as I understand how tricky it can be and also why simple is better, to start off with anyway. For me having the opportunity once more means, I have more confidence in this activity and I will certainly try my best not show any sort of fear towards digital technology.

Beauchamp (2012) believes that fear can transmit over to young children’s minds and then you are faced with the risk that a fear of technology or applications is then imbedded in them. Jarvis (2015) states that children should have these technologies involved in their everyday lives and not just timetables visits to a computer room, however the lessons and the outcomes must be relevant in order for firstly the children to engage their interest and also for them to be curious and to get creative with it.

If you incorporate what we covered in class today in a class lesson, there are many possible links to the CFE Experiences and Outcomes. Such as Literacy, Health and Wellbeing, Technology and many more, some possible links to the CFE Experiences and Outcomes could be as followed;

HWB 0-11a/HWB 1-11a – I make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to improve and manage my learning and in turn, I can help to encourage learning and confidence in others.

LIT 1-20a/LIT 2-20a – I enjoy creating text of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience.

TCH 2-09a – Using appropriate software, I can work collaboratively to design an interesting and entertaining game which incorporates a form of control technology or interactive multimedia.

(Education Scotland, 2004).

In conclusion of the animation class and in completing my reflective blogs I feel there is a trend developing. I feel the more I get the oppertunity to use the technologies, my confidence grows and hopefully I am right when I say that this could be the same for children in a classroom. I am happy that my slight fear of technology is fading and also that I understand why technology is important across all of the curriculum.

References

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom: A Very Practical Guide for Teachers and Lecturers. Routledge.
Moving Image Education website: [Online] Available: https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 25th February 2018].
Education Scotland (2004) Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers [Accessed: 25th February 2018].

Digital Technology Week 7- 20/02/2018 (animations)

Today’s lesson we focused on animations. Upon further reading I discovered there are five main types of animation (Moving Image Education): Cutout- this is one of the easiest and quickest forms of animation Stop-motion – this includes but is in no way limited to, plasticine animation Pixillation – Humans become the puppets Drawn – A classic […]

Today’s lesson we focused on animations. Upon further reading I discovered there are five main types of animation (Moving Image Education):

Cutout- this is one of the easiest and quickest forms of animation

Stop-motion – this includes but is in no way limited to, plasticine animation

Pixillation – Humans become the puppets

Drawn – A classic form of animation-such as many original Disney animations

Computer – Also known as CGI which is found in many games and movies

Whilst exploring various sources on animation something I found really interesting was on the Moving Image Education which discusses the almost endless opportunities when it comes to animations. As shown in one of their video examples leaves can be turned into dolphins, rice, paint, jewellery, pasta, ice, almost anything can be placed under the camera and the animated. Likewise, just about anything can be used as the background (Moving Image Education . I found this so exciting as children’s imaginations are often incredible and endless and so the following quote below came to mind which I absolutely love when it comes to children and their creativity. I particularly liked the idea of incorporating nature into their animations as this would then allow you as a teacher to cover so many topic areas and could lead to discussions about anything from seasons to the importance of wildlife conservation.

This not only allows children’s creativity to blossom it also makes this a more accessible activity as at the simplest level besides the iPad children could use many every day objects found around the classroom from a pencil and a piece of paper to ‘treasure pieces’ used in mathematics. This could also incorporate arts lessons as children could design and create their own props.

Before creating our own animation with props we were given time to explore puppet pals and create an animation cased upon a fairytale we had previously read. We were create a story with a beginning, middle and an end which included voice recording, movement and change in size of the characters. The app was simple and easy to use and if different packages were purchased it gave children the opportunity to take pictures and use the faces of themselves or friend to be the star of the story. After using this app this could be another great way to encourage and engage children who would usually struggle in engaging with story writing. As Beauchamp discusses (2012, p.55); “e-Inclusion aims to use digital technologies to minimise the problems that pupils with learning difficulties experience”. It also gives all pupils the chance to bring their stories to life and “through the use of ICT and technology it could allow pupils to accomplish something that could be difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”.(Beauchamp, 2012, p.54).

Once we had a chance to explore puppet pals we then discussed the IStopMotion app on the iPad. As a class we were provided with various props and there were no limitations as to what we were to create. We used paper and coloured pens to create the ‘sea’ and the ‘sky’ as a background as well as paper boats which we moved using the stop,start animation. We used bear figurines as the main characters in our animation and the photos below show a brief example of what we created during the time given.

This was a fun task and I was impressed with what we managed to create using simple objects which would be around in most classrooms. Below are outcomes we decided could be covered within this lesson in a classroom.

“I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-01a”

“I have the opportunity to choose and explore a range of media and technologies to create images and objects, discovering their effects and suitability for specific tasks. EXA 1-02a”

“I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts and I use what I learn to invent my own, sharing these with others in imaginative ways. LIT 0-09b / LIT 0-31a” (Education Scotland, 2004)

This has been one of my favourite resources we have looked at so far as the opportunities for children’s imaginations are almost endless and the pride children would feel having created the animation from start to finish would be great for their self confidence as well as the opportunity to cover so many areas of the curriculum.

References

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available at: 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 on 24 February 2018]

Moving Image Education website: Animation [Online] Available at: https ://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 24 February 2018]

Digital Technology Week 6- 13/02/2018 (i-movie)

We began today’s lesson by discussing safety online and the important role the teacher plays in educating children on how to be safe online. I found it interesting and a bit intimidating just how important a role I could one day play in a child using the internet correctly and being safe online. Some people may view this as the job of the child’s parent/guardian however some adults are not confident themselves in using technology and therefore may not understand or be aware of all of the dangers and threats which are all over the internet. As a teacher if we can show children that there is always an adult who they can go to for support and advice then we can help keep children safe online (Simpson & Toyn, 2012). One of the main teaching points I took from today’s lesson was that, as Beauchamp discusses, when educating children on how to be safe online, this is not to be done in a way which restricts what children can do, rather than to make them aware of the dangers. Beauchamp discusses this further by stating that the schools which have been most successful in regards to internet safety are ones which ensured children knew what to do when they had an issue online (Beauchamp, 2012.).

Whilst discussing internet safety we were shown, and given time to explore, various online resources to help children understanding safety online. One I found particularly interesting was a website which had various resources for different age ranges including animations such as ‘Hector’s World’ showcasing some of the dangers that may be encountered online (ThinkUKnow, 2008).

Once we had discussed the importance of teaching children about being safe online and discussed various ways to approach this alongside helpful resources online we formed groups with which we would create either an move or a trailer related to staying safe online. We worked collaboratively and decided upon a movie highlighting the dangers of meeting someone who you have began talking with online with some humorous aspects so it kept people engaged throughout a serious subject. We took advantage of using the iPad and visited various places on the university campus which would be extremely useful when using this with a primary class as they could use various different areas and settings so more than one group could work at the same time without interrupting each other. There are many experiences and outcomes which could be covered in this lesson including (Scottish Executive 2004):

I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances. HWB 0-03a/1-03a/2-03a/3-03a/4-03a
I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other peoples presentations/performances. EXA 0-01a/1-01a/2-01z
I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts, TCH 0-01a
I can extend my knowledge of how to use digital technology to communicate with others and I am aware of ways to keep safe and secure. TCH 1-03a
I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience. LIT 1-20a/2-20a

We used a popular piece of film/literature to create an alternative, humorous ‘Hairy Snotter’ in place of Harry Potter to highlight one of the many dangers of online, you never really know who you’re talking to. This was a creative, fun, engaging and memorable task and so would be great to use in Primary Schools where the finished products could then be showcased for the whole school which would not only be exciting and a proud moment for the children involved but would also highlight some of the dangers of playing online to the whole school and could create an open forum for asking questions and reminding the children if there is anything they are worried about to speak to an adult.

References

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

Simpson D., Toyn M. (2012) Primary ICT Across the Curriculum. Sag

ThinkuKnow (2008) Hector’s World – Animated Safety Videos [Online] Available at:
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/hectorsworld/ [Accessed: 18 February 2018]

Movie Making 13/2/2018

Todays Digital Technologies lesson focused on the benefits and impact of iMovies in the classroom. The lesson focused on the ways iMovie could be used to promote internet safety. We […]

Todays Digital Technologies lesson focused on the benefits and impact of iMovies in the classroom. The lesson focused on the ways iMovie could be used to promote internet safety. We begun by taking part in a class quiz on internet safety before learning some information on internet safety.

Beauchamp (2012, p.58) discussed internet safety “the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.”. In other words, rather than discourage children from using social media and technology we should educate them on the potential dangers they could face. The NSPCC supported this view by stating in their ‘your children’s online world’ guide for parents, “try to strike the right balance between keeping an eye on your child and giving them the independence and freedom to explore” (NSPCC 2015, p.6). They advised parents and careers in their leaflets to take an interest in what their child does online and establish regular conversations with your child about what they do online. In turn your child will be more educated on the dangers of the internet while feeling comfortable to share any concerns they may have.

Furthermore, our assessment task today continued the theme of promoting internet safety as the task involved working within a group to create an iMovie about internet safety. My group discussed the many ways we could promote internet safety while highlighting the danger of the internet. Eventually we settled on the idea that our movie, entitled “BEar Safe”, would focus on the issue of people hiding their identity online and that you never know who you might be chatting to online. After this we wrote a quick plan for our movie (see featured image) then divided our group into those who would edit the movie and those who would set up Instagram accounts and set the scenes. In the short iMovie the main character Bear can be seen displaying his personal details on his public Instagram page for example his age, where he lives and his school location. As a result, anyone online can access this information and easily find Bear. As the film progresses we see Bear receive a friend request from Unicorn, a stranger who Bear has never met, and they begin to chat online. The chat soon results in Unicorn asking Bear to meet with Bea becoming sceptical and telling his mother who advises Bear to delete Unicorn and make his account private. The movie ends with the reveal that the Unicorn is in fact a terrifying werewolf who has been posting fake pictures to chat to Bear. I feel our movie gave the important message of internet safety while warning viewers to be mindful of who they are speaking to online and that if they have any worries they should speak to a parent or teacher. I also feel our movie, which won “Best Original Script” at our class Oscars Awards, is relevant to today as it uses popular social media website Instagram to highlight how easily a stranger can access your personal details online.

In addition, I feel the use of iMovie would be a valuable resource to use in a lesson particularly to highlight internet safety. The children could work in groups to create their own short films that showcase the dangers of internet safety as not only would this allow them to have fun and experiment with technology, but it would also inform them of the dangers they are filming. A lesson like the one we took part in today could potentially combine multiple curriculum outcomes such as Technology, Literacy and Health and Wellbeing:

“I understand positive things about friendships and relationships but when something worries or upsets me I know who I should talk to.” HWB 0-44b / HWB 1-44b

“As I listen or watch, I can identify and discuss the purpose, key words and main ideas of the text, and use this information for a specific purpose.” LIT 1-04a

“I can extend my knowledge of how to use digital technology to communicate with others and I am aware of ways to keep safe and secure.” TCH 1-03a

Overall, todays lesson highlighted to me the many ways I might teach a lesson on internet safety besides giving a talk to the class. By using technology resources such as iMovies the children can interact with the lesson and display their ideas on how to stay safe online while absorbing the crucial information they need to stay safe online. As a student teacher I am now confident that I can teach a lesson on internet safety while combining multiple curriculum outcomes and most importantly making it informative an engaging for the children.

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

NSPCC (2015) Your child’s online world: A guide for parents. England.

Learning with narrative and visual methods to construct meaning in and through the Expressive Arts

For this week’s session, we took the learning outdoors and went to Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow. I often visited this museum when I was a young child but I have not been in a very long time. This was a fantastic learning experience as we got the opportunity to take part in various work shops and activities, ones that are available to primary schools across the country. It allowed me to witness the amazing opportunities and learning experiences that a trip to a museum would give to a class of pupils. I found that not being in the university classroom made the learning experience more engaging and stimulating right from the start and I was very intrigued to find out what the rest of the afternoon had to offer.

DCSM (2003-2004) suggest that “Museums inspire powerful and identity-building learning in children, young people and community members”. I think this is an important fact to consider, especially with the educational opportunities that museums offer to schools and nurseries. I was interested to discover that Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum offer many educational sessions for nursery, primary and secondary school classes. They ensure that these sessions cover areas of the curriculum to provide an effective and efficient learning experience for the children. We were given a handbook that outlined some of the experiences they offer to pupil’s and the curricular areas and levels that they would be suitable for. I took this resource home as I feel that it will be very beneficial to have whilst on placement.

This is a section of the handbook that outlines the experiences the museum offer to schools.

Our afternoon began, by having the chance to observe a group of primary children taking part in a learning session about the ancient Egyptians. The children appeared to be very engaged and stimulated throughout the session. They were given the opportunity to hold real-life artifacts from the Egyptian time period, and discuss what they think the object might be, what it was used for and so on. Opportunities like this one, allow for pupils to develop their cognitive skills by being asked higher-order thinking questions as well as develop their knowledge and understanding in an engaging, exciting and fun way, one that they would not get in the classroom. As a group, we were able to take part in a similar activity where we got to touch and smell various Victorian artifacts and try and guess what they were. I found this very difficult and I will admit that I did not guess any of them correctly.

This was one of the artifacts that we had to guess the purpose of.

My most enjoyable part of the day was getting the chance to create my own version of the floating heads that are displayed within the gallery. I always loved looking at the floating heads when I was younger, as I was often fascinated and intrigued by the different expression that each face held. The woman gave us step by step instructions and a demonstration on how to create our floating heads. We were actively encouraged to use our imagination and creative abilities so that everyone had a different floating head. I tried to make my floating head look like myself but I don’t think I achieved that aim very well. I will let you make your own judgement on that.

Another part of the afternoon that I was really happy to experience was seeing the painting “Windows in the West” by Avril Paton. We have previously looked and studied this painting and even took inspiration from it for our print making so it was an incredible opportunity to see this painting in real-life. It was a lot larger than I had initially expected and it was an excellent opportunity to see and appreciate the detail and work that went into this painting.

Overall, I found this input a very informative, enjoyable, interesting and engaging learning experience. I can appreciate the benefits of taking pupils to an art gallery and museum, like this one, as it provides them with opportunities that they wouldn’t get to experience within the classroom. A trip like this can make a topic, being taught in school, more exciting, fun, engaging and enjoyable for the pupils. Additionally, DCSM (2003-2004) further suggest that museums “Target and motivate disadvantaged individuals and groups effectively”. This is something that I strongly agree with and is something that I have actually witnessed throughout my placement. There is a boy in my class who often struggles to maintain focus and listen throughout lessons such as mathematics or literacy and english. However, when he was taking part in an arts lesson which involved designing their Titanic boats he excelled, engaged and participated fully in the lesson. Therefore, I believe than an opportunity to visit an art gallery and museum would be a huge benefit not only for this particular child but for many children as they are given the chance to explore, use their imagination and be creative in a real-life manner.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I said that I would attach a picture of my finished concrete poetry. I am very pleased with my finished outcome as I feel like I managed to demonstrate my evocative object and the feelings and emotions attached with it in a creative, engaging, stimulating way which is pleasing to the eye. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of creating this piece of art, it allowed me to reflect, increase my confidence, build on existing knowledge and develop new skills. This is an experience that I would love to do with pupils as I think creating a piece of art work that you are emotionally attached to keeps you engaged, concentrated and it makes the experience more enjoyable.

References:

DCSM, (2003-2004) Inspiration, Identity, Learning: The Value of Museums. [Online] Available: https://lra.le.ac.uk/bitstream/2381/21/1/Inspiration%2C%20Identity%2C%20Learning_The%20value%20of%20museums.pdf [Accessed: 23rd February 2018]

Digital Technologies Week 7 – Animation

According to the Moving Image Education website, “Animation ‘breathes life into something that wouldn’t normally move’.” Today we were challenged with creating a stop-motion animation to tell part of a story. I was soon inspired with thoughts of Wallace and Gromit-style plasticine models. My expectations were quickly altered as I watched a series of tutorials … Continue reading “Digital Technologies Week 7 – Animation”

I was soon inspired with thoughts of Wallace and Gromit-style plasticine models. My expectations were quickly altered as I watched a series of tutorials and discovered the time and skill that it takes to produce something of the sort.

Rather than simply being a beginners’ sort of movie-making, animation is an art in its own right. There are five different types of animation, which serve different purposes: cutout, stop-motion model, pixillation, drawn and computer animations (Moving Image Education).

We found that the simplest to create was cutout animation and My partner and I were lucky enough to have had experience with the iStop Motion app on placement where we created a scene for their Viking topic with small groups of primary three children.

We decided to challenge ourselves with creating a scene in the plasticine stop motion style. We had an hour and a half to fully familiarise ourselves with the app and create our scene. We began by animating the process of creating one plasticine character, with little details such as the character picking up his second arm and ‘putting it on’ by himself. It was a very fun and engaging session and as we went we were further inspired, which culminated in a 14 second sequence where another character came along and jumped on the original and made a ‘splash.’

This was a fun activity with the potential to form a basis of a very engaging lesson. Besides the obvious development of Technology skills that takes place when creating an animation, asking children to do a task like this gives them an opportunity to “communicate clearly when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, using selected resources as required,” meeting the Literacy outcome LIT 1-10a (Scottish Government, 2004). A lesson creating animation is yet another opportunity to use Technology in the classroom in a way that promotes inclusion for those students with additional support needs, who may not be able to tell their story as well by putting pen to paper as they can by designing a model and ‘bringing it to life.’

The only limitation I could see with this in a lesson is that it took us the full hour and a half to create 14 seconds of footage. However, this could be useful in the classroom to promote groupwork – with small groups of children each creating one snippet of a story.

One key finding of the Digital Literacy Impact Review (Scottish Government, 2015) was that while there is evidence that digital tools and resources can help to close the attainment gap, it is just as important that teachers are equipped with the skills to use it; it is not enough simply that the technology is available for use in the classroom, teachers must be familiar with it and competent when using it. After this session, I am confident in my ability to use the iStop Motion app to create animations and quite excited to hopefully see it used, or use it myself, in the classroom again on my next placement.

References

Moving Image Education: [Online] https ://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 21 February 2018].

Scottish Executive (2004). Curriculum for Excellence. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

Scottish Government. 2015. Digital Literacy Impact Review. [Online] Edinburgh: APS. [Accessed: 21 February 2018].

Digital Technologies Week 6.

The focus of this input was to learn how to create iMovies, which we as student teachers can take into the classroom with us. Once we understood how to use the application, we were then asked to create iMovies to encourage children to be wary of who they are talking to online. Beauchamp (2012, p.58) …

Continue reading “Digital Technologies Week 6.”

Beauchamp (2012, p.58) discusses internet safety and states that “…the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them”. In other words, children should be encouraged to go online and use technologies. However, when they are online, they should be aware of the dangers of accepting and communicating with people that they do not know. He further states that schools with effective e-safety standards will have pupils who know exactly what to do if they feel that they are not safe online.

The Scottish Government states, “digital technologies appear to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings”. Thus, showing the importance and usefulness of digital technologies within classrooms in the 21st century.

[The story that we made]

[Curricular areas for iMovies]

References

›Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.

›The Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. [Online] Available from: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed: 13 February 2018].

Digital Technologies – Animation 21/02/18

Digital Technologies this week introduced me to animation programmes such as Puppet Pals and iStop Motion. With a partner I created a story on iStop Motion based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, to do this we had to draw our background, characters and many other props. Straight away I could tell that children within a classroom setting would love using animation programmes such as these ones, as they allow creativity and imagination to be used from the very start.

Movie Image Education states that there are five main types of animation – cut-out, stop motion, pixilation, drawn and computer. (Jarvis, 2015, p89) states that “Animation involves the stringing together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move.” When first trying to create an animation myself and my partner realised that we were moving Goldilocks too quickly, this meant it didn’t look like a realistic walk, however we grasped quickly that time and effort needs to be spent on making an animation. In class I found it beneficial that we got the time to watch tutorials on all these different types of animations on the Moving Image Education website before we started making one ourselves. Animations can be used in many ways to enhance learning as it enhances learners visual representations, illustrates processes and also provides an interactive element (Bertrancourt, 2005). All of these aspects show how important it is that animation and ICT as a whole is used widely in schools, as (Beauchamp, 2012, p66) states that “ICT equipment is part of pupils everyday life, so should be part of their everyday play.”

As the use of technology within schools should be placed within a range of subjects and shouldn’t be seen as a separate subject, myself and my partner decided to do an animation which could fit into both literacy and technology Curriculum for Excellence outcomes.

I can explore and experiment with sketching, manually or digitally, to represent ideas in different learning contexts. – TCH 1-11a.

To show my understanding across different areas of learning, I can identify and consider the purpose and main ideas of a text. – LIT 1-16a.

These outcomes relate to the animation myself and my partner carried out as we told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Therefore, children themselves could use an app such as iStop Motion within a Literacy lesson to show their understanding of a text by being able to put an animation together about it. I thoroughly enjoyed making all the different backgrounds and props needed, as the setting changed three times from the woods, to a kitchen and then a living room. Therefore, our animation didn’t always have the same background, from this I feel as though it made it look more interesting. We also incorporated three plastic bears into the story along with our drawing of goldilocks, as we wanted different eye-catching features involved to make it more intriguing. The different features on iStop Motion meant that we could slow down our animation so that people viewing it could see the words we added such as “Too hot!” when Goldilocks was trying the porridge. From this, I have realised that animation programmes allow for anything to be created; from something random to a story being told with drawings or other props. This providing a great opportunity for children within a classroom to use their imagination to create something that they feel interested in.

Overall, this class has gave me the confidence to deliver lessons to children in the future using animation programmes such as iStop Motion. This being very beneficial, as hopefully my growing confidence and enthusiasm will mean the children I am teaching also feel this way towards technology. Along with developing confidence, I also found it very enjoyable creating an animation; this also being something I hope children get out of lessons I teach using technology!

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.

Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom: A Very Practical Guide for Teachers and Lecturers. Routledge.

Moving Image Education website: [Online] Available: https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 19 February 2018]