Month: February 2018

Upon completion of today’s lesson in Digital Technologies, we were required to blog about our experience using an online resource that allowed us to revisit the concept of coding. Having previously had some experience in coding which involved creating a lesson using the programmable toy BeeBot, I was looking forward the prospect of using a different tool that would give me more depth and insight into another coding programme that I could use in both my student and professional capacity. The task given to us today was to create an interactive story through coding, using the programme Scratch Jnr. Scratch Jnr was developed for young people to help them develop creative learning skills for the 21st century. Such skills include collaboration, problem solving, logical reasoning and creative thinking. Furthermore, it was  created in such a style in order to aid more enhanced learning whilst being adaptable and can be suited to individual learning styles for our children.

So why coding? Coding allows for children to be immersed into technology whist keeping in line with a diverse and technological society that we live in. It also allows for children to use their creative skills and imagination in conjunction to write a computer programme. The Lead Project (2014) states that,

” They are learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world.”

Technology surrounds us everywhere on a daily basis; from smartphones and tablets, to smart boards in the classroom to reading flight times and information off of digitalised boards at airports. Children need to gain skills that will set them in good stead for their future as a young adult and continuing on through the rest of their life where technology is a prominent feature.  As suggested by Naughton (2012),

”Starting in primary school, children from all backgrounds and every part of the UK should have the opportunity to: learn some of the key ideas of computer science; understand computational thinking; learn to program; and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of excellence in these activities.”

Today’s task saw us create an interactive story through using coding, by using the Scratch Jnr resource on an iPad.  I felt quite confident in using the app as we had been given access to tutorial cards and online tutorial videos to view before we accessed the app which I found to be of benefit to me. It allowed me to gain an understanding of a lot of the features available on the app along with ideas and varying ways of creating an engaging and inviting story for children which would gain their interest and hold their attention. The story was to be based around promoting literacy skills whilst linking to the Curriculum for Excellence. I created a story which encompassed the following experiences and outcomes from early level outcomes the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

I enjoy exploring and choosing stories and other texts to watch, read or listen to andcan share my likes and dislikes. LIT 0-01b/LIT )-11b

I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts and, sharing my thoughts in different ways. LIT 0-01c

I am developing problem solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable. I can work individually or collaboratively to design and implement a game toys. TCH 0-09a/TCH 1-09a

The Scratch Jnr app allows children to create a storyboard which features multimodality along with promoting coding skills. Characters can be edited and moved around using programmable coding features, texts can be added and images/text/backgrounds can be edited and moved around. The lesson I developed allowed for children to use their own initiative and create their own ending to the story I had already made. This type of software promotes a wealth of benefits to the education of children, with the afore mentioned features being a few of these. It also has positive impacts on the educators, supported by The Lead Project (2014) stating that ”schools can use Scratch to aid teachers in subjects like mathematics, English, music, art, design and information technology”. This is a programme which can be used across the curriculum in a variety of ways: on an individual basis for the child or teacher; in a collaborative manner for pupils working in groups or between pupils and teachers and for teachers as individuals as well as sharing ideas with other professionals in the same career.

After reflecting back on my experience of Scratch Jnr today overall I would consider the experience of using the programme enjoyable and definitely something I will be revisiting in order to further enhance my skills and abilities on the app. I would consider this to be a valuable and intriguing resource to use in the classroom with children of all abilities in order to support them in their learning and in enhancing their skills in ICT. I look forward yo using this in both a student and qualified capacity and sharing ideas with peers in order to build up my knowledge on this exciting coding programme.

References

The Lead Project (2014) Super Scratch Programming Adventure: Learn to Program by Making Cool Games! No Starch Press.

Naughton, J (2014) Why all our kids should be taught how to code Available Online at: moodle.uws.ac.uk/…/Why all our kids should be taught how to code Education The Observer.pdf First Accessed: 30/01/2018

The Curriculum for Excellence (2012) Education Scotland: Literacy and English Experiences and Outcomes. Available Online at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/literacy-english-eo.pdf First Accessed on: 30/01/2018

 

Today in Digital Technologies I took part in an E-Book Assessment. Before this in a group we created a mind map of what we thought an E-Book was. Things that we said were; that is an online book, it is easily accessible, it is colourful and bright and it can be used through mobile devices such as; phones, tablets, kindles and laptops. I had an opportunity to look at a range of sources to see what the definition of an E-Book through Oxford dictionary and it says “An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device” (Oxford Dictionary 2018). A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland is structured around four essential objectives: Develop the skills and confidence of teachers; Improve access to digital technology for all learners; Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery; Empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching (Scottish Government n.d). BBC Web-Wise (2018) believe that the only downfall to an E-Book is when you want to lend the book you read to a friend it becomes difficult as it is on your handheld device and the person may need to go and purchase the book itself online or the paper version. E-Books can be multi-modal – A multi-modal text is a text that includes 2 out of the 5 semiotic systems these are; Linguistic, Visual, Audio, Gestural and Spatial (Anstey and Bull, 2010).

Today we were to use Book-Creator App on the IPad. I had some experience during my trimester 1 literacy module to make an E-Book with Book-Creator. It is simple and easy to use as their are tutorials available throughout you tube and after watching in depth I felt that it was straight forward. You are able to add images, sound, videos and text to the E-Book. It is a beneficial app as it can bring books to life but you can also create your own lesson from a book that has already been written. This can help children who have additional support needs as you are able to highlight the important points in a story and point out different things that they may not understand or get the key message from reading the words in the book.

Today I took part in a group task that included the use of Book Creator to create a brochure about life at UWS with this we used the IPad’s and went around the university taking pictures and videos to show what life at UWS is like. This was an interesting task as it allowed us to create a brochure using Book Creator before creating our own text. We got feedback on our Life at UWS Brochure and found it helpful that the feedback was positive. The only thing that could have been improved was the sound within our videos.

When Creating my own I chose a book that I read from when I was younger, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The Curriculum for Excellence Literacy Outcome I used to create my E-Book was “I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to and asking different kinds of questions. LIT 1-07a” and the Technology one I used was “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). With this I put all the main parts of the story onto my E-Book along with involving some words from the story I added in questions for children to answer with adjectives and also questions to see how well the children knew the book. Along with the children being able to ask questions about the book that I had created as it was not the entire book that they would have previously listened to or read.  The story included images, sound, a recording,  text and I made sure that the pictures were visible and that everything had a space where it could have been viewed. This ensured that my E-Book was multi-modal as it had visuals, audio, text and involved a spatial aspect. At the end of the book I never added the traditional ending of Goldilocks and the Three Bears I added a page to allow the children to use their imagination to create an ending involving describing words they had used when reading the E-Book. This was so it could inspire the children to use Book Creator to create their own E-Book with use of sound, images and text.

The use of apps like Book Creator within a primary school setting is useful as it can bring a story to life for children and allow them to hear sound affects to help them imagine what happened for example;  what sound the chair made when it broke or what sound did Goldilocks make when she was eating the porridge. It allows them to imagine they are in the story. It also brings children up to date with technology as they could have a chance within the classroom to write an imaginative story and be able to bring it to life. It may assist the child’s imagination if they cant imagine it when writing it on paper.

References

Anstey, M. and Bull, G. (June 2010) Curriculum & Leadership Journal – An electronic journal for leaders in education –  Helping Teachers to explore multi-modal texts. [Online] http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/helping_teachers_to_explore_multimodal_texts,31522.html?issueID=12141  [Accessed 6 February 2018 ]

BBC (2018) Web-Wise What is an E-Book?  [Online] http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books [Accessed 6 February 2018]

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 2 February 2018]

Oxford Dictionary (2018)  – E-Book Definition [Online] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/e-book [Accessed 6 February 2018] Author: Oxford University

Scottish Government (N.D) – Enhancing Learning and Teaching through the use of Digital Technology [Online] http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/09/9494 [Accessed 6 February 2018]

An e-book can be defined as an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device. They are a form of multimodal text which have many advantages including them being small portable and being able to work in a range of environments (Jarvis, 2015).

Being a multimodal text means that e-books can be extremely within the classroom as the Literacy and English framework mirrors the use of multimodal texts and electronic communication used by children in their everyday lives. They allow teachers to make their lessons portable, for example taking learning outside. They also help children experience hands-on learning and helps children gain a better understanding of the subject they are learning about as they are learning in a way that is best for them. ICT also provides an outlet for children to document their thoughts in a range of ways, including being able to write, draw, record both sound and video depending on their age and ability (Beauchamp, 2012).

Today in Digital Technologies we were looking at e-books and the benefits they have in the classroom. We had two assessment tasks to complete today, the first being a group task. We were to create an e-brochure about life at UWS. Using the iPads, our group went around campus and took photos and videos to use within our brochure. To complete this task, we used book creator. The end result was a multimodal e-brochure that would hopefully encourage people to study at UWS.

The second part of the assessment was an individual task, which involved writing a summary of a book. I used the book creator app to write a multimodal e-book summary based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. By using more than two semiotic systems, I was able to do this. Taking pictures, videos and incorporating text, I was able to tell the key points of the story.

E-books are a resource I would consider using in my own classroom as a way of engaging children with multimodal texts and helping create cross curricular activities, for example; literacy, health and wellbeing and technology, to help with combatting the attainment gap.

References

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.

 

During this week’s session in Digital Technologies, we were learning about the use of mobile devices in order to enhance learning. We were learning and utilising the Book Creator app on the iPad to either create a summary of a book or a teaching aid. This enabled us to discover the many benefits of using this application within a classroom environment as advantages for educators and learners.

Oxford Dictionary defines an eBook as “an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device.”

The principles and practices of literacy and English, created by Education Scotland, states that the most effective ways to teach literacy and English is by providing “frequent opportunities to communicate in a wide range of contexts” (Education Scotland, n.d., a). A multimodal text contains 2 or more of the 5 semiotic systems: gestural, audio, visual, spatial and linguistic. When a text is multimodal, is makes the learning experience beneficial to the child as it features many different features to suit different types of learning.

(Education Scotland, n.d., b) states that ICT in school helps to raise attainment and achievement, closing the gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged and thus, providing them with the skills for the digitally advancing world that awaits them.

E-books have many advantages in the classroom for both learners and educators.  Using e-books in a classroom environment will prepare students for life, and the development of skills for learning and work. When using technology, children will grasp an awareness of our digitalised society and will prepare them for the working world in the 21st century.  Educators can also use e-books for lessons for pupils who are struggling with texts, which with the aid of book creator, can help to give them a deeper understanding of the text and engage within their own learning and taking responsibility for it.

E-books are small in size and are highly portable. This means that they can be used and promoting outdoor learning which makes the learning fun and exciting and links into a child’s health and wellbeing. E-books allow children to develop their creativity skills, putting their mind to whatever they wish to create, interpreting something in their own unique and modern way, with reference to the 5 semiotic systems.

We created a mind  map at the beginning of the session, demonstrating our knowledge of what an eBook was and what the benefits of using it entailed. 

            

We then went on to look at the content from Moodle, which told us more about eBooks and the many advantages they uphold within a learning environment, which enabled us to add even more to our mind map, creating a tree of knowledge we had learned.

Today during Digital Technologies, we created an e-book using the Book Creator app on the iPads.

I created a teaching aid to support pupils with the book “Baby Brains – The smartest baby in the whole world.”

The CfE experience and outcome which linked in with my e-book creation was:

“I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts, sharing my thoughts in different ways. LIT 0-19a”

I used many of the semiotic systems which enabled my text to be multimodal. The semiotic systems I included were: Linguistic, as my e-book contained questions for the pupils to consider throughout the eBook to ensure full engagement, such as: How do you think Baby Brain was feeling at this point? or Can you describe 5 items in the room? I also included Audio, as my e-book included sound clippings from YouTube, in order to bring my text to life. Finally, I included Visual, as my e-book had illustrations from the book to help the children.

 

As a prospering teacher I would definitely use e-books in the classroom. I found it very beneficial to have gained the access to the book creator app as a tool for teaching and learning purposes, as it clearly enabled for the 5 semiotic systems to be included within every book. The possibilities were endless and it allowed for a lot of freedom and choice of lessons to create, making literacy and technology lessons highly engaging.

REFERENCES

BBC Webwise article [Online] http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books [Accessed: 6 February 2018]

Education Scotland (n.d., a) Curriculum for Excellence: literacy and English, principles and practice [Online]. Available from: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/literacy-english-pp.pdf [Accessed: 6 February 2018].

Education Scotland (n.d., b) Technologies in Curriculum for Excellence [Online]. Available from: https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-in-scotland/curriculum-areas/Technologies%20in%20Curriculum%20for%20Excellence [Accessed: 6 February 2018].

 

Creating a story using Scratch Jr was a daunting prospect as I had only been introduced to the Application (app) an hour before, however it is a simple and user-friendly app that children as young as 5 can use to create interactive stories or games.

 

Coding is an important part of education as it is essential that our young people thrive in the technological society they will grow in. Technology is integrated into almost every part of our society: communications, entertainment, power supplies, and defence to name a few. It is difficult to imagine an area where society does not rely on some form of technology. To ensure its upkeep and continued progress, we need to ensure that the adults of tomorrow are aware of how to continue to develop and maintain the technologies that society depends on.

 

Another benefit of coding and its application in education is how it compliments learning in other subjects.   To demonstrate this, I was tasked to create a lesson plan integrating coding and meeting a combination of experiences and outcomes from the curriculum for excellence. The lesson was to be delivered using Scratch Jr.

 

The experience and outcomes that I wanted to meet are:

• LIT 1-26a By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in a logical sequence and use words which will be interesting and/or useful for others.
• TCH 1-01a I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support my learning in different contexts.

As I developed my story I noted that I was also integrating an experience and outcome from Health and Wellbeing (outcomes) and it was integral to my lesson plan.

• HWB 1-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

 

My lesson is to encourage children to create a scene using coding where they give examples of how to make people welcome. My story focused on a new child starting school and feeling nervous.

After sharing my project, I would be asking children to consider the following:

• Do you remember your first day at school or have you ever been new to something such as a youth club, sports team or hobby? Can you remember how you felt?

 

• What would you do to make someone feel welcome? What kind of words would you use to make friends with someone?

 

• Create a Scratch Jr slide, showing yourself making someone feel welcome.

 

 

The benefit of asking the children to create a project of their own on scratch Jr would be that they are developing coding skills and are using digital technology to add value to learning across the curriculum.  As children use Scratch Jr they are learning to think creatively, reason methodically and work together (The Lead Project, 2014).

As a teacher, my aim is to make learning both beneficial and fun to ensure maximum engagement. I know as a parent that my own children engage well with technology and I have often tried to integrate it into home learning. Such as looking up a recipe online. Another benefit that could be suggested is that the lesson is more inclusive to those who have barriers to learning. “Another important feature of ICT is that in can produce high-quality presentations of work in a variety of formats, regardless of the ability of the pupils concerned” (Beauchamp, 2017, P.162)

References

Beauchamp, G. (2011) Computing and ICT in the Primary School from Pedagogy to Practice. 2^nd ed. Abingdon: Routledge.

The Lead Project (2014) Super Scratch Programming Adventure: Learn to Program by Making Cool Games! No Starch Press.

During today’s session we were focusing on coding and how useful it can be within the classroom to enhance literacy skills.

Literacy is a form of communication which many people believe coding portrays this really well. Having the ability to code is incredibly important of literacy in modern society because it allows people to develop different sets of skills including problem solving strategies, helping them with designing projects and allowing them to use their communication skills to present their ideas.

The specific program we were working with today was ScratchJr. It is a basic programming app that enables children to create their own coding language. According to The Lead Project (2014), by creating Scratch projects children are not only learning how to code, but also how to be more creative with their thoughts and work alongside other children. Each of these skills are critical skills for success and happiness in today’s society. It can also support individual learning styles as Scratch was designed to to help with exploring and experimenting. The programme can aid different subjects across the curriculum as well including art, English and maths (The Lead Project, 2014).

Our task today was to create our own Scratch adventure story using iPads that would be part of a lesson plan. I first looked at the Curriculum For Excellence outcomes and decided which outcomes would fit the criteria. As coding crosses into multiple curriculum areas, I chose a literacy outcome :

References: