April 2018 – Page 3 – UWS BA ePDPs

Digital Technologies Week 11 (QR Codes) 20/3/18

The learning intentions and success criteria for this week’s lesson was to enable ourselves to: use the Quick Response (QR) Reader app, use the Pic Collage app, use and create our own QR Codes and understand the benefits of outdoor learning. As a result of this session, I gained the knowledge that a QR Code is an ‘image-based hypertext link’ which has the potential to link to text, audio, websites, map locations and many more. Whereas a standard barcode can contain up to 30 numbers, a QR Code has the capability to store 7089 numbers!

We began by exploring the Pic Collage App, taking photos of our peers and adding them to a collage alongside stickers, texts and a variety of background choices. As a learner, I was confident navigating myself around it independently as I was not new to using this particular app, however, I also believe new learners would not struggle to understand the app quickly with some initial guidance. I had fun with my friends seeing how many new designs we could create therefore, as a student teacher, recognised how younger pupils would enjoy this also.

My preconception of outdoor learning was that you literally complete a lesson outside with children sitting on the grass as opposed to chairs. However, I now understand that outdoor learning involves integrating the many tools and opportunities the outside offers into your lesson. As a student teacher, I now recognise that you do not take a lesson outside for the reason that it is sunny. I have learned that this opportunity should be taken all year round as “…it’s clear that the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college” and “outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime” as it “provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors” (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2010).

Prior to carrying out the main task, I was informed of the many benefits of outdoor learning. I was introduced to the idea of outdoor learning developing children’s critical thinking skills by giving them a link between other curricular areas and how it improves their personal development by teaching them skills such as communication, problem solving and how to work with others. As a class, we were also asked to come up with ways that outdoor learning links with the SHANARRI Wellbeing Wheel (see below). SHANARRI is an acronym for: safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, responsible, respect and included. It was not challenging to come up with a significant list of varied examples highlighting the importance of outdoor learning in education. Outdoor learning promotes healthy living and has the potential to encourage children to join activities such as hill walking, cycling, sailing or skiing relating to the healthy and active aspects of SHANARRI. Following this, outdoor learning provides children with the opportunity to learn how to assess and manage risks independently connecting to safe and responsible. In addition, it allows children who struggle in classroom environments to use and show off other skills they do not get the chance to inside helping them feel included. This can essentially alter not only their own but also other people’s perceptions of them and increase their feelings of self-worth and achievement. This is supported by the statement from Education Scotland (2010), “the outdoor environment encourages staff and students to see each other in a different light, building positive relationships and improving self-awareness and understanding of others.”

To prove the benefits of outdoor learning and how engaging it has the potential to be, my class and I separated into opposing teams to complete an outdoor ‘treasure hunt’ using QR Codes and iPads with the QR Reader app downloaded onto it. Prior to the session, our lecturer had composed a worksheet with questions on it and attached QR Codes to trees, gates, bike sheds etc outside our University. Our instructions were given to us inside and we were informed of our boundaries since the QR Codes had not been placed too far from the building. As a student teacher, I recognise that this would have to be mimicked with primary pupils to ensure you had their concentration and they were not going to go too far out of sight for safety reasons. Pretending we were pupils, the questions were based around Scotland as if this had been our recent class topic. Our worksheets consisted of questions such as: “which is Scotland’s largest Loch?” or “which is the highest mountain in Scotland?” and had multiple choice answers. Each time we spotted a QR code, we had to scan it with our iPads, select an answer and look at the clue it gave us for where we could find the next QR code. Each answer was associated with a letter. Once all codes had been found, if we could form a Scottish word with the letters our answers were associated with we had cracked the code!

From the moment we were informed of this task as learners, the full class was eager to get started. We straight away became competitive knowing we would all try our best to win. If a class full of adults were this motivated for an outside game, I can only imagine how much effort a class of primary pupils would give! This task fully convinced me of the benefits of outdoor learning, how engaging it is for pupils and how memorable it has the potential to be. I was so caught up in the fun, I didn’t even realise I was actually learning about Scotland along the way if my team had knowledge I did not.

This lesson would have covered many educational outcomes across the curriculum such as the following and many more:

Within and beyond my place of learning I am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in physical activities and sport, making use of available indoor and outdoor space – HWB 1-25a.

I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect myself and others, and to reduce the potential for harm when possible – HWB 0-16a / HWB 1-16a / HWB 2-16a / HWB 3-16a / HWB 4-16a.

Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts – TCH 1-02a.

Alongside two peers, I was then to create my own QR code. We focused ours on the three times table which would come under the outcome:

I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division when solving problems, making best use of the mental strategies and written skills I have developed – MNU 1-03.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

Unfortunately, this was my last week of Digital Technologies. I am very thankful for all the opportunities this module has provided me with and all the fun, educational memories I have gained from it. I am very glad I selected this module and, as a student teacher, sincerely aim to bring as much of my new knowledge to future classroom experiences as possible when suitable. After completing a digital technologies knowledge sheet on the first week of this module then re-completing it now, the comparison and improvement is obvious. I have altered from believing digital technologies was solely focused on a computer to know understanding the vast range of curriculum outcomes digital technologies can cover and the many ways of doing this. I will truly miss the module and feel fortunate to now have a better understanding of the type of devices children use in the 21st century and how I can include these in future classroom environments.

References:
Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning

Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

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

SHANARRI Wheel image taken from: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0043/0043863

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

Digital Technology – Week 5 – eBooks – 06/02/18

Today’s class was about eBooks, we had to create a summary of a well known book on the iPad app Book Creator, and discuss how this could be used to positively impact a lesson. When thinking about eBooks I always immediately think of a Kindle, as I have one and it is a common device. […]

Today’s class was about eBooks, we had to create a summary of a well known book on the iPad app Book Creator, and discuss how this could be used to positively impact a lesson.

When thinking about eBooks I always immediately think of a Kindle, as I have one and it is a common device. However, eBooks are not exclusively on the Kindle. The 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.” I think that using an iPad to create an eBook is useful as many children nowadays use iPads, many even learning how to use them before learning to talk.

I always enjoy using the Book Creator app as I think it is really simple and easy to use. There are also lots of tutorial videos if I had any issues. The book I chose to do a summary of was Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. It was a childhood favourite of mine and that is why I chose it. I think that it is an important skill for children to be able to summarise something as it is a skill that is used often, even when having to summarise what happened in a film or on TV. In my summary I took photos of certain important pictures on the pages and used short sentences to get the important points across. I also added in some sound- the Bogus, Bunce and Bean rhyme- to make it more interesting, these aspects helped to make my eBook multimodal.

Image result for Fantastic mr fox

The CfE outcomes that I identified as ones that could relate to this type of lesson are:

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

Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts. TCH 1-02a

There are a number of advantages to using multimodal texts in the classroom. Education Scotland (2015) states that there is “evidence of improved outcomes is strongest for numeracy and science learning, although there
is evidence of positive impacts on literacy too. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that digital tools and resources can help to reduce attainment gaps in reading and writing.” Education Scotland (2015) also state that it is important that children learn to be digitally literate as technology is such a fast growing industry that we as teachers are potentially preparing them for jobs that do not yet exist. This statement helps to emphasise the importance of digital technologies in the classroom as many children will need these skills for their future careers.

References

Education Scotland (2015) Consultation on the development of a Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: Supporting school years Accessed [9th April] Available: educationhttps://consult.gov.scot/learning-directorate/digital-learning/user_uploads/395855_p2.pdf

Digital Technology – Week 4 – Coding – 30/01/18

Today in class we were learning about coding through the programme Scratch Jr., which is used in many schools. I myself had previously used it in IT in high school. We got to use Scratch Jr. for ourselves and also talked about how it was useful in schools. The programme allows the user to create their own world and so it can help enhance the learning of all children, even if their learning styles are different. Not only can the children be creative in what they make but, when coding, they also learn important strategies to help them think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively (The Lead Project, 2014). All of these are essential skills for children and their future careers.

Our aim in today’s lesson was to create a story using Scratch Jr. to promote literacy skills in a chosen level of the curriculum e.g. early or first level. Our story had to link to the specific experiences and outcomes of our chosen level which we had picked from the Curriculum for Excellence.

I chose first level and looked at these outcomes for my lesson:

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.

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

I can 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 found that using Scratch Jr. was relatively easy for me. I had seen it before in my own school and we had also been provided with some tutorial videos to watch which helped if I was stuck. The aspect I found most difficult was getting the characters to say their parts slow enough for a child to read. I did not want to make the sentences too long and then the child would miss key information.

My story was about two astronauts travelling to the moon. In the first scene they boarded the rocket. In the next they were travelling through space. And finally, they reached the moon. My idea for the literacy lesson was that I wanted the children to eventually go on and write their own stories based on being one of the astronauts. In the first scene I had written, “How do you think the astronauts are feeling?” to try and get some ideas started for the pupils. I would read through the story and write up any words the pupils used to describe how the characters were feeling or what the scene looked like to help them later on. My second scene I had written, “What do you think they can see?”. In my final scene I had, “What do you think happened next?”. I would ask the children to tell me how they think the story may have continued, and given them some of my ideas too, to ensure that they had plenty of ideas when they went to write their story.

When getting children to create their own Scratch Jr. I would do a set of progressive lessons to get the used to the programme and fully aware of how to use it, over the course of a few weeks. Otherwise the task would be too big and daunting for the pupils.

References

Education Scotland (2004) Curriculum for Excellence [Online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed: 31 January 2018]

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

Digital Technology Week 11

Unfortunately, I missed this final lesson on digital technology and the way it enhances outdoor learning but having furthered research it and reminiscing on my own experiences from my recent school placement, I am able to understand how to adapt … Continue reading →

One thing I truly believe, from past and recent experiences, is that outdoor learning will be remembered for a lifetime. From the way a simple maths lesson about measurement can be transformed to a full class participation by asking them to measure the length of the playground can engage pupils so well to a digital lesson, outdoor learning definitely related to the curriculum for education (Scottish Government 2010).

The curriculum for excellence suggests that outdoor learning encourages pupils to understand the play and relationship throughout the curriculum areas and can lead to a healthy lifestyle where activates such as walking and cycling can be incorporated into learning. The CfE also suggest implement a safer and stronger environment that provides pupils with the opportunities to develop skills to assess risks in decision making (Scottish Government 2010).

There are so many opportunities that can rise from outdoor learning. From personal experience, a subject in school that I was very out-of-touch and not interested in was Biology but when outdoor learning was incorporated into a lesson, I immediately became engaged and focussed on the lesson. A simple test of where certain plants grow in different areas in a forest became the most interesting lesson in my day. Our teacher divided us into groups and sent us outside to test the experiment. With full engagement and participation, it was clear that outdoor learning was a very good approach in helping us focus.

My comfort blanket growing up was make-up and fashion – typical girly items and so when approached with the option to partake in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, it was unsurprising that this did not appeal to me. Myself and my friend’s, however, some of us more optimistic than others, decided to participate and today I sit with my bronze, silver and gold awards, presented to me at Holyrood Palace by none other than the Duke of Edinburgh himself. As I reflect on my experience, I am overwhelmed by the knowledge I gained and the memories that I have to cherish from this adventure. To pass each award we had to show that we could navigate on a map our way across a treacherous mountain walk, along with camp and fend for ourselves. This was all related to outdoor learning and the enjoyment and knowledge, along with a lifetimes worth of skills that I have gained will stay with me forever.

In my own classroom, when I become a teacher, I will most definitely incorporate outdoor learning into my lesson planning. An art lesson could result to an outdoor lesson of asking my pupils to draw their playground and use their imagination of what they would like to have added to it. A maths lesson could result in measuring the length of their playground. A science lesson could be getting my pupils to find different types of leaves and to research their findings.

There are thousands of different opportunities that can rise from outdoor learning, and I for one cannot wait to incorporate my own experiences and ideas along with the guidelines from the Curriculum for Excellence into my lesson plans.

References:

Scottish Government . (2010). curriculum for excellence through outdoor learning. Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf. Last accessed 7th April 2018.

Animation

“A filmmaking technique where illusion of motion is created frame-by-frame. The word comes from the Latin word, ‘anima’ meaning ‘life’ or ‘soul’” This week session was based on animation. It was interesting to see how animation gives children many opportunity’s such as developing visual literacy skills. This is a great way to develop literacy. Showing […]

“A filmmaking technique where illusion of motion is created frame-by-frame. The word comes from the Latin word, ‘anima’ meaning ‘life’ or ‘soul’”

This week session was based on animation. It was interesting to see how animation gives children many opportunity’s such as developing visual literacy skills. This is a great way to develop literacy. Showing children something as simple as clip can encourage children to write. I have learned that literacy can be taught using visual resources such as film, animation, photographs and picture books.

Other skills that animation will help develop critical observation skills, encourage collaboration and co-operation skills and build problem skills. In developing animation skills pupils have the opportunity to develop sequence and order concepts, demonstrate spatial sense in relation to self and environment, describe and object in relation to another using positional language, use language effectively to describe concepts, work collaboration in small groups and engage n construction meaning.

Animation can be used across curriculum as a creative medium for pupils to explore and simulate a wide range of ideas.

Digital Technology Week 9 and 10

To think that a toy that was on every child’s Christmas wish list when we were younger is now being incorporated in classroom learning is quite remarkable. Over the course of two weeks we explored games based learning. When I was younger, never would the Nintendo Wii have been incorporated into classroom learning so when Graham told us that we would be using the Nintendo Wii to create fun and interactive activities, it was quite difficult to understand how we would do this.

Studies have shown that games-based learning encourages increased motivation, grabs the learner’s attention, recalls their vast information, reinforces their knowledge and allows stress free and pleasurable play. In the classroom, using games acts as a stimulus and allows games to be taught in a content as well as teaching social skills and creating activities. Theorists Piaget and Vygotsky have emphasised that game play is a very important component to develop cognitive development from birth through childhood (Piaget, J., 1962 and Vygotsky, L. S., 1962).

From a generation where a chalkboard and jotters and pencils were the main classroom essentials, it really is remarkable to research and learn about the different ways that technology can develop a child’s learning, even more when you add gaming into the mix. According to research, games have a number of different qualities that create effective learning environments, including those who play the games are expected to make decisions and problem solve in some of the most difficult scenarios. Gamers are encouraged to take risks and experiment and also to story tell and build characters around these stories. When incorporating gaming into a classroom, pupil’s motivation and engagement becomes stronger than ever (Sandford, R. Williamson, B 2005).

Of course, in today’s society, there is nothing more concerning than online gaming and the ever-growing worry of social media ruining our children’s esteem and taking them to a place out with normality. Therefore, as role models, it is important that we ensure games-based learning has a positive impact on social skills, it supports our children’s learning as well as enhances it and develops their skills. With that being said, Ofcom released a report in 2011 that states how popular gaming is in the UK, with almost 86% of 5-7-year old’s and 90% of 8-11-year-old children using game consoles and devices on a regular basis (Bray, O. 2012).

From these figures, the majority of children will have used Minecraft – a worldwide phenomenon. Minecraft is used as a game but has clear links to developing skills (MagBook 2014). To incorporate this into lessons, I would get the children to create and build houses and towns of their own and link this to the curriculum for excellence, specifically referring to TCH 1-03a and TCH 2-03a but always reminding my pupils of the safety of using the internet and gaming consoles through the outcomes relating to TCH 1-08a and TCH 2-08a.

References

Piaget, J., (1962), Play, dreams and imitation in childhood, W. W. Norton & Company, New York

Vygotsky, L. S., (1962), Thought and Language, Wiley, New York

Sandford, R. Williamson, B. (2005) Games and Learning. A Handbook from FutureLab. [Online] Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/futurelabgames_and_learning_tcm4-452087.pdf

Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online] https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 10.3.18]

MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft

Digital Technologies- Outdoor Learning/QR codes/Module Overview 20/3/18

For our last digital technologies lesson, we focused on the use of technology for outdoor learning specifically the use of QR codes as well as Pic Collage. Prior to today’s […]

For our last digital technologies lesson, we focused on the use of technology for outdoor learning specifically the use of QR codes as well as Pic Collage. Prior to today’s lesson I had no previous knowledge of what QR codes were or how to use them. A QR code (Quick Response code) is an image-based hyperlink that can be used as a link to a website, images, text, a map or an audio recording. I had experience of using the Pic Collage app however I would have never considered using it in the classroom setting. This lesson really educated me on the multiple ways I could introduce QR codes and pic collage into future lessons and the many benefits of doing so for my practice and the young learners in my classroom.

The lesson begun with us familiarising ourselves with the Pic collage app and attempting to incorporate the use of all the app features into a collage. As I had previous experience of using the app I found it very easy to navigate and to construct a collage. After this Graham informed us that we would be working outdoors in a QR code cracking task. To complete the task, we had to work within a group using the QR reading app to find scattered QR codes and answer the Scottish based questions in the text attached to the link. It was undeniable that all participants were having fun throughout this task. The task brought out the friendly competitive side in all of us as well as team work. Despite my group being the last to complete the task we all enjoyed working together outdoors in a new and exciting setting.

As a learner using pic collage I found the app very easy to navigate and to use the apps features. I enjoyed taking the pictures of my friends to include in the collage and customising each phot with stickers, text and backgrounds. For the outdoor task, I was excited to start the code cracking treasure hunt and eager to participate in the outdoor learning as when I was in school I had very little experience of it. While participating in the task my group and I remained energetic, engaged and excited to complete the task. I feel this is very important as despite being adults, we were all running around outdoors eager to win the task thus I feel if this is the level of enthusiasm from adults the enthusiasm from children doing this task would be double and therefore we should aim to integrate outdoor learning with QR codes into curriculum lessons.

From the perspective of a student teacher I feel after participating in this lesson as a learner that I must continue to experiment with outdoor learning and QR codes, so I may use them for future lessons. Education Scotland (2010) spoke on the advantages of introducing outdoor learning to young learners “the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college.” As well as these advantages, outdoor learning can also aid children’s personal development through learning problem solving and teamwork. Young learners are also educated on personal safety by being given the responsibility of working outdoors in the community their road safety, respect and sense of stranger danger are tested. Additionally, introducing outdoor learning promotes a healthy lifestyle for young learners by encouraging walking, running, cycling and active play. By introducing outdoor learning to future lessons, I hope to encourage and aid inclusion for all as outdoor learning provides an opportunity for children to showcase new skills they may not be able to show in the classroom.

Furthermore, Learning and teaching Scotland detailed that outdoor learning “provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors.” (Learning and Teaching Scotland 2010). Firstly, outdoor learning can be linked to science through outdoor experiments in natural environment as well as social studies lessons through organised field trips. Additionally, outdoor learning can be linked to health and wellbeing lessons as it encourages children to experiences challenges in the outdoor environment as well as promoting safety. This links to the curriculums SHANARI wheel (wellbeing wheel) which shows how outdoor learning can link to the eight wellbeing indicators: Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurture, Achieving, Responsible, Respect and Included.

Overall after reviewing to the benefits of using QR codes, Pic collage and specifically outdoor learning I feel I must aim to ensure I include these resources in future lessons. After today I am confident and full of ideas of the ways I could link these resources into areas of the curriculum.

In reflection of my time in the Digital technologies class I feel my knowledge and understanding has significantly developed since my first lesson. For my first lesson I barely knew how to navigate my apple mac computer compared to now where I have the experience, knowledge and confidence of using multiple technologies and apps. During my first lesson I rated my knowledge of apps such as Scratch Jr, ActivInspire and Puppet Pals as 1/5 due to having no prior knowledge or experience of using them. However, on our last day we were asked to rate our knowledge of these apps again and this time I chose much higher ratings of 4/5. At the beginning of this module I was naïve to think that technology was used only in the ICT suite, as a reward for good work or to fit only technology curriculum outcomes. However, now I understand that technology can be used as an aid for multiple curriculum lessons and outcomes such as Numeracy, Literacy, Science etc. Finally, over the course of this module my confidence has increased greatly. During the first few lessons I had little to no self-belief that I would be able to understand technology like Programmable Toys and ActivInspire or find the ideas to use them in future lessons. Yet today I feel confident in using all apps I experienced within this module and am full of ideas on how to integrate these apps into future lessons so the young learners in my classroom can experience the educational benefits of technology.

References:

Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf [Accessed 20th March 2018]

Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

Digital Technology Week 5

06/02/18 eBooks “An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device”, (Oxford University Press, 2018) this is the definition … Continue reading →

06/02/18

eBooks

“An electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device”, (Oxford University Press, 2018) this is the definition of an eBook, not only is it something that can be read from and interacted with easily but it’s also something that can used to recreate or redesign a book or story. An eBook is a practical and portable way of viewing and sharing information, it’s also more appealing to children as they can personalise it and interactive with it independently. The picture below shows many more links, connections and benefits that come from using eBooks:

put learning into context
creativity encouraged
promotes reading
benefits in future workplace

eBooks give adults, teachers and children access to a wide range and variety of books that fit their personal preferences and allows them to easily get to grips with a modern piece of digital technology. This is just another way that shows how digital technology impacts our lives and how simple it can be to use.

In 2016 the Scottish Government set up “A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland” with the aim of getting and enabling all teachers, children and adults to them have positive experiences with technology. To help ensure that their aim is achieved the strategy is “structured around four essential and interrelated objectives”:

“Develop the skills and confidence of educators in the appropriate and effective use of digital technology to support learning and teaching.
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 teaching and learning”. (Scottish Government, 2016)

To have a chance at having our own positive experience with digital technology we got the opportunity to create our own eBook on an iPad using the app Book Creator. During the session we used the app to retell a story of our choosing, using pictures, videos, sounds and written text to create a multimodal presentation of information that can be easily accessed, used and shared.

While recreating the story book Rapunzel I was able to navigate my way around the app easily, by starting a new book I was able to take pictures or videos to add to the book. I was also able to add text to help tell the story as well as sound clips to different pages. Furthermore I was even able to add a more personalised touch to the book by drawing on different prints, lines and flowers. I found using this app simple and easy to use and would definitely use it in a classroom environment activity, one either teacher lead or an activty that allows the children to independently work or collaborate to create something of their own.

Reference List:

Scottish Government (2016) Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the Use of Digital Technology, [Online] Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/09/9494(Accessed: 8th February 2018).

Oxford University Press (2018) Oxford Living Dictionaries, Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/e-book (Accessed: 8th February 2018).

27.3.18 – iMovie & e-safety

The themes for today’s class were internet safety and also the use of iMovie in the classroom. I have two children aged 11 and 13 and so the subject of internet safety for children is a very relevant and current one for me. It is a constant source of worry, even though I know I … Continue reading 27.3.18 – iMovie & e-safety →

Having looked at the resources we were given links to it is reassuring to that that there are so many forums dedicated to helping children, and adults, to stay safe on the internet. I particularly like the Hector’s World animation on the “Think you know?” website and can see it would be an excellent talking point in a classroom. There are many discussions as to who the responsibility should lie with to teach children to be safe online. In my mind it is just another aspect of child protection and as such that responsibility falls to us all…teachers, parents, guardians and the wider community.

Research by The Scottish Government (2015) into Raising Attainment has shown evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can improve the speed and depth of learning in science and mathematics and improve aspects of literacy and numeracy skills. This resonates with the discussions in previous blogs of the importance of having digital technology in the classroom. When we bring this equipment in to the classroom, including internet access, then we do have a responsibility ensure the children are equipped use it safely and responsibly and direct them to take those skills and knowledge out with the classroom environment. It is important to approach the topic in a manner that encapsulates the concept “…the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58) Indeed he goes on to discuss further that generally the schools most successful in teaching e-safety were those that placed an emphasis on ensuring pupils knew what to do when things went wrong. (Beauchamp 2012). I can see how this would be a successful strategy as it is not about restricting what the children can access or about making them terrified about being online but it recognises that things that go wrong and focusses on equipping children with the knowledge and skills on what to do next. I think it is important that children feel comfortable that they have those skills and equally importantly, that there are adults within the school that they can go to with anything that concerns them about their safety online.

The use of iMovie to create a short video about e-safety was the next part of the lesson. Working with my class mate we first decided on the storyline and the genre we would use. We looked at the iMovie app on the iPad and liked the style of the trailers so used that for our creation. We opted to use toy characters and still shots so I can see that this is a task that could be done in the classroom in groups but equally we could have opted to act and used various locations inside and outside as the set. This would definitely encourage children to be creative in their storymaking! It is Porter (2004) who noted that “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.” I think we are there now.

Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes that I would link to this are:

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

I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other peoples presentations/performances. EXA 0-01a/1-01a/2-01z

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

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

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

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.

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

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: 27.3.18]

20.3.18 Outdoor Learning – QR codes & Picollage

Today we looked at QR codes, Picollage and how to use them to enhance outdoor learning. Firstly, we had a class discussion on the benefits and importance of outdoor learning in the curriculum. We all agreed that we could remember more vividly the moments in our own time at school when we were involved in outdoor learning than we do about our classroom time. Those experiences ranged from school trips to just being in the playground carrying out tasks. This is one of the things specifically noted by Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) “Outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors. Learning outdoors can be enjoyable, creative, challenging and adventurous and helps children and young people learn by experience and grow as confident and responsible citizens who value and appreciate the spectacular landscapes, natural heritage and culture of Scotland.” Looking back at those times I am sure that I was more focussed on the excitement of being outdoor and the fun than I was on realising I was still learning. This is a particularly important aspect of outdoor learning, especially for children who struggle for whatever reason to engage in the classroom environment.

Another aspect of learning outdoors is it allows both the pupils and the teachers to see different sides to their peers that are not always obvious in the classroom. In this respect it allows for improved understanding of others and positive relationship building (Education Scotland 2010). This can be particularly important in relation to inclusion of pupils who may otherwise normally feel on the outside due to varying support needs.

We highlighted the fact that it can be hard for teachers to identify suitable locations for outdoor learning and we discussed Beauchamp (2012) point that “…children are citizens of their localities, making contributions to the communities whether playing sport, interacting with others or simply hanging out with friends…” (Beauchamp, 2012, p. 126) from this we concluded that this is an area where the children could be actively involved in planning their learning. Without doubt they will know the best part of the playground for a given task or in the wider local community.

We then broadened our discussion to look at the Shannari Wheel and how we could link aspects of outdoor learning to each area on the wheel. It was surprising just how many different ideas we could come up with in a very short space of time which demonstrated how beneficial outdoor learning is to wider learning.

We are fortunate that the core values of Curriculum for Excellence align with long-standing key concepts of outdoor learning. Challenge, enjoyment, relevance, depth, development of the whole person and an adventurous approach to learning are at the core of outdoor pedagogy. Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010).

Having idenitifed the massive benefits of outdoor learning we then looked at how we could link digital technology in to the outdoor environment using QR codes.

QR codes are basically a more advanced version of the barcodes you find on the back of any product you buy from the shop. These basic barcodes can store up to 30 numbers but a QR code can store 7089 which is what enables it to allow access to far more detailed information via an ‘image-based hypertext link’. It can link to a short bit of text, an audio recording, a website, a phone number, an email address, a map location, an calendar event. I have used QR codes in the past but I had never considered how they could be used educationally. Our lecturer demonstrated how we might integrate them into our learning by creating a treasure hunt style quiz. He had placed various QR codes around the campus which we had to locate, scan with the QR code reader on our iPads and answer the question the link took us to. Dependant on the answer we chose it gave us a letter that would form the jumbled up answer to the final question. There is no denying that we had great fun and got more than a bit competitive! Having been through the experience allowed me to see that the topic of the treasure hunt could have been anything at all so as a teacher I could use it as an excellent revision tool for a subject that had already been covered in class across the full curriculum. It could even be discreet assessment to identify knowledge gaps yet the outdoor fun aspects has completely drawn the children away from the fact they are being assessed.

Once back in the classroom we were asked to devise our own quiz and create a QR code treasure hunt. My classmate and I decided to use maths based questions and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to create which is definitely a big bonus when we get to the stage of planning lessons. Some Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and outcomes that I have identified that link to this are:

I explore and experiment with the features and functions of computer technology and I can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-04a/TCH 2-04a

Opportunities to carry out different activities and roles in a variety of settings have enabled me to identify my achievements, skills and areas for development. This will help me to prepare for the next stage in my life and learning. HWB 2-19a

Within and beyond my place of learning I am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in physical activities and sport, making use of available indoor and outdoor space. HWB 1-25

As we went along we also took a few photos to document our outdoor experience. We then used the Picollage app to create collages with those images. It demonstrated well how an app like this could be used to log student learning in a more engaging way. It would also be an excellent way to display photos from school trips or collection of work done by the children for display on the wall or to be shared electronically with parents.

Looking back….

This was our last lecture in Digital Technologies today. It was definitely a fun topic to finish on. Since the start of the module I feel I have learned a great deal not only about the actual digital equipment I could take in to my future classrooms but more importantly why it is so important that I do that. I have a much deeper understanding of why technology needs to be an everyday part of school learning, because it is an everyday part of life. I have learned that without its presence in education today’s learners struggle to see the relevance and the real life context of what that are being taught. I understand that it is well documented that used effectively, learning across the curriculum is greatly enhanced when digital technology is used to support and facilitate the learning. But I have also learned to be cautious not to use technology ‘for the sake of it’ but to focus on when it is the best option. I feel that moving forward I will be much more confident when I become a teacher that I will be able to include innovative lesson plans that will engage the minds of my learners and that I will broaden my thinking to find the best resources to do it.

REFERENCES

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

Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

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