April 2018 – Page 7 – UWS BA ePDPs

Digital Technologies Week 4 – 30th January 2018

This week in digital technologies, we were exploring the benefits of using coding in the classroom. To do this, we looked at the computer coding game Scratch Jr. and we used this to create our own interactive game. Coding is an important part of learning in today’s society as it is a vital part of literacy […]

Coding is an important part of learning in today’s society as it is a vital part of literacy and some people believe that coding is the new literacy. Coding develops different skills and strategies, for example, designing projects, problem solving and communicating ideas.

Scratch Jr. is a coding game that allows young children from the ages of 5 and upwards to design their own interactive games and stories.

According to The Lead Project (2014), “As young people create Scratch projects, they are not just learning how to write computer programs. They are learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world.” While young people are creating using Scratch Jr. they are working together and learning new skills that they will use later in life and throughout their careers. The Lead Project (2014) also goes on to describe that Scratch can be embedded into many different areas across the curriculum.

The lesson that I created today using Scratch Jr. was an interactive story using adjectives. The lesson involved a treasure hunt to collect adjectives along the way. As the story progresses it gets more challenging and at the end, the children are asked if they can write down any more adjectives that they know. The lesson is enjoyable and interactive and it will challenge the learners to think for themselves while getting to experience Scratch Jr. I believe that this lesson would be aimed at the first level within the Curriculum for Excellence and the experiences and outcomes that I have recommended for this lesson are as follows:

Using what I know about the features of different types of texts, I can find, select, sort and use information for a specific purpose. LIT 1-14a

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

Overall, I believe that coding is very beneficial within the classroom as it gives young learners the experience of working with another different and modern form of technology. The skills that are developed through the use of coding are skills that are required for adulthood and throughout the world of work. I feel that learners will have an enjoyable experience working with Scratch Jr. and it will enable them to work interactively. I also think that today’s lesson has given me an idea of the different things that can be created using coding games and it is something that I will carry with me throughout my teaching career.

References

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

Evocative Object

On the first week of the arts module, we were asked to think about an evocative object. At first, I was unsure what the term evocative meant so spent a bit of time researching the term. I soon found out that evocative meant that something brings strong images, memories, or feelings to mind. Linking this word evocative and its meaning to an object was not challenging at all. The first thing that sprung to my mind was my late Grandad’s chain which I wear almost every day.

We were asked to bring in our evocative object and share this with the class. Sharing the meaning of my evocative object made me feel very emotional and a strong feeling of sadness took over. Here lies a simple chain, but on the chain is a photo of my “Granda” Terry who passed away many years ago. Attached to the chain is my Granda’s ring in which he left behind for me to carry. On the back of the love heart shape photograph chain, lies a message stating “forever in our hearts, Terry”. Every member of the family received 0ne of these chains when my Granda passed away. The idea was so that we could wear the chain close to our heart everyday. This object I will keep forever.

It was interesting to explore feelings through the arts, something that can be done in the primary classroom. In the up coming weeks, we will have the chance to create our own piece of art through exploring the feelings and emotions from our evocative object.

During this session, we were also to think about exploring “the unknown”. Primary teachers often do not like exploring the unknown which can be a negative experience for the learners in the classroom. Being free and allowing the unknown to take over to allow creations is very important and a skill that I must master as a future educator. We were given a bunch of pipe cleaners and told to create anything we want. By the end of this session, everyone ended up with a different model.

Turkle, S. Evocative Objects

Digital Technologies Week 3 – 23rd January 2018

During today’s class, we explored ActivInspire and multimodality. We addressed the definition of multimodality and the benefits of using multimodal presentations within the classroom. We also looked at ActivInspire and created a lesson using this. Multimodality is the use of two or more semiotic systems to present information. There are five semiotic systems, […]

Multimodality is the use of two or more semiotic systems to present information. There are five semiotic systems, they are as follows:

Audio
Visual
Spatial
Linguistic
Gestural

According to Beauchamp, “The multimodality of technology is another reason to use it, as it allows teachers to present an idea in a variety of different ways to help pupils understand it.”(Beauchamp, 2012, p.8) Through the use of multimodal presentations children become more engaged and are eager to learn. It gives children a visual representation of lessons and also allows them to be active while taking part. ActivInspire and different multimodal resources are very important within the classroom as they allow all students to participate. We also discussed that using a yellow background with blue writing in the comic sans font is an effective way to put across a lesson to those children with dyslexic tendencies

As part of today’s lesson, we were instructed to create an ActivInspire lesson. My partner and I decided to design a numeracy lesson based on the Egyptian topic. We created a lesson involving different hieroglyphics and we made a key in which a number was equal to a specific hieroglyphic. The lesson consisted of different maths sums to complete and the children would have to look back and understand the key in order to complete the sums. The lesson progresses on to harder sums like multiplication to challenge the children. My partner and I decided that this would be classified as a first level of Curriculum for Excellence lesson. The experiences and outcomes that we decided best suited the lesson are as follows:

When a picture or symbol is used to replace a number in a number statement, I can find its value using my knowledge of number facts and explain my thinking to others. MTH 1-15b

I can demonstrate a range of basic problem solving skills by building simple programs to carry out a given task, using an appropriate language. TCH 1-15a

To conclude, I believe that ActivInspire is a powerful resource that should be used in the classroom and I will definitely use it in my teaching practice. It engages all pupils and allows all children to participate in lessons using multimodal resources. I feel that today’s lesson was particularly beneficial for me as before I was very uncomfortable using AcxtivInspire as I have never used it before. However, now, I believe that I am comfortable using ActivInspire and I will continue to use it throughout my teaching practice.

References

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

Games Based Learning – 6th March 2018

After having spent numerous weeks undertaking the Digital Technologies module and learning about a multitude of various technologies that can be used effectively in the classroom, I was unsure how using a well-known game would fit into the curriculum other than its use of developing technology skills, technology awareness and fine motor skills. However, today we learnt about the use of the Wii console in the classroom can be effective through using it as a stimulus in learning for many different areas of the curriculum.

The Higher Education Academy state that ”Digital Games-based learning is the integration of gaming into learning experiences to increase engagement and motivation.” Despite not being in the classroom today with children, it certainly increased my own motivation for learning in this subject in particular and I felt thoroughly engaged with the task at hand.

The use of technology is argued in the classroom as to wether it should be included or not. Theorists including Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky have argued that “play is a crucial component of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood”. Wether this play is done through solid materials or interactivity through a smart device or TV screen is left to personal preference. As a parent myself, I see the benefits and impact that the use of technology has on my own daughter and how a range of apps and games have increased her own skills, abilities, knowledge and confidence in her own learning. I can only imagine the benefits and motivation they will impose on young learners if the use of these same resources were to be used within a classroom. The use of games-based learning is supported by Farber (2016) who notes that “…students are provided with a gameful learning experience driven by play.”

Before we got to get to the task at hand, we were asked to create our own character and vehicle based on the principle of Mario Kart, the racing game for the Wii console. This put to good use my creative art skills and I enjoyed coming up with different ideas that I thought would appeal to children and fit in well with a game such as Mario Kart. Having children design their own character and kart is alone allowing them to use their creativity and imagination skills to design something they would use themselves in game play.

Upon completion of our own characters and racing karts, we were given time to complete our task for today’s class: to create our own IDL lesson plan based around Mario Kart. Having the lesson planned around the IDL topic allowed for a breadth of Experiences and Outcomes to be explored across many of the curricular areas. The following are the ones which we included in our lesson plan:

‘I can describe, follow and record routes and journeys using signs, words and angles associated with direction and turning.’ MTH 1-17a

‘Using technology and other methods, I can display data simply, clearly and accurately by creating tables, charts and diagrams using simple labelling and scale.’ MTH 1-21a

‘I can design and construct models and explain my solutions.’ TCH 1-09a

‘I can create and present work using the visual elements of line, shape, form, colour, tone, pattern and texture.’ EXA 1-03a

‘I can present my writing in a way that will make it legible and attractive for my reader, combining words, images and other features.’ LIT 1-24a

After completing my drawings (which I did feel rather proud of and impressed with) as a group we came together to come up with areas in which we could use Mario Kart as a stimulus across different areas of the curriculum. At first I felt a little apprehensive as to where this would take us when creating our IDL plan, however once we got started, we found it difficult to stop. There were so many areas which we could cover, some of which included; Literacy, Maths, Technology, Expressive Arts and Health & Wellbeing. Games based learning offers a whole host of learning opportunities across education including the following:

Using games as a stimulus (or contextual hub);
Games are often used as a starting point for other activities;
›Using games to teach content;
Games can be used to illustrate concepts and materials to be taught;
Using games to teach social skills.

Along with Games-based learning having an evidently successful impact on young learners, it too has the ability to enhance the educators skillset and knowledge in the world of Gaming and provide them with skills and abilities they otherwise would not have if they had not became a teacher. It offers rich learning opportunities to take a game, turn it into a learning opportunity like what we done today and immerse their pupils in an engaging and rich lesson that can be carried over the course of just a few days, or possibly even weeks or months. It is important to remember that although our job is to be the educator, it is highly rewarding to learn from the pros themselves – our pupils. They are the finest examples to learn from when it comes to gaming as a lot of children in Scotland have already adopted a mass of knowledge and ability when it comes to games such as Mario Kart and Minecraft. They can teach us just as much as we can teach them in some aspects of education. Along with this, we are offering our pupils lessons in which they grasp, understand and will be excited about. Stephen Reid of Immersive Minds supported this theory by stating that “Although game-based learning has had a ‘difficult history’ with teachers who may have felt threatened by children becoming more expert in technology than they are, there is no denying that such platforms offer them a way to engage the pupils in a way they understand and can relate to.”

Overall, today’s lesson provided a highly useful and exciting insight into the world of Games-Based learning. As a teacher I am impelled at the prospect of using a popular game as a stimulus and getting my pupils motivated, engaged and excited to learn around something they likely already have experience of using. Furthermore, using games in the classroom allows educators to create unique and stimulating lessons across various aspects of the curriculum whilst avoiding unnecessary repetition and maintaining pupils engagement. I look forward to enhancing my skills and putting them to good use in the classroom when I become a professional teacher.

References

Edutopia – 3 Ways to use Games-based Learning. [Online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-use-game-based-learning-matthew-farber. [First Accessed – 7th March 2018]

Future Scot – Immersive Minds. Teachers Experience Games-Based Learning at Minecraft Launch. [Online] Available at: http://futurescot.com/educators-encouraged-open-minds-possibilities-games-based-learning/. [First Accessed: 7th March 2018]

Higher Education Academy – Gamification and Games-Based Learning. [Online] Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning. [First Accessed: 7th March 2018]

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [First Accessed: 7th March 2018]

Digital Technologies- Games Based Learning with Minecraft 13/3/18

This weeks Digital Technologies lesson expanded on last weeks introduction to games-based learning. The lesson focused specifically on the benefits of using games such as Minecraft in the children and the impact of doing so on young learners. The lesson involved us firstly reviewing the benefits of using games such as Minecraft in the classroom while acknowledging a variety of opinions. The main task of the lesson involved children from a local primary school, or ‘Digital Learners’, coming to educate us on how to use Minecraft while sharing with us why they thought that using Minecraft in school was effective and necessary.

When the children arrived, we were informed that they would be teaching us how to use Minecraft. When I learned this, I was apprehensive as despite having a brief idea of what Minecraft was, I had no experience of using it and thus was nervous at the idea of being taught it by young children. After we were assigned our group the young girls begun to show us their Minecraft Harry Potter universe that they had created together as a class. It was fascinating to see excited they were when speaking about their creations and how passionate they were about Minecraft. They children were instructed while teaching us to not touch the iPads but instead instruct us with their voices, although we as a group initially struggled with this concept I was surprised by the level of patience the children had with us and how great they were at teaching us.

As a learner with no experience of using Minecraft prior to today’s lesson I struggled to navigate the game initially, despite instructions from the digital leaders I found the game was sensitive to touch and due to this I struggled to construct a building. However, after some persistence I begun to get the hang of it. In my opinion, the ‘design’ feature of the game is by far easier to navigate than the ‘survivor’ mode as in the design feature all of the materials are accessible to you from the start whereas in survival you must kill, dig and find your own materials to survive. In design, children are free to instantly create anything they wish and thus I feel this is the easiest feature to introduce in the classroom.

From the perception of a teacher in training it is understandable why integrating the use of games such as Minecraft into lessons would be beneficial. When I asked the young digital leaders in my group why they feel using games like Minecraft in the classroom would be a good thing they answered because its “engaging” and “it makes learning fun not boring”. As well as conversing with the young digital learners on the benefits of games-based learning I also spoke with their class teacher and asked how she links games like Minecraft into a lesson. She spoke about linking the games with class topic work. For example, the class topic of the children we were working with today is “Harry Potter” and the teacher links this topic work with numeracy, literacy and technology. Todays lesson can be linked with both technology and Expressive Arts curriculum outcomes:

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

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

As well as curriculum links, todays lesson educated me on the multiple benefits of using games-based learning in the classroom. In today’s society video games, such as Minecraft, are a vital part of youth culture. In 2011 Ofcom reported that around 86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children use gaming devices regularly (Ofcom 2011). Bray (2012) detailed that games-based learning has the best impact on students when it is combined with effective teaching while stating that games should not only be used as a reward in the classroom but as new resource for learning. Thus, if we as student teachers want our young learners to be fully engaged with our lessons in the classroom we must aim to use resources they know and enjoy while expanding our knowledge of gaming and technology. Beauchamp (2012 p.10) spoke on the importance of teacher’s knowledge of the games they are using in the classroom “Achieving particular educational objectives through the use of the game was more dependent upon a teacher’s knowledge of the curriculum with which they were working than it was on their ability with the game.” Therefore, it is vital that aspiring teachers like myself aim to expand my knowledge and experience of using technology and video games that would be beneficial to use in future lessons.

To conclude, after today’s lesson I now feel I have the confidence and knowledge to introduce games-based learning into future lessons. Prior to today’s lesson I wouldn’t have had the knowledge of how to integrate a game such as Minecraft into a lesson however now I feel confident that I can introduce Minecraft into a variety of curriculum lessons. I look forward to continuing to experiment with games-based learning to create engaging, interactive and educational lessons I can use for future lessons.

References:

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

Ofcom (2001). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes. [Online]. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education. [Accessed 13^th of March 2018]

Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online]. Available: https ://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 13^th of March 2018]

QR Codes and Outdoor Learning – 20th March

And so it has arrived, our final class in Digital Technologies. Today we explored and learnt about the use of QR (Quick Response) Codes and the benefits of Outdoor Learning. I have had some previous experience using QR codes but mainly through working in retail and through simple day to day tasks like shopping and using social media. I had never once considered the thought of using QR Codes in the classroom, until now. The theme of today’s lesson was to partake in an outdoor activity where we had to locate six hidden clues, answer the multiple choice questions and scan the QR code to be able to continue to the next clue. Once all the clues had been found and answered, each answer gave us a letter which in the end had to be unscrambled and the correct word made up. This word linked to a Scottish IDL topic. The purpose of using the QR Codes in this activity was designed to enhance our (and future pupils) outdoor learning experiences. This was just one example of how they could be used effectively and successfully as I and the rest of my team thoroughly enjoyed the activity.

The effectiveness of Outdoor Learning in education is outlined by Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) who state that “…it’s clear that the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college.” This was certainly evidenced today in our group’s case as we all found the task fun, rewarding and enjoyable and found working outdoors also promoted other positive factors such as learning about the environment and creating memories that will be remembered for years to come. We collated images taken from our time outdoors in an app called PicCollage. PicCollage allows for many images to be organised together in various styles in the one image and is a great way of sharing with others in order to give a quick insight into a particular event or activity.

The Curriculum for Excellence support Outdoor Learning and this too is highlighted in the 7 Design Principles:

Challenge & Enjoyment; Breadth; Coherence; Personalisation & Choice; Relevance; Progression and Depth.

“The core values of Curriculum for Excellence resonate 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…” Education Scotland (2010)

Outdoor Learning offers a variety of positive effects on both student and learner: It allows for pupils and teachers to learn and communicate in other ways that maybe hadn’t been achieved previously in a classroom setting; promotes the building of positive relationships between both peers and professionals along with enhancing self-awareness and the understanding of others. (Education Scotland 2010). Along with the aforementioned aspects of Outdoor Learning it also promotes other advantages to our young learners such as: Developing their critical thinking and problem solving skills, personal development and achievement; promotes a healthy lifestyle and can lead to lifelong recreational hobbies such as walking, cycling and swimming; provides opportunities for children to develop skills in order to assess and manage risks; promotes inclusion and equality broadly and can lead to resolution, increased feeling of self-worth and confidence along with personal achievements.

There are many areas that both Outdoor Learning and QR Code activities could be used within the curriculum including Literacy, Health and Wellbeing and Modern Languages. The activity we completed today would encompass the following experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence:

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

Through taking part in a variety of events and activities, I am learning to recognise my own skills and abilities as well as those of others. HWB 1-19a

I work on my own and with others to understand text using appropriate resources, demonstrating my
understanding by matching written words to pictures and by reconstructing the text in a logical sequence, for example. MLAN 2-08a

Upon completion of our class task, we then gathered back into the classroom to create our own activity based on the same ideas and principles of the one we had just completed. I chose to create a quiz based around the topic of Easter and was similar in format to the one we had just finished as a class. By doing so, it showed me just how easy it was to create a simple yet fun and fulfilling activity that I know children would get excited and geared up for and thus encourages their learning and enhances their experiences of education. In just 20 minutes I had created a relevant and educational activity that children would find engaging, fun and that they would certainly get excited about whilst being educational at the same time.

Overall, the use of the QR Codes in the outdoor learning activity allowed me to see yet another fantastic resource that could be utilised in many different areas of education whilst giving young learners fun and memorable educational experiences. I will certainly use this resource in the classroom as a professional and look forward to seeing my pupils reactions when they are participating and having fun outdoors. I know that they will get just as much as enjoyment and fulfilment out of a similar lesson as we did today in our last class of Digital Technologies.

So, today sees us at the end of our Digital Technologies journey with this being the last instalment of what I can only describe as being one of the most rewarding and educationally rich experiences I have had so far throughout my time at UWS. Since starting the module back in January, taking us up until now – almost at the end of March – I can honestly say that my attitude towards technology both in and outside of the classroom has changed significantly from the opinions and feelings I presented towards it at the start of Trimester 2. I have gained a wealth of knowledge, ideas and skills through undertaking this module and I am so glad that I choose it as part of my BA1 learning experience. The lessons throughout the module have evidenced to me the clear links to education and curriculum and have allowed me the opportunity to delve deeper into areas of digital technology that I may never of had the chance to do so beforehand and for that I feel grateful and rewarded. I look forward to putting the skills and knowledge I have adopted in this short space of time into practice into what I hope will be a long and successful teaching career.

References

Curriculum for Excellence: Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf. First Accessed: 21st March 2018.

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

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

Digital Technologies Reflection (Digital Technologies)

Throughout the digital technologies module, I have dramatically improved my knowledge and skill when using IT. I now have a varied knowledge on how digital technologies can be used within a classroom setting and how they benefit both the students and the teacher. I have re-analysed my own knowledge of digital technologies and I can …

Continue reading “Digital Technologies Reflection (Digital Technologies)”

I have re-analysed my own knowledge of digital technologies and I can confidently state that this module has benefitted me in many ways. I now have an understanding of how to use digital technologies when teaching children, both in the classroom and outdoors, and how to use digital technologies to enhance a lesson. I am now confident in using iPads, game based learning devices, Glow, easi-speak microphones, coding and programmable toys.

The module was fun and engaging, and has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of how to encourage children to develop their skills in technologies.

Module Overview.

Continue reading “Module Overview.”

Prior to beginning BA1 course, we were asked to choose our option modules for trimester two. I had little knowledge of what was involved within the digital technologies module however, I am so thankful that this was the module I had chosen. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself alongside this, I have learned and explored many different lessons I could use in my own practice. Through this module, I have come to realise the importance of digital technologies within Scotland’s curriculum in 2018.

Throughout this module, we fully delved into the curriculum, explored the experiences and outcomes and created our own lessons plans. I am really looking forward to using these plans within my own practice in the near future.

Before starting this module, I believed that I already had sufficient knowledge of digital technologies. However, my knowledge has increased significantly and I believe that I am now fully confident to use every device that we have explored throughout the past twelve weeks. The knowledge that I have gained will allow me to ensure that lessons I carry out will be fun, engaging and educational.

Through reading, I had come to realise that many educators display nerves and anxiety towards digital technologies and using them within the classroom. However, a main lesson that I had learned throughout this module is that you can allow the children to be the educators and teach you how to use these technologies and include these within lessons. I am so thankful to have completed this module as I believe that I can now successfully implement technologies within lessons and the children will take away learning experiences which will last a lifetime.

Digital technologies allows educators to create cross-curricular activities thus, enhancing and extending on prior learning. Overall, with the help of this module, I now understand the importance of digital technologies within the 21st century and has allowed for me to be creative when making plans for lessons.

Thank you.

Digital Technologies Week 10 (Games-based Learning with Minecraft) 13/3/18

Continuing with the subject of games-based learning, my class and I were given the privilege of being taught by primary school pupils who focused on the advantages of incorporating the game Minecraft with topic work in schools. Kinder (2013) describes Minecraft as being “a Lego style adventure game which…puts players in a randomly-generated world where they can create their own structures and contraptions out of textured cubes.” The pupils were all confident speakers on Minecraft and the benefits of integrating games with learning in the classroom. After a brief lecture, tutorial videos and pupil displays, we were given the opportunity to experience Minecraft ourselves.

The pupils proudly showed us the various worlds they had put time and effort into creating based around the theme of Harry Potter. They could effortlessly demonstrate how to explore, build and edit their creations whilst interacting with other online friends. This, to me, conveyed their confidence with the topic and displayed how frequently they chose to engage with the game. It was interesting to observe the pupils learning through gaming, using their communication skills and being fluent with Minecraft. Although they could easily answer any questions my class and I pondered over, I was reluctant nonetheless to attempt the game myself due to lack of prior knowledge. I panicked when informed that we would be practising using Minecraft by editing aspects of the world the pupils had created and I do not doubt that they were nervous about this too! However, I was glad we would be working in groups with the assistance of our pupil teachers. In this lesson I was informed that “Minecraft is a worldwide phenomenon. Since it was first released back in 2011, it’s been taken to the hearts of thousands and thousands of gamers” (How to do Everything in Minecraft, 2014, p.3) therefore I was intrigued to attempt it.

Beauchamp (2012) states that some of the many types of skills that have the potential to be developed by ICT games are negotiating skills, strategic thinking and group-decision making (Beauchamp, 2012, p.10). As a learner, it was evident throughout that I was also required to use planning, problem solving, communication and creativity skills as my group and I discussed possible options for buildings and whether we all agreed or were going to compromise. The pupils agreed that these skills were developed as a result of playing Minecraft. My group, the pupils and I decided that we wanted to create a pet shop for our first experience of Minecraft. We explored our options and decided on what bricks we wanted for the walls, what glass for windows, colours for carpets and the animals we wanted to buy. We faced complications such as lack of room, certain animals having to be specific distances apart and accidentally deleting floor tiles! Bray (2012) states that Games-based Learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching and the pupils seemed to agree with this as they informed us that although it was enjoyable, in their opinion, it was also an important part of education.

The teacher stated that it helps across the curriculum in many aspects. I researched the Curriculum for Excellence outcomes and these are a few of the many that fitted in with what I had witnessed this session:

I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models. TCH 2-09a
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
When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can exchange information, experiences, explanations, ideas and opinions, and clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more. LIT 1-09a

(Scottish Government, 2008)

Overall, this was a challenging and rewarding session. Although I had no prior knowledge or experience with Minecraft, the aid of tutorial videos and passionate explanations from the pupils helped me learn relatively quickly and see results. My lack of knowledge could have led me to not attempting this new skill and deciding that it would not be featured in my future lessons, however I was not willing to let my low confidence levels impact the experience of my future pupils. It is known that teacher confidence can be a hindrance to pupils’ opportunities to use digital technology in classrooms. Ofcom states the use of computer games, particularly console games, is firmly embedded in 21st century youth culture. As a result, I believe children should be prepared and encouraged to learn more about this significant part of the world they live in and have the opportunity to teach their teachers also like the pupils this week got the chance to and loved. As a student teacher, I am now more than willing to involve games such as Minecraft into future lessons and connect it to their current topic work and I am very glad to have had the opportunity to be taught this skill by pupils.

References:
Kinder, L. (2013). What is Minecraft?. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/10330606/What-is-Minecraft.html
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online] https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education
MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft
Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf

Final Blog – Module Overview

Through taking part in the Digital Technologies module, it has been not only enjoyable but has also enabled me to realise that the use of technology has a massive impact on teaching within the 21st century. I am pleased that I had chosen this module as part of my Trimester 2 within the BA Education …

Continue reading “Final Blog – Module Overview”

I am pleased that I had chosen this module as part of my Trimester 2 within the BA Education course, as I have gotten the chance to become educated upon the various uses of technology within a teacher’s lesson planning, construction of ideas and classroom experiences in an appropriate manner.

Through growing up within both the world of technology and experiencing the Curriculum for Excellence at first hand, I have realised that the digital skills and opportunities I have learned throughout growing up and in addition to this module can make myself as an educator stand out and create lessons which are different and engaging. In addition, the learning experience from children will be modern and exciting with emphasis on technology, which differed from what my school learning experience was like.

Technology was always a subject that was never confidently carried out in the classroom, but now I think that with the learned impact that it has on a child’s development of many different skills, us as educators should be confident in our own abilities with regards to technology and through practice we should demonstrate it more within our classroom and children’s experiences.

I now know and understand that digital technology can be usd in a variety of ways in order to make links between all aspects of the Curriculum for Excellence. Whether it be through Art, Music, Science, Social studies and many more. Along the course of this module there have been many different ideas given to us for ways in which we can use technology to cover aspects of the Curriculum. I will definitely be encouraging future BA1 students to choose this module as it has widened my technology skills and developed my creativity with regards to thinking about different lessons to carry out.

Thank you!