3.1 Teaching and Learning – Page 5

Digital Technology – Week 7 – Animation- 20/02/18

In today’s lesson we were learning about animation. I have had hardly any experience with animation, apart from seeing it in the cinema, and so today’s lesson was very interesting and informative for me. By exploring the Moving Image Education website I discovered there are 5 different types of animation: Cutout One of the quickest […]

Cutout
One of the quickest and easiest ways of creating animation

Stop-Motion Model
Plasticine animation and a whole lot more

Pixillation
A pretty immediate form of animation, where humans become the puppets

Drawn

A classic form of animation-such as many original Disney animations

Computer

Also known as CGI which is found in many games and movies

(Moving Image Education)

Before we went on to create our iStop animations we first looked at another app called Puppet Pals which helped to show us a basic animation app and how the different features worked. Using this app we were asked to create a short animation based on a classic fairy tale. It had to have voice recordings, movement from the characters and also have a structured beginning, middle and end. This short introduction to animation made me realise how even a simple one like that could look really good when completed.

The animation type we explored today was stop motion on the iPad. Initially I was a bit apprehensive as I don’t really consider myself to be a very arty person, and so I was worried that my background would look terrible. I was also a bit unsure of how to use iStop Motion as I had never seen it before. However, as with previous weeks, the tutorial videos were extremely helpful and made it quite easy to fix my mistakes. Jarvis (2015, p89) says that animation is “the stringing together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move.” Once I got the hang of this, I saw that it was easy to manipulate the characters in my story to do what I wanted.

The actual programme itself I found really interesting and also it was quite easy to use. I was working individually for this lesson, and I think that made it difficult to line up my animation in subsequent frames. Despite this, I think mine turned out well and I had a great time making it. I based my animation on King Kong at the Empire State Building (although I called mine the Emily State Building), fighting the army. Although it was a very simple idea, it took a lot of work to make the background and then to manage to get the characters to move the way I wanted them to.

As a teacher I think that this type of animation lesson is important as ICT allows pupils to ”achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.54) I think that this was definitely true today as this type of animation is so unique, I can’t imagine how else one could make something like this. It is also really useful for those pupils who may struggle with lessons normally as it is far more creative. As Beauchamp (2012, p55) states, “e-Inclusion aims to use digital technologies to minimise the problems that pupils with learning difficulties experience.”

The CfE Experiences and Outcomes that I think linked to today’s lesson are:

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

I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to create texts of my choice. LIT 1-01a/2-01b

I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts and I use what I learn to invent my own, sharing these with others in imaginative ways. LIT 0-09b / LIT 0-31a

References

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

Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom: A Very practical Guide for Teachers and Lecturers. Routledge.

Moving Image Education website: Animation [Online] [Accessed 9th April] Available: https ://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence Available online at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed: 9th April 2018]

Digital Technology – Week 6 – iMovie – 13/02/18

Today in digital Technology we were creating our own iMovie. The movie was to be about helping to inform children about how to be safe online. The idea was to try and make it relevant to children’s lives today. As Beauchamp (2012, p58) states, “Most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, […]

The iMovie was either to be a movie or a trailer. The group chose to do a trailer as we felt it was more to the point. We chose to do our trailer on the Red Riding Hood story but for modern times, we called it Red Riding Hood 2018. Our idea was that Red thought that she was talking to her Granny over iMessage and she gave out her address, but it turns out that she was actually talking to the Big Bad Wolf. We felt that this was silly enough that children would enjoy watching it, but also it had an important message that they would take away with them. At the end of the video we had some advice for how to stay safe online as well as a few numbers and websites that children could visit if they were in any trouble. Beauchamp (2012, p60), states that the schools who were best prepared in terms of online safety were those in which the pupils knew what to do and who to contact when things went wrong.

Using iMovie was a bit confusing for the group at first. We struggled to understand what it was wanting us to do in certain parts, but after watching the tutorials and having a go ourselves, we managed to create the movie.

I think that using this as a lesson would be very beneficial as it is fun and interactive. Pupils could be really creative and think outside the box when creating their movie, and it would really get them thinking about the issue of online safety and how they think it would be best highlighted. By doing this in their own way they will learn more and hopefully take more on board and be safer online themselves. As Porter (2004, p35) says, “The digital environment provides a unique opportunity to empower people of all ages to manipulate, combine and distribute their self-expressions as living stories that can be sent into the world and through time.”

The Experiences and Outcomes that I think linked to this lesson are:

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

I know and can demonstrate how to keep myself and others safe and how to respond in a range of emergency situations. HWB 0-17a / HWB 1-17a / HWB 2-17a / HWB 3-17a / HWB 4-17a

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

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

I 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

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

I know that there are an awful lot of outcomes listed here but I felt that they were all relevant and appropriate to what the lesson was about, as it did cover a lot of curricular areas.

References

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

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

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 Technologies Week 6 – Movie Making

Prior to this input I had never used movie making software. I was surprised both by how simple it was to use the iMovie app on the iPad, and by the versatility presented by the medium. I would have never thought to link movie making to online safety before this input. Personally, I grew up … Continue reading “Digital Technologies Week 6 – Movie Making”

Prior to this input I had never used movie making software. I was surprised both by how simple it was to use the iMovie app on the iPad, and by the versatility presented by the medium.

I would have never thought to link movie making to online safety before this input. Personally, I grew up in a time where it felt as though the adults around me were quite militant about not speaking to anybody online. It was accepted as something inherently dangerous and in my own group of friends it led to hiding online activities so that we were allowed the freedom to socialise online.

For this activity, my partner and I created a cautionary tale about a princess who speaks to someone online who is not who they appear to be when she goes to meet them. We had fun creating our film and it struck me while creating the movie that it would be a good way to introduce the subject of online safety with an element of levity. Getting students to create a film like this could incorporate a number of Technology Outcomes within the Curriculum for Excellence across stages:

I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-01a
I can extend and enhance my knowledge of digital technologies to collect, analyse ideas, relevant information and organise these in an appropriate way. TCH 2-01a
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 can explore online communities demonstrating an understanding of responsible digital behaviour and I’m aware of how to keep myself safe and secure. TCH 2-03a

Porter (2004, p.35) states that “the digital environment provides a unique opportunity to empower people of all ages to manipulate, combine and distribute their self-expressions as living stories that can be sent into the world and through time.” In addition to this, the Scottish Government (2015) states that “there is conclusive evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can, where effectively used, raise the speed and depth of learning in science and mathematics for primary and secondary learners.” After telling a story through the medium of film using the iMovie app, I am convinced of the usefulness of movie-making in the classroom as a way to enhance literacy and wellbeing lessons while also developing practical skills in Technologies which are valuable to the next generation.

An activity like this would be a useful way to start a conversation about how children should immediately tell an adult if anything is making them uncomfortable online. Beauchamp (2012, p.60) states that “the schools most successful in online safety were those who informed students on what to do if things went wrong.” If talking about the risks surrounding social networking is normalised in the classroom, I believe students in the classroom will be more likely to inform an adult and seek help – rather than assuming they will be given into trouble, like my peers and I when social networking was in its infancy.

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.

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: 01.04.18]

Digital Technology – Week 3 – ActivInspire- 23/01/18

Today’s lesson was on multimodal presentations and how these can enhance teaching and learning within the classroom. During today’s lesson we talked about the different ways that multimodal texts impact the children in a positive way. Because it is more interactive, it encourages engagement and enjoyment and also the children can personalise it to their interests when using it. It helps the children to understand what they are being taught as they are having fun while learning “The multimodality of technology…allows teachers to present an idea in a variety of different ways to help pupils understand it.” Beauchamp (2012, p.8).

A text can be described as being multimodal if it combines two or more of the semiotic systems, these are:

Linguistic
Visual
Audio
Gestural
Spatial

There are many ways in which we can create a multimodal text but today we were focusing on learning to use ActivInspire. I think that ActivInspire is somewhat similar to PowerPoint although it has a lot more features and I personally found it more fun to use. Because of the similarities I found it relatively easy to use, and the tutorial videos definitely helped. I did struggle a couple of times as it was an entirely new programme to me, but by looking over the tutorials and asking peers I managed to create my own ActivInspire. It was aimed to teach children the animals in Spanish. It was a fairly simple design but would have been a great interactive tool for the children. My presentation had sliding bars hiding the Spanish name of the animal, and so if I were to use a smartboard the children would have a real hands on experience, which according to Prandstatter, (2014) help children to learn “by doing.”

The Curriculum for Excellence Outcomes I feel work best for this lesson are:

Through a variety of media, I am
developing an awareness of
social, cultural and geographical
aspects of locations in a country
where the language I am
learning is spoken.
MLAN 1-06

I am beginning to explore
similarities and differences
between sound patterns in
different languages through
play, rhymes, songs and
discussion.
MLAN 1-07a

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

I also think that there are many more Experiences and Outcomes that could be linked to using multimodal texts, not just that of language.

I think that the use of interactive multimodal texts could be used for many other aspects of the curriculum, but that it is becoming more relevant within Literacy and English. “The Literacy and English framework reflects the increased use of multimodal texts, digital communication, social networking and the other forms of electronic communication encountered by children and young people in their every day lives” (Scottish Executive, 2004).

Children nowadays are growing up with a vast knowledge of technology and how to use it. I therefore think that it is important that this is reflected in what they are taught at school as it can help to engage the children as they are more interested in how the lesson is being taught to them. Although I do think that using technology in the class is important, it is not always appropriate and so we have to be able to make decisions on where it would work best. Also, we as teachers have the responsibility to be able to accurately teach the technology aspect to the children, to be confident in our own technological abilities. As Beauchamp (2012, P100) discusses; “The ability to present ideas in a variety of ways can help to structure new experiences but only if you as the teacher have sufficient understanding on the area yourself”.

References

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

Prandstatter, J (2014) Interactive displays in early year classes [Online] Available at: http://connectlearningtoday.com/interactive-displays-early-years-classes/ [Accessed: 29 January 2018]

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

Digital Technologies – Week 8 – Mobile Devices – 27/02/18

Today’s lesson was on mobile devices and their uses within the classroom. The Telegraph (2014) ran an article in which Drew Buddie, from the association for the UK’s education technology community, stated “The use of mobile digital technologies in the classroom might be largely unfamiliar to parents, but the benefits can be huge.” He went on to say that the introduction of technology is not about just transferring the old lessons onto a screen, but about “allowing pupils to make use of their devices to truly enhance their learning while giving teachers better ways to track individual achievement and personalise lessons.” Furthermore, Teaching Times released an article entitled ‘Games consoles benefit children’s education’ that supported the idea that mobile devices should be used in the primary classroom. While the article stated that most schools said that internet access at home and at school was the most beneficial technology for children, it also identified that “three quarters identify home access to educational games consoles like Nintendo DS as being helpful to children’s educational development.” (Teaching Times,2008).

There are multiple benefits of introducing mobile technologies into the primary classroom. It was detailed that mobile technologies “increases motivation and engagement with learning.” and that using technology in the classroom “reaches places traditional learning cannot.” (Beauchamp 2012 p.91).

Our main lesson today was focused on I Am poems. The poem began with I Am…, then the next sentence was I Wonder…, then I Hear… etc. We were to fill in the gaps with our own words. I chose to go for a personal one, although I know others made theirs funny, or to do with teaching. A few of mine were:

“I am tired and hungry.”

“I worry about my dad.”

“I see a river flowing.”

After writing my poem I then had to transfer it to a PowerPoint and find pictures to correspond to each line. After that I recorded myself with an easy speak microphone and uploaded the spoken poem to the slides. It was a really interesting lesson and I can see how it would be very engaging to teach to children as well, as they could make it highly personalised and be very creative.

I found the easy speak microphones fun and easy to use and I enjoyed creating my PowerPoint. I did feel that it took a long time to do everything, especially uploading the recordings to the slides. However if I was teaching this it would be done over the space of a few lessons so that the children had enough time and so didn’t start to get bored and disengage. Overall, I do think I would enjoy using the easy speak microphones again, particularly as a student teacher in future lessons.

The CfE Outcomes I identified for today’s lesson are:

I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to create texts of my choice. LIT 1-01a / LIT 2-01a

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

References

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

Curtis, S (2014). Digital learning: how technology is reshaping teaching. The Telegraph [Online]. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html. [Accessed: 9th^th April]

Teaching Times (2008) Games consoles benefit children’s education. Teaching Times [ Online]. Available: https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm. [Accessed 9th April]

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence Available online at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed: 9th April 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

Personal Reflection of Digital Technologies – Outdoor Learning 20/03/18

Today was the last session of digital technologies. We took part in an outdoor learning session. Within the session we used two apps; Pic Collage and QR code scanner. I have previously used Pic Collage and I am comfortable using the app although, I have not used QR code scanner before. I feel sad that it was the last session because I have thoroughly enjoyed learning how to use different technologies within the Curriculum.

“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 and Teaching Scotland 2010). This shows that when children are outdoors they are still learning within the curriculum along with it being a memorable experience of school. This is because they are not within the same environment as they are every day.

Education Scotland (2010) states “the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college.” I think that this is effective because as a group of adults we found that outdoor learning was exciting and we enjoyed being outside of a classroom situation.

Outdoor learning encourages inclusion for those with skills that are not always visible when they are in a classroom setting. Outdoor learning can change children’s perception when they are outdoors as they may come across a place that they may not have been before. Outdoor learning encourages a healthy lifestyle as the children could be hill walking, cycling or skiing. Outdoor learning is positive as it encourages children’s personal development skills through communication, problem solving and working with others. Outdoor learning also enables children to manage their health and safety assessing risks and develop their skills with health and safety. Outdoor learning also encourages children to make links to their curriculum.

“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).

Education Scotland (2010) also states that outdoor learning allows pupils and staff to see each other within a different environment that can improve one’s self awareness and understanding of others. It can also build positive relationships between staff and pupils.

“The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 is about improving the well-being of children and young people in Scotland. The Act is wide ranging and includes key parts of the Getting it right for Every Child, commonly known as GIRFEC” (Scottish Government 2017). At the centre of the Scottish Governemnts GIRFEC approach is the well-being wheel with eight indicators that make the name SHANARRI. SHANARRI stands for Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurture, Achieving, Responsible, Respect and Included. During the session we worked in pairs to discuss how Outdoor learning links to the eight aspects. The ideas we came up with were; When children are out with a classroom they are still achieving outcomes of the curriculum and learning how to be responsible when they are outside. They are also included, keeping themselves safe when assessing risks, along with being active and healthy if the children are out walking to places and doing other activities. The children are also gaining respect for the environment and people around them. They are respecting the teacher for allowing them to have responsibility of their own safety and learning. This shows that outdoor learning achieves most of the eight aspects.

We explored the Pic Collage app. To explore we picked a topic that could be summarised. My partner and I took pictures around the university campus grounds and we were able to transfer them to pic collage change the effect of them and put them into a grid so that they were all positioned. My partner and I had both previously used pic collage and found it easy to use and known how to work it.

We explored QR Code Scanner app we found out that QR – means Quick Response, ›a QR Code is an ‘image-based hypertext link’, they are a type of two-dimensional barcode. ›A QR code – can store 7089 numbers and a QR code 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. Your generated QR code can be placed anywhere – printed, embedded. We hunted for barcodes that were situated around the campus grounds. When we scanned the barcode a question appeared based on a Social Studies topic around Scotland. When answering the questions you had a letter next to the two options and then with the right answers you had to create word out of the letter next to it. This was an exciting task as every one in the class wanted to become first at achieving the word. We figured it out and then scanned the last barcode and it told us the correct answer. My group were the first to come up with the word HAGGIS.

I had the opportunity to create my own task to use with QR Reader. I created my own barcodes with questions related to money for first level students. The children are given questions involving an item that is a specific price and the children are given an amount that they have. Then they have to work out what change that they would receive back. I linked this to an outcome from both technology and numeracy. The numeracy outcome I linked it to was; “I can use money to pay for items and can work out how much change I should receive” MNU 1-09a (Education Scotland 2004). The technology outcome I linked it to 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).

Money BA1 Digital Tech

I thought that the QR Reader app was easy to use and is a useful resource to take on as a student teacher. I would recommend the app as it is quick and easy to use and does not take long to create the barcodes to create an activity. It can also be used across the curriculum for a range of subjects involving the 7 Design Principles of the Curriculum for Excellence.

I think that the use of outdoor learning is positive because it enables children to explore outdoors in a different way whilst learning at the same time. Outdoor learning allows children to feel included and be responsible when outdoors as they are out of the controlled environment that they are normally in. I think that uses of apps such as pic collage and QR code scanner can encourage learning in different ways when pupils are creating treasure hunts for their peers. It also develops children’s imagination when thinking of the clues to give their peers. It enhances problem solving and group work along with children’s conversation skills of when to talk and when to listen.

Throughout todays session of outdoor learning I think that I will involve it in my future career because it is active for the children and achieves majority of the 7 principles within the curriculum for excellence. It also links across the curriculum. Outdoor learning is a beneficial tool that will encourage children to learn in a different way.

Overall throughout Digital Technologies my knowledge has increased with the use of technology and its uses within the classroom. I always thought that the use of technology within a classroom would be using a computer to type up pupils literacy/language work or playing a range of games to assist their mathematics. I have found that their is more technology that could be used across the curriculum that would also link with other subjects such as; gaming, beebot and use of mobile devices, with I would never have thought devices like these could be involved within education. I have enjoyed my time working within Digital Technologies and definetly have developed plans for future lessons when I become a teacher. I also realised that teachers do not need to be highly skilled when using technology because if the technology being used is relevant to the children they will be able to show teachers how to work it.

References

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 20th March]

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

Scottish Government (2017) Getting it Right – Well-being Wheel (SHANARRI Wheel) [Online] http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/wellbeing [Accessed on 20th March]

Personal Reflection Game Based Learning with MineCraft –

Todays session was around games based learning with Minecraft. Minecraft is an online game that many children play. It is a creativity game where they can build and create a range of buildings with a range of different materials. “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. (Mag Book 2014, pg. 3)”. Children came in from a local primary school to show us how to work Minecraft and then we were able to explore it for ourselves. I had previous experience of playing Minecraft on a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox so using it on an iPad was a different experience within itself although I knew how the game worked.

Ofcom Report (2011) states that “gaming is hugely popular in the UK with almost 86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children using gaming devices regularly.” This shows that children regularly play games almost every day. Encouraging gaming within their education could make learning more exciting along with teachers learning from the children because most of the pupils in the classroom would have played the games that teachers introduce.

Bray (2012) states that “Games-based Learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching.” As I learned last week a simple game like guitar hero or Mario Kart can influence a range of areas within the curriculum. Bray (2012) also states that in a classroom setting, games should not just be used as rewards or for entertainment but as a whole new approach to learning. Games based learning can bring relevance to what children play outside of a learning environment and can encourage a range of ideas to benefit their learning.

“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” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.10). This shows that teachers do not need to know how to use the game but need to have knowledge of learning outcomes from the curriculum to relate to the game. Beauchamp (2012) also states that the type of skills that could be developed by ICT games are: Strategic Thinking, Planning, Communication, Application of numbers, Negotiating Skills, Group decision-making and Data Handling Skills (Beauchamp, 2012, p.10). Gaming helps children’s interaction skills as well as developing their skills within other areas.

We had a chance to explore Minecraft with two primary six children. We used one of the pupils iPads and saw the different worlds that they have created throughout school and at home. It amazed me how the pupils used the iPad really quickly and easily. Throughout the tutorial with the children we were able to ask them a range of questions regarding the use of Minecraft.

The children then handed over the iPads to us and it felt like a new experience completely. We were allowed to ask the pupils for help but they were not able to touch the iPad and only use their mouths to tell us what to do. I could see that the pupils were tempted to take the iPad from us and show us how to do it but they had to stop themselves. I think personally that it was a great experience learning from the pupils because they are involved in games when they are at home and they knew more about Minecraft than what our group did. The pupils were within the role of the teacher and had to allow us to figure it out. I thought that allowing them to teach us is a useful idea because they are more confident when using the game than what we were.

Within the Curriculum for Excellence games based learning with Minecraft links with a range of areas I chose two outcomes one from literacy and one from technology. The literacy outcome I chose was “When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value others’ contributions and use these to build on thinking (LIT 2-02a)” (Education Scotland 2004) . I chose this outcome because with games based learning children are interacting with their peers and can respond to others if they are unsure of a certain part of the game and be able to help each other, but also helping and interacting with the teacher. The technology outcome I chose was “I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance leaning in different contexts (TCH 1-01a)” (Education Scotland 2004). I chose this because the children are exploring the use of technology but using it to enhance their learning in different ways.

I think that the use of games like Minecraft in the classroom is useful because it makes learning fun and interactive. As a developing student teacher I definetly would bring a game like Minecraft into the classroom because I could choose a topic such as; Ancient Greece, Rome or Harry Potter and allow the children to use Minecraft to create the buildings within the topic. Also the children creating their own imaginative stories and then build their story within Minecraft. It allows children to talk to each other, help each other and be learning at the same time. Another benefit of using Minecraft is that it can link across the curriculum. It also allows teachers to learn about games that children play at home and brings relevance into the learning environment. The teacher doesn’t need to be confident with a game to link it into the curriculum. The teacher can let the children take over and show them what to do.

References

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 [Accessed 13th March 2018]

MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft

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

Games Based Learning – Minecraft

Games-Based Learning can be used in the classroom for many different curricular areas. “The production of a video game makes a powerful cross-curricula project. (Bray, 2012) Today’s focus was Minecraft. Minecraft for example, could be used to develop literacy, mathematics and many more areas of the curriculum. A CfE Experience and Outcome could be selected and the children would use Minecraft as a stimulus for their writing. Ofcom Report (2011) states that gaming is hugely popular in the UK with almost 86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children using gaming devices regularly. This suggests that games should be used in the classroom to enhance learning.

Today during Digital Technologies, we had pupils from a local primary school in to teach us about Minecraft. Initially, the children demonstrated on their tablets what they have made and how they made it. They also showed us what we could make using Minecraft on a basic level. They then gave us the opportunity to try out the app as they assisted us. They gave us verbal support to ensure we did as much work on our own as possible. We created the 3 Broomsticks from Harry Potter.

Beauchamp (2012) states that the type of skills that could be developed by ICT games are:

Strategic Thinking
Planning
Communication
Application of numbers
Negotiating Skills
Group decision-making
Data Handling Skills.

Watching and learning from the children allowed me to observe how these skills are developed and I then began to develop these skills when I took over the designing process. We had to think about where we were placing bricks and what kind of bricks we were selecting. We also had to communicate with each other to learn more about what we could create and much more.

Personally, as a teacher, I believe that using tools such as Minecraft in the classroom would be both beneficial to the pupils and the teacher. It allows for pupil and teacher-led learning as well as allowing pupils to be creative and work either on their own or as part of a group. The children explained to us that you can join networks together and many people can work and create in one world together; this allows for the children to work and learn collaboratively.

REFERENCES

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

Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online] Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 13.03.18]

Ofcom (2001), Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes [Online] Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 13.03.18]