February 2018 – Page 4

Mobile Devices- Ebooks 6/2/18

Upon reflection of Digital Technologies week 5 lesson on the use of E-books in the classroom it is clear as to why the use of e-books is becoming increasingly popular […]

Upon reflection of Digital Technologies week 5 lesson on the use of E-books in the classroom it is clear as to why the use of e-books is becoming increasingly popular in todays society. Firstly, the Oxford dictionary defines e-books as “An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device.” (Oxford dictionary). However. despite being aware of the definition of an e-book prior to this lesson, I was not aware of the multiple benefits of e-books. At the beginning of the lesson we gathered into groups to create a mind-map discuss the benefits of e-books:

We discussed how the use of e-books in the classroom has multiple benefits for both learners and educators. For instance, the use of e-books and other forms of technology can result in a lesson being more engaging and exciting for the children. The Scottish Children’s Parliament released a document entitled “A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy” that detailed children’s responses to questions on technology. When asked whether they would like to use digital technology more often for learning and how, many children answered that “this was seen as having the potential to make learning more fun or engaging” and “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” (Scottish Children’s Parliament 2016). Additionally, the use of e-books provides children with an unlimited range of stories to choose from. Therefore, they are no longer restricted to the same books from their classroom library and in turn their literacy skills will continue to develop as they read new and exciting texts. Also, the use of e-books can result in the learner feeling more engaged with the text they are reading through its multi-modality. Lots of e-books now have engaging features such as sound and pictures to encourage the child to interact more with the story. For educators, e-books supply a helping hand to children who may struggle to read as there is a feature enables the learner to have the book read to them aloud, meaning they no longer must wait for the help of the teacher if they are struggling to read the text themselves.

In addition, e-books provide a classroom the opportunity to incorporate 21st century technology into lessons. Children in today’s society are heavily familiar with the use of technology such as I-pads and smartphones hence why they are considered ‘digital natives’ (Beauchamp 2012) as they are surrounded by it every day thus they are more likely to be excited to use technology that they use in their home life than they are to read a book. Beauchamp (2012) spoke on the implications this may have on a classroom as with more and more children becoming ‘digital natives’ it is likely that children have greater experience in the use of technology than their teacher does. Therefore, it is vital that we as student teachers expand our experience and knowledge of using technology to keep up with the digital age.

Today’s task begun with us working in groups to create a multimodal brochure advertising student life at UWS. To do this we had to take photos and videos of the university’s main attractions such as the library and lecture theatres. We then combined the photos and videos to the text descriptions in the brochure, making it a multimodal text. Despite my group falling short of time to complete the task the activity gave us the experience and confidence of using the Book Creator App that we needed for the assessment task.

The assessment task involved editing a children’s book we had read into a multimodal e-book we could potentially use in a lesson. The book I chose to edit was “Froggy goes to bed!” by Jonathan London. The book is about Froggy being feeling exhausted from a day of play however when its time for bed Froggy finds any excuse not to go to sleep. After reading this book it is easy to see why my children love the book, the book follows a child’s stereotypical bedtime routine of bathing and brushing teeth while adding an abundance of onomatopoeia and adding the comedic element of Froggy always losing his possessions. While editing the book I included questions for the readers to show their understanding of the book such as “use an adjective to describe Froggys mother”.

To make my e-book multimodal I included the semiotic systems; linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. I feel my e-book would be a good asset to a lesson that is in line with the Technology and English areas of the curriculum:

“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

“To show my understanding, I can respond to different kinds of questions and other close reading tasks and I am learning to create some questions of my own.” ENG 1-17

To conclude, todays lessons on e-books developed my understanding on the importance and impact of using e-books in the classroom. I now feel I have the skills and confidence to progress with using e-books to develop my ideas on the ways I could incorporate the use of e-books into future lessons. I look forward to introducing e-books into future lessons as I feel they will be a fun and interactive asset to many lessons within the curriculum.

References:

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

Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children.

Digital Technologies – Movie Making 14/02/18

Within this week’s class of Digital Technologies we focused on a movie making app called iMovie, to create a movie based around internet safety. We also looked at different quizzes and videos we can deliver to children to highlight the importance of staying safe online. As Safer Internet Day was last week, I feel as […]

We were made aware of the different resources there are in place to deliver to children about internet safety. We engaged with a quiz as a whole class which involved ten questions, and each question had four different answers to choose from. I feel as though this type of exercise would be very beneficial to carry out with any age group ranging from primary one to seven as it can both introduce children to staying safe online or reiterate the knowledge they already have. If I carried out this type of quiz with a class, it would make me more aware if any children are still struggling to see the dangers of being online based on the answers they are giving. I would then make sure I carry out more lessons based around internet safety, such as letting them watch videos such as the one we watched in class on glow called ‘thinkuknow.’ This would allow them to see clearly what to do if something happened online that made them feel in danger, such as speaking to a parent or teacher. I am very aware that children even after receiving information on staying safe online may come in contact with trouble online, therefore I feel as though it will be my job to highlight to them what to do if this ever happens. Such as blocking people, making their social medias sites private and not sharing high levels of personal information. The importance of telling children points such as this is highlighted by (Beauchamp, 2012, p60) when he stated that “The most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong.”

I feel strongly about teaching children of the benefits using technology effectively has as well, such as how it raises attainment in different areas across the curriculum (The Scottish Government, 2015). It is absolutely necessary that children in the 21^st century are digitally literate so that they can communicate effectively in society through the use of technology such as mobile phones, iPads and tablets etc. Digital literacy has a wide range of different benefits such as how children are able to think critically, highlight what information is beneficial and what is not, and be creative. Apps such as iMovie allows movies to be created for all different purposes, it can include text, videos, pictures, music etc. This week I worked with a group to make a movie based around internet safety, our story ‘BEar SAFE!’ was based around the fact that not everyone online is who they say they are, this would highlight to children to only have close friends and family on their social media sites. We made a plan of what we wanted to happen within the movie, and we all had different roles to make sure it came together successfully. Therefore, some of us edited the movie whilst others created Instagram accounts which was the site our movie was based on. Our story was about a bear who thought he was speaking to a unicorn, however, it was really a werewolf! Thankfully, the bear remembered all that he had previously been told and blocked the werewolf when he asked to meet up. Children watching this would be able to see the dangers that could have happened if they had of met up, as he was completely different to what he said he was. I feel as though iMovie would be a very good app for children to create movies themselves on also linked to internet safety, as through this they would discuss as a group different outcomes that can happen if you are careless online. This giving children the opportunity to engage with digital storytelling in a unique way to include their self-expressions as stories (Porter, 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

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 can persuade, argue, explore issues or express an opinion using relevant supporting detail and/or evidence. – LIT 2-29a

These Curriculum for Excellence outcomes relate to children of all ages being taught how to stay safe online, and therefore afterwards they are able to take forward their knowledge. Children being given the opportunity to work on apps such as iMovie, increases their literacy skills also.

Overall, this week’s class allowed me to identify ways in which I can deliver lessons around internet safety such as letting children carry out quizzes and watch videos. Creating a movie on iMovie myself and also letting children create their own is another great way of letting children explore what can happen online if they aren’t safe. Therefore, making movies themselves should hopefully enable them to make the correct choices online. As a student teacher I am now fully aware that the best way children will learn about an area such as this, is to be educated instead of feeling like they are being given into trouble. However, as I mentioned it is important that children are also made aware of the benefits technology has, such as how being digitally literate raises attainment in a range of different subjects across the curriculum.

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to 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] Available: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed: 13 January 2018]

Digital Technologies Reflection 13.2.18

Movies can be beneficial for classrooms, and as the Scottish government states ‘There is conclusive evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can, where effectively used, raise the speed and depth of learning in science and mathematics for primary ad secondary age learners’ (Scottish Government, 2015). This effective learning and teaching in the core curricular …

Continue reading “Digital Technologies Reflection 13.2.18”

This effective learning and teaching in the core curricular areas, such as Health and Wellbeing, Numeracy and Literacy. In Health and Wellbeing the use of variety of approaches including active, cooperative, and peer learning and effective use of technology. In Numeracy, the use of technology in appropriate and effective ways, development of problem-solving capabilities and active learning. Finally, Literacy will develop and extend literacy skills when I have opportunities to communicate and collaborate, also to engage with and create a wide range of texts in different media and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT.

Digital Literacy helps to develop childrens:

Practical and Functional Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Awareness of e-Safety
Collaboration Skills
Ability to find and select information
Effective Communication
Creativity

iMovie (13/02/2018)

Today in Digital Technologies we discovered how to use the application iMovies on the iPad to its full potential within the classroom. Our use of iMovies within the session was linked closely with online safety for children and the dangers that can be found on social media for example. We were given the task of creating our own short movie or trailer that conveyed a very strong message for children about what it’s like about the dangers of going online. Promoting both digital skills and also enhancing online knowledge for the children is a very good idea and works well within the classroom environment.

Our idea was to create a princess with an evil step sister. throughout our short movie, the princess received a friend request from an unknown person however when she asked her sister she encouraged her to accept it. This unknown prince messaged the princess to ask her to the ball which she proceeded to attend. However when she arrived at the address there was nobody but an old man there is take her away. The message we tried to send to the children was that you never know who it is behind these profiles, and everyone is not who they always claim to be online.

The term digital literacy was described by Weiss (2017) as “the set of competencies required for full participation in society”. This is a very bold statement to be made, however it does highlight clearly the importance of a high level of digital knowledge within the 21st century as everything around us becomes more reliable with the use of technology.

Digital technology helps enhance various skills such as critical thinking skills, awareness of e-safety, collaboration skills, ability to research and select information, and also creativity. In 2015 the Scottish Government argued that “Digital technologies appear to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings”. This shows the importance of digital knowledge within the development of a child’s learning over a period of time and how it can enhance understanding of different areas within the curriculum.

Digital technology can be used for a variety of settings within the classroom and across various curricular areas. The knowledge and skills based upon digital technology and e-safety can be applied to areas such as health and wellbeing, numeracy and literacy. This is the case as children can improve problem solving skills within the numeracy aspect of the CfE and they are also developing active learning with help from their peers around them. Health and wellbeing can also be covered through the use of technology as it uses a variety of different approaches including active, cooperative and peer learning, and also the effective use of technology within the classroom environment. Finally, literacy can be improved as children have opportunities to communicate and collaborate with peers and also explore a wide variety of different medias such as websites, blogs, games etc.

Overall, I believe the use of iMovie within the classroom is a very useful resource that teachers should make full potential use of as it allows children to improve on a variety of different skills including group work and working together. In this case we adapted the use of iMovies to an e-safety aspect, however this task can be manipulated to fit around any activity that the children are exploring within the class.

References

Weiss, D. (2017) Time to Know blog [Online]
https://www.timetoknow.com/blog/essential-digital-literacy-skills-for-the-21st-century-worker/ [Accessed: 14.2.18]

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: 14.2.18]

Digital Technologies – Movie Making 13/2/18

Throughout today’s input I enhancd my knowledge of internet safety. Beauchamp (2012, p58) states that most primary schools will have in place a policy of internet safety although it would most likely be related to official policy documents although may not relate to the reality of pupil’s lives. He also states that the key idea of discussing e-safety is to educate children on the use and dangers of internet not to restrict them of what they can go onto. Beauchamp (2012, p.60) also states that “the most successful schools in terms of education of internet safety are those who ensured that children knew what to do when they came into trouble online”. Throughout this session I also discovered that there are websites relating to internet safety that involve cartoons and activities that children can take part in. One of the cartoons that can be involved throughout Schools is Hectors World (Thinkuknow, ) Personally I think the use of having interactive activities within the classroom relating to internet safety is beneficial for children as it educates them to know what to do if they come across a friend request on social media or gaming devices and they do not know the person they will know how to approach the situation by informing and adult. When I was at school I dont remember being taught about internet safety and now that internet plays a role in daily life I think that it should be involved in children’s education so that children are aware of how dangerous it can be to accept a friend request from someone that you do not know or to meet up with someone you have spoke to online. The Scottish Government (2015) states that “Digital technologies appear to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings.” This shows that if a child within a primary school setting was to be shown a cartoon or movie trailer related to internet safety it could improve their basic literacy skills because they could be listening and talking about the video they have been shown. It could introduce discussion to what the children do in relation to the internet. The children could write facts on why the internet is a good thing, they could also research internet safety. It could encourage children to show their families at home the activities and videos online that they were shown in the classroom.

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.

In today’s session as part of our assessment task the class was asked to work within groups and create a Movie or Trailer in relation to internet safety. Throughout the creation of our activity we were to create a Movie plan (See Attached Images). We linked our movie to a literacy outcome and a technologies outcome. The literacy outcome I thought that our Movie linked to was; “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 (Education Scotland 2004). I thought that this outcome was effective as the children would be introduced to internet safety and could be asked questions with regards to the movie they have watched and if the children were able to pick out the purpose of the text and the main ideas within the text. The technology I thought that our movie linked to was; “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” (Education Scotland 2004). Throughout discussion and use of digital technology children will have a wider understanding of how to approach situations when they are online. Our movie was named “Hairy Snotter and the Fake Blood Sleaze”, Our production Name was “Woghorts Productions Ltd”. I played the role of the Non Commuunicative Sleaze – Ron Sleazely. Hairy Snotter was the main character in the play who had been texting someone online and decided to meet up with them, on the meeting Hairy was approached by a non talking being with the name “Ron Sleazely” that looked nothing like their profile picture online. Mermanny was Hairy’s friend and was able to save Hairy’s day when she intervened on the meeting of Hairy and Ron. Hairy and Mermanny conducted a spell and with their powers were able to make Ron Dissapear. The message of the movie was to show children how dangerous meeting someone from the internet or accepting a friend request off of someone they do not know. If they tell someone the person will be able to help them.
I think overall the use of IMovie is beneficial for children to use within a primary school because it encourages their learning through use of digital technologies but also allows the children to create a movie or trailer based on a subject and be able to take a different approach to their creation than the rest of the class. I think that the use of IMovie is also beneficial as this session that we took part in today was enjoyable for us – a group of around 25-30 adults – it would be as enjoyable for children. IMovie allows the children to create a movie wither it be through use of props, use of drawings or invovling other children to put a message across of what they have been learning about or bringing a story that they have been reading to life involving peers within their classroom.

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 14 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 14 February 2018]

ThinkuKnow (2003-2008) Hector’s World – Animated Safety Videos [Online]
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/hectorsworld/ [Accessed: 14 February 2018]

Movie Making

Movie Making allows digital literacies to come to life in the classroom. Digital Literacy is a set of skills, involving the effective use of digital devices, required for full participation in a knowledge society. “Digital literacy is the set of competencies required for full participation in society. It includes knowledge, skills, and behaviours involving the effective […]

We teach children English to ensure they become literate. It is vital that children are literate in life. They must not only be able to read and write, in the 21st century, children must be able to use their literacy and present it. Children can use digital storytelling to create their own digital literacies. “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) This allows children to delve further into meaning of texts and gain a deeper understanding as well as developing their own literacy skills.

Today during Digital Technologies, we planned and created an iMovie based around e-Safety. Our movie was aa resource that could be used to educate children on staying safe online. “…the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58) We created the movie Hairy Snotter and the Fake Blood Sleaze. The story was based on Hairy who met Ron online and decided to meet him in real life. Ron wasn’t who he said he was and Hairy had to get his friend Mermanany to help save the day. We then shared the serious message with the audience that we must be safe online and share with them some useful links about internet safety, for example, the CEOP website and the ThinkUKnow website.

We linked our movie to the following Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes:

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 / LIT 2-20a

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 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

REFERNCES

›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.

Weiss, D. (2017) Time to Know blog [Online] https ://www.timetoknow.com/blog/essential-digital-literacy-skills-for-the-21st-century-worker/ [Accessed: 13.02.18]

Digital Technologies Week 6 – 13.2.18

In our digital technologies class today, we learned about the importance of internet safety. It is a pressing issue within society and children must be made aware of these issues and know what to do if something goes wrong. The … Continue reading →

The aim of today was to create a story through iMovie, sending a message of online safety. According to Beauchamp (2012) “the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.” It is vital that children can approach their parents/teachers/carers with any issues that arise around the internet. In society today, the internet plays a prominent role in children’s lives, therefore it is important that if they use the internet that they be safe whilst online. The most successful schools will ensure that pupils know what to do when things go wrong (Beauchamp, 2012).

iMovie is a great application for children to create digital stories. Porter (2004) suggests that digital storytelling begins with the notion of sharing a story digitally through imagery, text, sound, voice, music, video and animation. This will be the principle hobby of the people in the world today. I think digital applications such as iMovie are great for children’s imagination. It allows them to create whatever they want in whichever way they want to. Literacy skills, practical skills and communication skills can be improved by using Digital Technology. “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).

For our assessment, we created a trailer based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In our trailer Little Red Riding Hood was texting who she thought was her Gran. However, it was actually the big, bad Wolf. Little Red Riding Hood was not aware of this and continued to text the Wolf and they agreed to meet. She then realised it was not her Gran she was texting all along. In this case, Gran’s phone had been stolen and someone else was pretending to be her. This conveys that not everyone you speak to online is who they say they are. At the end of the trailer, there is advice on what children should do if someone they do not know is contacting them. They should speak to their parent/guardian/carer, visit the CEOP or childline website for advice.

Digital technology is a great tool and can be very useful in helping with literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing. The Scottish Government (2015) go further and state that there is indicative evidence that the same can be said for some aspects of literacy, especially writing and comprehension. Digital technologies appear to be the appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings. However, it is important to acknowledge that things can go wrong online. As teachers, we must be a role model for children and ensure we gain children’s trust so that they are able to come to us if something does go wrong.

Overall, I think iMovie was another great tool that can be used in the classroom. It allows children to be creative by creating stories on the iPad. It is a different from the traditional pen and paper writing a story, however it can be just as effective. They can use video recording, pictures and add sound effects and also add props and dress up for it too. It gives them the opportunity to act out a story and create their own dialogue. It’s literacy in the modern way. This would give them the inspiration to create their story then write it down, as they created it themselves. I would definitely use this in my classroom as I think it would be very effective.

The Curriculum of Excellence experience and outcomes for this subject:

“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 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

As I play and learn, I enjoy exploring interesting materials for writing and different ways of recording my experiences and feelings, ideas and information. LIT 0-21

Videos & Pictures

References

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

Education Scotland (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: Literacy and English Experiences & Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/literacy-english-eo.pdf [Accessed: 13th February 2018]

Education Scotland (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: Technologies Experiences & Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/Technologies-es-os.pdf [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]

Digital Technology – Week 2 – Bee-Bot – 16/01/18

Today’s input was about programmable toys, specifically Bee-Bot, and how they can be used to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. I had only had the chance to use Bee-Bot on one other occasion, but I was excited to use it again as I think that it is an excellent tool. Bee-Bot is very easy to use- directed by the arrow buttons on the top- and can be used on any kind of mat made for it. Therefore it has the potential to be used in any lesson.

Our task for today – in groups- was to create our own mat to aid in teaching a numeracy lesson with reference to the Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes. We had quite a few ideas initially- money, times tables, shape, time- but we eventually chose to go with time and paired this with daily routine.

These are the Experiences and Outcomes we chose to base our project on:

I can tell the time using 12 hour clocks, realising there is a link with 24 hour notation, explain how it impacts on my daily routine and ensure that I am organised and ready for events throughout my day.

MNU 1-10a

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 / TCH 1-09a

(Education Scotland, 2004)

We then created a mat with a range of analog clocks drawn in each box with a digital time written underneath. This would allow the children to see the link between the 24 hour clock and how it looked with the 12 hour clock and how it looked. The activity was aimed towards children at level 1 who would have some previous knowledge of time and routine. We tried to include routine times that would not be too difficult for the children to understand e.g. when school starts/ends, lunch/play time etc. We also had what time they brushed their teeth and when they went to bed- for this we had the hands of the clock left separately so that the children could put this time in themselves, as these times may vary from child to child.

The use of programmable toys in education dates back to the 1960’s when Seymour Papert created Logo. It was a fairly simple programming tool, aimed at helping children become familiar with how computer programming worked (Transom).

Some of the benefits of using the programmable toys in the classroom are: they help with the development of key skills such as logical sequencing, measuring and expressing concepts in words. Children usually enjoy using them as they have bright and obvious buttons. Also they help make children interact in groups and bring about discussion (NCTE, 2012).

Janka (2008) states that “there is a widespread belief among educators and parents that children will require technological competencies to succeed in the workplace.” I would agree with this as almost all jobs in today’s society involve the use of some kind of technology. It is also important that children have a good level of digital literacy and actually understand how these types of programmes work so that they properly understand the applications they are using.

Overall, the session today was very informative. I feel that it has given me many practical applications for within the classroom, as well as informing me on why these types of programmable toys can be so important. I think that when I go on to teach my own class this will come in very handy and I will enjoy using it to teach.

References

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

Transom – Logo [Online] Available: http://www.transum.org/software/Logo/ [Accessed: 16th January 2018]

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

Digital Technology Week 5- 06/02/2018 (e-books)

At the beginning of today’s lesson we were asked to work in groups and create a mind map of what we thought an e-book was alongside any advantage or disadvantages of e-books. After some class discussion, various online videos and resources we then returned to our mind map and added any new information which we had learned about e-books. As can be seen in the picture below, the purple writing is our first attempt at describing e-books and the black writing is what we added to our mind map after our reading and discussion. Some of the main points we added after our research into e-books was the versatility of them, how many options you have to add, change, make bigger, smaller, and re-position colour, text, videos and images. Although I believe the e-book is everything we defined and much more, a more concise definition of what an e-book is can be found in the Oxford dictionary where it is described as “An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device” (Oxford Dictionary 2018).

It is this personalisation which I believe makes it such an invaluable tool for teachers and learners. As Paul Beauchamp discusses; “ICT can allow pupils to record their thoughts in a wide variety of ways. They are able to write, draw, record both sound and video, or any combination of these depending on their age and ability.” this personalisation allows children to not only read and write but to engage in their story telling. It is also a more inclusive tool to use in the classroom as it doesn’t requite words to tell a story those who find literacy more challenging are able to express their thoughts and opinions (Beauchamp, 2012, p.101).

Our next task was to work in groups to create brochure for prospective students of UWS. We were to do this using the iPads on the Book Creator app. I really enjoyed this task and it allowed me to explore the Book Creator app, I especially liked how you could record and use different sounds on each page and so featured heavily in our e-book to add humour and enjoyment to our brochure. As were were using the iPad we could take it anywhere. We went outside the university, downstairs, upstairs and anywhere else we wanted to take photos and videos. With the iPad being so light and portable this added another fun dimension to the e-book which I can imagine using with children and they would love the freedom, adventure and opportunities/choices it would allow them. Using sound recordings, videos and pictures alongside our placement of texts this turned our e-book into a multimodal text as it used more than two of the semiotic systems I have discussed in previously blogs. This instantly makes it more engaging and interesting for the audience rather than reading plain text.

After completing this task our final part of our assessment task was to work individually and create a smart or a different version of a children’s book using Book Creator. This could be done with children in a classroom and would enhance their learning and understanding of a book whilst covering Experiences and Outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence (Education Scotland, 2004.) two appropriate outcomes would be;

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

We had been provided with various children’s books however by the time I got to the front all of the shorter children’s stories were gone and I was not familiar enough with he remaining Roald Dahl stories to construct an e-book without re-reading them. I therefore found it hard to get started as I was trying to think of an appropriate book with imagines online I could use to enhance my e-book. After some quick research I decided upon The Very Hungry Caterpillar as there were a lot of good visual aids online to enhance my story including audio and visual and I could create some humorous and fun sounds to further engage my audience. I found this task quite challenging as I only had the full use of one hand and so holding the iPad to take a picture and holding the iPad whilst trying to also record the sound from the computer was challenging so my e-book wasn’t as clean and well presented as I would have liked it to have been however I managed to include all the audio, video and pictures I wanted to they just weren’t as well presented as they would have been otherwise. However, having a cast on one arm has possibly helped me for the future as before this task I did not foresee me having problem using the eBook Creator app on iPad however there were a lot of features and movement I hadn’t taken into account so in a future classroom I will now be more aware of anyone with a disability or an additional support need and the extra help they may require when using this app. Although I found this task more challenging I now have a good understanding of how to use the Book Creator app both myself and in the classroom and I think it is a good tool to bring in to the classroom to enhance children’s learning.

The Curriculum for Excellence defines literacy as: ‘the set of skills which allows an individual to engage fully in society and in learning…the range of texts, which society values and finds useful.’ (Education Scotland, 2004.). The breadth of this definition is intended to ‘future proof’ it as the Scottish Government acknowledges and is moving forward with the impact of digital technologies and the benefits they can bring to the classroom. The e-book allows pupils and teachers to bring story-telling to life and also familiarises children with another variation of text, one of which is moving more and more to the forefront of society. By allowing children to become engaged with and familiar with e-books in their daily lives, this is not only preparing them for life in the 21st century but also keeping education up to date with how life is changing and taking into account materials and technologies children are likely to be familiar with from their home environment.

References

Beauchamp, G (2012) ICT in the primary school: from pedagogy to practise Harlow: 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/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 2 February 2018]

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

Oxford Dictionary (2018) E-Book Definition [Online] Available: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/e-book [Accessed 10 February 2018] Author: Oxford University

eBooks – not just something that one can download from Amazon.

Until this weeks input, I thought eBooks were just something one could download. I like reading and enjoy the feel of a book between my fingers, I like folding the page to mark my place and being so enthralled in a book that I cannot wait to get back to it. As a result, I have never, until now, embraced eBooks and although I own digital devices that can be used for downloading a book, I have never used them for this purpose. With this in mind, prior to this weeks input, my own definition of an eBook was similar to that in the Dictionary “An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device” (English Oxford Living Dictionary, 2018).

The input this week opened my eyes to the use of eBooks as a learning tool and something that I could use to help deliver outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence.

“Although eBooks can be read on a conventional computer they really come into their own when used with an e-reader” (Jarvis, 2015, p.144). This was true when, as part of a group, we used the eBook Application (App) called Book Creator on the iPad. Initially we were tasked with creating a guide to the University of the West of Scotland, and this gave us a good feel of how to use the App. I enjoyed being able to insert video clips into an eBook as this really created variety within the guide. Beauchamp suggests mobile devices, such as an iPad offer mobility (Beauchamp, 2017) and applying this to something such as a guide is quite practical should one imagine holding an open event to promote something such as a University. The ability to insert multimodality into the eBook would mean that one could promote the facility and transport it with ease to a wider audience. Not only is it practical, it also reduces costs and environmental footprint. We also reviewed the work of our classmates and using the ‘two stars and a wish’ model received appropriate and beneficial feedback which was particularly useful for the task to come.

I then had the opportunity to create my own eBook using the Book Creator App which would review a book I had read. It was also my opportunity to integrate an outcome from the curriculum for excellence. Something that I found challenging and interesting was that with this task I did not have to review the Curriculum first. I had confidence that the benefits brought by the App would hit the mark on the curriculum even after my book was created (So long as I had a plan of sorts). In this instance, my hope was to promote equality and importance as well as Literacy and Digital Technology.

After viewing my eBook, my students would be encouraged to participate in a group talk about the story. The story itself considers how a small mouse sank a small boat that was full with larger animals and I left the consideration that everyone, no matter how small can have a big impact or make a change.

The Curriculum for Excellence outcomes are:

I understand that people can feel alone and can be misunderstood and left out by others. I am learning how to give appropriate support. HWB 0-08a / HWB 1-08a / HWB 2-08a / HWB 3-08a / HWB 4-08a.

When I engage with others, I know when and how to listen, when to talk, how much to say, when to ask questions and how to respond with respect. LIT 1-02a.

I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways. TCH 1-04b / TCH 2-04b.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

Continuation work would aim to meet the following outcome:

I can convey information, describe events or processes, share my opinions or persuade my reader in different ways. LIT 1-28a / LIT 1-29a.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

When reviewing the curriculum, I found that my creation would be flexible, and this was the benefit of the eBook! In this case I had effectively worked ‘back to front’. Creating the lesson then looking to find where it would be applicable. Having gained a feel for the App and also having learned from my peers I was able to create a short eBook which was multimodal, portable and creative. I have not experienced this reverse effect of lesson first, outcome second in the past but attribute it to the increased confidence I am experiencing in the use of technology as the module continues.

The increased confidence is something which the document “A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland” sets out. (Education Scotland, 2016). The benefits of my confidence in using this App will serve to assist me to deliver thoughtful and interesting lessons to the students I teach in the future.

eBooks remain something that one can download from Amazon (others available) and the dictionary definition remains relevant. However, thanks to the input I now see the further benefits they offer and whilst I enjoyed benefiting from the Book Creator App and exploring eBooks I will still, for the meantime, be folding down the corner of my thriller too!

References:

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

Jarvis, M (2015) Brilliant Ideas for using ICT in the Classroom London: Routledge.

Oxford Dictionary (2018) – E-Book Definition[Online] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/e-book [Accessed 12 February 2018] Author: Oxford University.

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: 12 February 2018].

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed 12 February 2018]