February 2018 – Page 3

Digital Technologies-iMovie (Week 6)

Today we focused on exploring the use of iMovie on iPads to aid children within the classroom. iMovie is an app that can be downloaded on an iPad and can be used to aid children whilst learning. As a group we decided that we will create a trailer for Snow White which promotes how to be save online for children. Personally I think iMovie can be a great tool to show pupils important matters through more fun and interesting ways. This can help them be more attentive with it and really focus on what is being said.

It is important to make children aware of the dangers of the internet and e-safety. It involves teaching the children how to make sure they are save online instead of restricting what they’re able to see. It is important that the children know how to resolve an issue involving online safety if it arises. (Beauchamp, 2012)

‘Most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, but they are likely to reflect official policies and perhaps not the reality of pupils’ live'(Beauchamp, 2012, p.58).

Digital equipment is widely used within schools in the 21st century-it raises attainment and can contribute in efficient and better understanding of subjects such as maths and science within school pupils. Literacy is also improved through having deeper understanding of English and gives the children a better chance of having a high level of writing abilities. (The Scottish Government, 2015). Porter (2004) believes that multimodal storytelling will be a common bases of teaching in the near future.

‘The digital environment provides a unique opportunity to empower people of all ages to manipulate, combine and distribute their self-expressions as living stories that can be sent into the world and through time'(Porter, 2004, p.35)

References-

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

Porter, B. (2004) Digi Tales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories. Bernajean Porter Publication.

The Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. [Online] http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed: 5.2.18]

Digital Technologies Reflection 20.02.18

Animation can be used in schools to portray lessons across the curricular, varying from mathematics to art and design. Beauchamp states that ‘young children do not seperate experiences into different compartments. ICT is not viewed as a seperate ‘subject’ but something that contributed to all areas of learning’ (2015). Teachers confidence is a key essential …

Continue reading “Digital Technologies Reflection 20.02.18”

Teachers confidence is a key essential when portraying a lesson in front of a classroom of children. ‘Although teachers may be worried by new technologies. We need to be sure that this is not transmitted to young children or that other obstacles are not put in the way of their natural curiosity and willingness to explore new technologies’ (Beauchamp 2015). Technology is key in schools now due to society changing, teachers that dont have an understanding or a background with technology, they can panic and begin to loose confidence. To be able to conquer this we should ensure that we have the computer or other devices set up before the children enter the classroom therefore we are prepared. Also ensuring that we have different plans if that doesn’t work.

To enhance learning for children there is a suggested three ways in how we can achieve this:

to enhance learners’ visual representation
To illustrate processes.
To provide an interactive element. (Beauchamp 2015)

Different types of animations:

Cut-out
Stop-motion model
Pixallation
Drawn
Computer

Personal Reflection Digital Technologies – Animation 20/02/18

Today within Digital technologies we learned about Animation. Bertrancourt (2005) “suggests three ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning: 1.To enhance learners’ visual representations. 2.To illustrate processes. 3.To provide an interactive element.” According to Moving Image Education there are five main types of animation: 1.Cutout – quickest and easiest, 2. Stop-motion – example is plasticine models, 3.Pixillation – humans become the puppets, 4.Drawn – example is the classical Disney animation and 5.Computer – also known as CGI and found in games and movies (Moving Image Education).

Moving Image Education quotes that “Almost anything can be put under the camera and animated – sand, paint, clothes, jewellery, ice, found objects, foliage etc. Likewise, almost anything can form a background.” Moving Image Education states that animating while being in a classroom does not have to be with Play Doh or Plasticine models – cutout animation is by far the easiest technique to start on”.

This makes animation easily accessible as a teacher can explore the apps available with the children to create an animation and use items around the classroom that the children could be involved in making. Children can draw characters or scenes for the story to make it their own.

Throughout my Trimester 1 I had some use of the app puppet pals to create an animation but I never used it previous to that. Therefore I have not had a lot of experience using it or the app called IStopMotion.

At first we were able to explore Puppet Pals app on the IPad. With this we were to create an animation based on a fairy tale story that we had previously read. We were to include voice recording, movement, change the size of characters and the story was to include a beginning, middle and end. My partner and I created a Beginning and a middle of our story but had not had the chance to finish it. The app was easy to use when we got used to it. I found that it would be beneficial for children if it was used within the classroom as it could help children with ASN who find it difficult to create a story by writing it. Beauchamp, 2012, p.55); “e-Inclusion aims to use digital technologies to minimise the problems that pupils with learning difficulties experience”. It allows them to create a story of their own through use of the IPad. It gives the children opportunity to put their own voice into a story to create their own characters and imagine how characters would say things at specific points within their story.

Beauchamp (2012, p.54) states that “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”. The use of technology includes those who find it difficult to write a story with pencil and paper. It also allows them to be involved in something that they may not always be able to take part in without a lot of support. Beauchamp (2012) also states that ICT should not be viewed as a subject separate from all other subject areas as it is something that contributes to all areas of learning. This could be through use of interactive games on the smart board relating to literacy and maths or being able to create stories and bring them to life with use of apps such as Puppet Pals.

For the task of creating and IStopMotion animation we worked within pairs. Me and my partner to create our animation we used coloured pens and paper to create the scene of the sea and the boats that were floating in the background. We used Lego to create a port and diving boards. We used bear figurines as our main characters. We used a toy boat for the police boat. Our animation was a family of teddy bears enjoying a day at the beach. The teddy bears were diving from the boards into the sea and when it came to the youngest bear he got frightened and the police boat saved the day and rescued him and took him back to the port where all his family swam and followed. After the bears arrived back to the port they were greeted by their friend and the two children went off to play and build sandcastles. While the animation played Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard.

For our animation we linked it to three outcomes within the curriculum for excellence. The technology outcome we linked it to; “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” (Education Scotland 2004). I used this because the children would be using the IPad to experiment and explore the apps available to them to be able to create animation. I also linked it to an Expressive Arts outcome; “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” (Education Scotland 2004). I used this because the children are able to create scenes throughout art to create their stories and bring them to life. Finally I linked it to Literacy as the children are able to explore the event happening in the story and also have idea of who the characters are to learn how to create their own using their imagination. “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).

I think that the use of Animation through technology is a positive because it allows the children to be able to bring imaginative stories to life as they are able to draw their own characters through use of art and cut the characters out so they can create their animation and make their characters move around as if it was a real person. I also think it is beneficial because all resources can be easily accessible to create stories. It is also a fun way to allow children’s imaginations to run wild. It allows children with Additional Support Needs to feel included if they have trouble spelling words and writing as a whole it involves them that they can create a story and tell it through use of technology, art and literacy. It can make the difficult subjects easier for children.

IStopMotion is definitely something I will involve within my teaching career as it is a cross curricular activity that children can take part in bringing in different 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] 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 21 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: Animation [Online] https ://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 21 February 2018]

Movie Making – Week 6 Digital Technology

Today in digital technology we were learning about ‘movie making’ and why movie making has links to many areas of the curriculum. The first area of the curriculum that we link to movie making could be Literacy, for a child to work within a team to create a movie they must be able to communicate well and to take onboard other classmates ideas which can be a difficult skill. “Film-making is a collaborative process often requiring an ‘army’ of people to bring a final movie into reality.” (Porter, p38. 2004). A CFE learning experience and outcome for this would be:

LT 2 – 02a When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value others’ contributions and use these to build on thinking.

Numeracy can also be linked to movie making as the said activity involves critical thinking and problem solving skills for example, in the movie trailer app on the ipad the app tells the movie makers how many seconds there are to work with. The children then need to decide which slides are to be still images and other slides that will be moving images. This was a common problem that we came across today while making our movie trailer, we over came it by working together and allowing the editors to work on it while the others completed various parts of the trailer. An experience and outcome used here could be:

MNU 2 – 10b I can carry out practical tasks and investigations involving timed events and can explain which unit of time would be most appropriate to use.

The Technology link to the curriculum when movie making is a little more obvious, as we plan to use iPads, iPhones, Macs and smart boards. However what we see again is the use of ‘Multimodal’ which we have seen in previous weeks in our digital technology class. When you use a combination of two or more of the 5 semiotic systems a movie/trailer becomes multimodal, which we know can reach out to our young learners in many different ways, ensuring we can keep there attention and make learning relevant. The Scottish Government believe that when these kind of tools are used effectively they will speed up learning and increase the depth of the learning in the classroom which contributes to raising attainment (The Scottish Government, 2015).

Health and Wellbeing is very much an area of the curriculum that can be found in movie making that we were studying today. When you plan, create and complete a movie with your class mates, there comes a great sense of achievement which I experienced today. The satisfaction, laughter, fun and confidence boost you feel can only be a positive thing when learning and is something I wish to take with me into a classroom. It also gives children/adults alike to get creative and experience movie making for themselves and that it’s not only the rich and famous that get the opportunity to make a movie. (Porter, 2004).

One particular and very important area of health and wellbeing we covered in class today was ‘Online Safety’, we discussed how to go about educating children about online safety and how important it is for our children to know what is wrong and how to report if something is wrong or unsafe, Beauchamp (2012) states that the best schools will not restrict children online but will educate children about online safety, the best schools will also help the children understand what is wrong and how to report it. As part of our own awareness we carried out an online quiz with our class lecturer which we can share/discuss with children in the future and we were set a task as an assessment to create our own movie or trailer based on staying safe online.

The assessment was to be a group task, so we promptly started to plan our movie trailer and collected resources and props that we needed as we had a set time to complete the task. The topic we decided to base our trailer on was ‘People are not who they sat they are’. For this we followed similar story lines of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, where a young girl was in contact with her gran, believing that she was indeed speaking to her gran when really it was the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ which in our case was a character out to cause fear and upset, similar to the big bad wolf in the classical storybook.

I feel the movie trailer we created sends a clear message out about the importance of online safety. The trailer was delivered in such a way that children can relate to the story line as they know the classic story and by using various semiotic systems we can ensure it reaches out to it’s viewers in various ways. Also included at the end of the trailer, we gave useful details for viewers that wanted to seek further information or confidential assistance regarding online safety.

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: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers [Accessed: 13th February 2018].
›Porter, B. (2004) Digi Tales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories. Bernajean Porter Publication.
›The Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. [Online] http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed: 13th February 2018].

Animation

Animation can be used to enhance learning in many ways. Animations enhance visual representations for learners, illustrate processes and provide an interactive element to their learning. The use of sound and video can majorly enhance the quality of information processing and hence learning. (Jarvis, 2015, p93) Moving Image Education states that animations do not necessarily have […]

Cutout – quickest and easiest
Stop-motion – example is plasticine models
Pixillation – humans become the puppets
Drawn – example is the classical Disney animation
Computer – also known as CGI and found in games and movies.

ICT, including animation, allows pupils to ”achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way.” For example, cutout animation would allow a pupil to create a movie or scene quickly and easily.

During Digital Technologies, we explored apps such as Puppet Pals and iStopMotion to create short stories. We took a series of still images and linked them together, making use of voice recordings, backgrounds and cutouts, as well as figures. We created a classroom background and used figures to tell the story of a day in the classroom.

I would use animation in the classroom as it was enjoyable and easy to use, with a fantastic and achievable outcome.

REFERENCES

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: 20.02.18]

eBooks in Education… 05/02/2018

Reflecting upon today’s class of eBooks, I firstly found myself thinking about how fast the Digital Technologies module has gone in so far. It seemed that not long ago we were faced with a range of modules in which we got to select our own choice for undertaking in our second trimester. When I first looked over the options, Digital Technologies was the one which certainly caught my attention first. I assumed that it would be a module which explored the use of ‘teacher’ resources in a classroom such as SmartBoards or getting to grips with printers and photocopiers – quite naive, I know. But knowing that I had areas I needed to develop to become more competent in the technology field, I was looking forward to getting started and expanding my skillset and knowledge. However, looking back at the first class and receiving our introduction to the module, I quickly realised that it was going to be a module that not only enhanced my own learning and knowledge, but also that of the pupils I teach in the near and distant future – wow!

When we were asked the question of, “What is an eBook to you?” I immediately thought ‘kindle’. This then led me to think of the prospect of children sat in a classroom, with their heads bowed, stuck in a smart device reading their reading books or taking instruction or direction from what I can only assume would be another hand held wifi enabled device they would then have access to. Not that I am against technology, but I do find that children in society today are easily pacified with their iPads or mobile phones which when I was younger, I never had access to. I find myself quite a traditionalist when it comes to books. I thoroughly enjoy the experience of reading a ‘real’ book. Flicking through the pages, eager to find out what happens next; convincing myself that at the end of each chapter i’ll put it down and go to sleep but knowing that really i’m lying to myself and I will instead fall asleep and wake up with it somewhere at the side of my bed; being able to mark my page with the homemade bookmark my daughter made me which is adorned with hearts and kisses. I love the feel of a real book and so was a bit sceptical at first when I was wondering where eBooks would fit into a classroom.

The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of an eBook is as follows:

‘An electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device designed specifically for this purpose’.

Up until today’s class, that is exactly how I interpreted what an eBook was. However after today’s input I can gladly say that I now no longer have the aforementioned perception. After discussing in groups with peers what we considered an eBook to be, I gained a lot more in depth understanding of eBooks. Not just used for novels, but can be used in the kitchen for cookbooks and recipes, for online shopping and accessing catalogues along with academic texts and journals.

One of the tasks we were given today was to create an eBrochure as a group, designed to give information on life as a student at the University of the West of Scotland, using the Book Creator app on an iPad. The beauty of the Book Creator app was that it allowed us to turn what could have been just text and images to inform others, into a multimodal text; containing sound, moving images, and text along with spatial and gestural aspects. In completing our task, the Book Creator app highly appealed to me as both a student and prospective professional primary educator. Simply, taking a novel or short story and creating a multimodal eBook that contains a host of different, eye-catching and attention grabbing features allowed me to see the real benefits that eBooks would have in a classroom and most definitely gave me the answer to my question – ‘where do ebooks fit in a classroom?’

Our final task today was to take a children’s novel and create our own eBook version of it, which was focused around a literacy outcome. After having created the eBrochure I was enjoying exploring the different features of the app and found myself keen to get to grips and become more familiarised with the app. I wanted to create an eBook that I thought would be of benefit to a learner/learners who have different learning styles but also for children of all abilities in order to enhance their learning experience through digital technologies. The use of eBooks have a variety of benefits on children and young learners; from assisting children who require different resources and tools to suit their own learning style, to enhance children’s skillset and knowledge on ICT equipment in the classroom and to also give children an equal and fair chance of discovering what type of technology is available to not only access but to use to its maximum capacity. This is evidenced and supported by Beauchamp (2012), who stated that “The first, and perhaps most important reason for using ICT in the classroom is that it can have a positive effect on attainment.” The findings by Beauchamp evidence that technology can in fact have positive impacts on raising attainment and assisting in closing the gap.

Technology in the classroom covers a wealth of subject areas, not only literacy. It can be used in science, arts, health and wellbeing and numeracy to name a few. Although our task today was centred on literacy, it also covered another area of the curriculum – technology. The following experiences and outcomes were the ones in which i focused my eBook on and evidence that technology in the classroom does not cover only one area of the curriculum.

I am learning to select and use strategies and resources before I read, and as I read, to help make the meaning of texts clear. LIT 1-13a

I regularly select and read, listen to or watch texts which I enjoy and find interesting, and I can explain why I prefer certain texts and authors. LIT 1-11a/LIT 2-11a

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 digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts. TCH 0-01a

Overall, today’s input has managed to successfully change my viewpoint on having eBooks in the classroom. By taking a simple text and creating a multimodal creation out of it, it will allow me to engage my pupils in the future with technology effectively and also deliver lessons which they will not find repetitive and mundane. In conclusion, it was found by ‘A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland – The Views of Children’ that,

“Looking forward, children thought that accessing iPads or other classroom technology should be seen as the usual/normal thing to do, and not just something offered as a reward or part of Golden Time.”

Our children and young learners in Scottish education feel that technology should be incorporated into a daily teaching environment and should not be seen as a reward or accolade for them. Using the Book Creator app is certainly a resource that I endeavour to use in my classroom as a professional along with many other exciting and beneficial programmes I have discovered throughout the course of the Digital Technologies module. While still enjoying the thrill of a paperback book myself, I certainly now see the benefits for myself as to how the Book Creator app and eBooks can have a staggering affect on children’s education, while increasing my own knowledge and skillset as a prospective teacher.

References

Beauchamp, G (2017) Computing and ICT in the Primary School From Pedagogy to Practice 2nd ed. London: Routledge.

Oxford Dictionary (2018) – E-Book Definition. Available online at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/e-book [First Accessed: 9th February 2018] Author: Oxford University.

Scottish Government. (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available online at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/0050 [First Accessed: 9th February 2018].

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence Available online at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [First Accessed: 10th February 2018]

Digital Technology Week 6 – Movie Making

Digital Technology Week 6 – Movie Making This week the input was focussed on movie making to help be able to put across the dangers of internet safety. We first learnt about how internet safety is taught in the classroom and what it looks like in the curriculum. Then we watched a few short movies […]

Digital Technology Week 6 – Movie Making

This week the input was focussed on movie making to help be able to put across the dangers of internet safety. We first learnt about how internet safety is taught in the classroom and what it looks like in the curriculum. Then we watched a few short movies and trailers that people had made that showed the dangers of he internet. And finally, we made our own movie in groups to display our take on internet safety.

We learnt about how to teach internet safety to children, so they don’t feel like they are being belittled by you and that you aren’t trying to lecture them about how to behave online outside of school. You shouldn’t tell them they shouldn’t be on social media because they will do it anyways, rather you must teach them how to work and behave while on them. “…the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58). We as teachers must know what to say to children in terms of being online because they are exposed to it daily and are going to be immersed in it, so they must know what to share and not to share and what they need to do of things don’t seem right and if things for some reason go wrong. “The most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.60). I know that when I become a teacher I want to make sure I teach the children in my class how to deal with situations online and what they should and should share/do when online with people they don’t know.

The technology we learnt hoe to use this week was to do with movie making. We did this using iMovie on the iPad. We first watched a few sample movies so that we could get ideas of what the theme of our movie would be. W also watched a few videos on YouTube t learn how to work the app and how to make the movies. We then had to get into groups and decide whether we were going to make a trailer or a short movie. I was in a group of five and we decided we would make a trailer in the theme of snow white. The theme of our movie was that the evil queen message snow white online and asked her to meet to buy some apples then snow white shared her address and agreed to meet where it turned out the sweet old lady was the evil queen who now knew where she lived, and the apples turned out to be poisoned and snow white was now cursed. The message of our video was very clear that you must be safe online and don’t share personal information with people that you don’t know.

According to Porter (2004), digital storytelling begins with the notion that in the not too distant future, sharing one’s story through the multiple mediums of digital imagery, text, voice, sound, music, video and animation will be the principle hobby of the world’s people. The task that we did could be done with a class of able children either in the theme of internet safety and their own take on it or on another topic. Or the video we made could be shown to a class to start a discussion and lesson on the importance of internet safety.

There are quite a few experiences and outcome that I feel can relate to the lessons that could be set using iMovie, two of which relate to the safety side of the lesson and another three that can relate to the child making their own movie. Taken from Education Scotland (2004). “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. This is the min one that relates to the internet safety and how to be safe using technology. “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. This also relates to the child being able to understand being safe and secure in everyday life and makes sure they understand that if they don’t there is places they can go and people they can talk to to help them. “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. And “I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts” TCH 0-01a. And “I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances.” EXA 0-01a/1-01a/2-01z. All relate to the learning and experiences the child is getting from working to create a movie and to be able to work in a group and then share their work.
Overall, I think that internet safety is essential in young people and I feel that it is a teacher’s job to make sure that children understand the dangers that come along with going online and what they can and should do if any dangers occur. I felt like the use of movie maker was very interesting as it was easy to use and gave you a great outcome that you can be proud of. I think this would shows very clearly a child’s understanding of using technology if they are able to produce and edit a movie that can be shared in the classroom or further. Finally, I am sure that if the resources are available to me that I will use iMovie in my lessons.

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 19th February 2018]
• Porter, B. (2004) Digi Tales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories. Bernajean Porter Publication.

Digital Technologies-Ebooks (Week 5)

Today in class we focused on developing our skills when using ebooks in the classroom. An ebook is a digital version of a book-it can be opened on several different digital technologies such as iPads or computer, therefore, making it easily accessible (BBC, 2012). Ebooks also explore and develop skills in literacy which is crucial … Continue reading “Digital Technologies-Ebooks (Week 5)”

‘The set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning, through the different forms of language, and the range of texts, which society values and finds useful. The breadth of the definition is intended to ‘future proof’ it.'(Curriculum for Excellence, p.3)

An amazing feature of ebooks that overpowers regularly written books on paper is that they have the possibility of being multimodal and interactive. Something that is considered multimodal has two or more of the following semiotic systems: linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. They are able to record voice memos, record videos, have text or draw to create their own ebooks (Beauchamp, 2012) and this is an I important feature for children to be able to have access to as they are able to develop a large selection of different types of text (Education Scotland, 2009). Ebooks can also be used as teaching aids for children with a.s.n or is simply those children that need extra help. They can be made by the teacher and shown to the class or the children can make their own books and get involved-this can also include outdoor activities making ebooks a lot more interactive and interesting for the pupils (Jarvis, 2015).

Today we had the opportunity to create our own ebooks on an iPad. The first activity included making a leaflet for those interested in attending the university. In a group we walked around the university and took pictures to use for the leaflet. This shows the different possibilities of ebooks as it doesn’t always have to be a book that is created. We then individually created summaries of children books. I created mines so that it could be used as a teaching aid. There is a lot of voice memos, pictures, text and drawing as well as asking different questions for the children to answer so that they are able to understand the book better and from a different angle if struggling.

I personally think it’s a great tool to have in the classroom and has many benefits, as well as being easily accessible as most schools are now equipped with iPads or computers.

References-

BBC (2012) Webwise article [Online]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books
[Accessed: 26.1.18]

Education Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence – Literacy and English Principles and Practice paper. [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/literacy-english-pp.pdf [Accessed: 26.1.18]

Education Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence (2009): Building the Curriculum 4. [Online] http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2009/10/16155220/13
[Accessed: 26.1.18]

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: 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.

Digital Technologies- Coding (Week 4)

Today we used the app ‘Scratch Junior’ on the iPad to explore how we can use it to teach literacy in the classroom. Scratch Jr allows children and teacher to create their own games and stories by coding the characters movements bit also exploring different features and background that are featured in the game. ‘As young … Continue reading “Digital Technologies- Coding (Week 4)”

‘As young people create Scratch projects, they are not just learning how to write computer programs. They are learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world’ (The Lead Project, 2014).

Scratch Jr helps children to develop skills in creative thinking, logical reasoning, problem solving and team working skills in young children. It has the potential to improve and guide children when learning any sort of subject such as; music, art, English, maths and design (The Lead Project, 2014).

I found that the literacy outcome that applies to the Scratch Jr activity I made is: ‘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 0-31. I focused on making the activity more for early level children rather than first or second. Two of the technology outcome are also explored during this; ‘I enjoy exploring and using technologies to communicate with others within and beyond my place of learning’. TCH 0-04a and
‘I enjoy taking photographs or recording sound and images to represent my experiences and the world around me’. TCH 0-04b

I decided to approach it by telling a story of two girls that walked in a forest, then found an obstacle as they have to cross the river, after, they saw a den and decided to go home. Throughout the slides my intentions were to ask questions for the children to answer that would be based on their literacy and creativity.

Reflecting back on my use of Scratch Jr. I believe that it has a great potential to be useful tool to have in the classroom, when used properly. It can be used as an aid for children with ASN or simply those that need extra help. It can boost the pupils creativity and for them to learn their basic subjects through a more fun and interesting way.

References-

The Lead Project (2014) Super Scratch Programming Adventure: Learn to Program by Making Cool Games!

Education Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence [online] https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/juliajankowska/wp-admin/post.php?post=44&action=edit [accessed: 10th February 2018]

iMovie – A more serious use of the App.

The input this week focused on movie making and making use of the iMovie Application (App). The learning intention was to make a movie and this App makes doing so an enjoyable experience. The purpose of the movie was to promote Internet Safety. Beauchamp states “Most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, but they are likely to reflect official policies and perhaps not the reality of pupils’ lives…” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58). Social Media platforms such as SnapChat, Facebook or Instagram offer abilities to chat, and have settings allowing profiles to be public. The platforms have age restrictions and as a Student teacher I would always advocate adhering to these, however Beauchamp’s suggestion is relevant; it would be naive to think that children (underage) are not accessing one, some or all the social media platforms available. Therefore, the importance of advocating Internet Safety remains prevalent.

In 2014, 14-year-old Breck Bednar was murdered after meeting Lewis Daynes in an online Gaming Room. Initially Breck thought Daynes was just another ‘Gamer’. In fact: Daynes was a troubled man with a previous history of sexually deviant behavior. (theguardian.com, 2016). Had Breck been more aware of the dangers of meeting someone who had met online, his story may have had a different outcome. Breck thought that he knew Daynes as they had been chatting for so long.

One of the benefits of using the iMovie App was that it made achieving the Experiences and Outcomes (E’s & O’s) set out in the Curriculum for Excellence achievable. This one lesson had the benefit of meeting numerous E’s & O’s and selecting these in advance helped the group plan for the task. Although I worked as part of a team, we are all asked to consider areas where our iMovie would deliver appropriate teaching. Linking our film to the curriculum for excellence, I have found that we have met the following:

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 1-03a

I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to and asking different kinds of questions. LIT 1-07a

I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways. TCH 1-04b

(Scottish Government, 2008)

The iMovie App is user friendly and allows for the insertion of multimodality making it a really engaging tool. Matt Jarvis suggests that iMovie “can get a bit fiddly” (Jarvis, 2015, p.80). I did not find this to be the case and found; to make the movie engaging and effective it was worth the “fiddling” and one quickly got used to the “fiddling”. Another consideration is, although it may require a little effort to put together the iMovie will remain part of a teachers’ arsenal for future students.

The iMovie planning sheets were also a useful tool and helped us organize our thoughts to make relevant clips. One of the multimodal effects we used was to insert a screen recording of a “text conversation” made on my iPhone. This added a sense of reality to our video which we had otherwise kept light-hearted.

The movie can be used as an effective tool to introduce the concept of Internet Safety, it can be used to initiate a class discussion and as a starting point for students to create their own video on the subject. “The most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.60). The aim is not to stop children from enjoying the benefits of Social Media, rather to assist them to make sensible choices and ensure that children know how to remain safe online. iMovie is a good tool to do this.

Pictures showing our plan, our filming and our use of the App to make our movie.