Tag: Digital Technologies

Today’s lesson was focused on Game-based learning with Minecraft, from this I have been able to identify how Game-based Learning can be used in the classroom, and the huge amount of skills that can be developed from it.  Having had no previous experience of Minecraft I was a bit apprehensive at first, however I thoroughly enjoyed Digital Leaders from a local primary school coming in to show us what they have been working on in school on Minecraft.  After seeing the amazing creations they have made and them explaining how to work it to us, we then went on to making our own.

I believe it is essential for me to be confident when using technology in the future with children, as if I am confident, they will get more from their lessons.  I think it is also very important that I stay up to date with the latest games that could be used within a classroom, as children will be more engaged and interested if they are working with games that they play on at home. (Beauchamp, 2012, p9) states that “…Children spend most of their time on games not found in schools” – From personal experience I believe this is true, however as a student teacher I am going to work to the best of my ability to ensure that the children I am teaching can make strong connections with both their home life and their education; as I believe this is when children work best.  (Ofcom, 2011) state that “86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children using gaming devices regularly”, this also backing up the idea that games are such a big part of children’s lives, therefore, they should be incorporated within all areas of the curriculum when necessary.  After today I am fully aware that games being given to children as a reward is not a positive thing, instead, technology should always be incorporated within the curriculum (Bray, 2012). (Beauchamp, 2012) states that the types 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.  All of these different skills explain how important it is that games such as Minecraft are used in education, so that children can have “fun whilst learning”, as one of the pupils we were working with today said technology brings.

When the children came in to show us what they had been creating on Minecraft I was shocked at how much time and effort they had put into it to make sure they had covered the smallest details – from windows, to doors, and many other objects.  Along with this and the fact that they do this in their lunch time as a club shows how much the children enjoy using games within their school.  They have recently been working on a Harry Potter theme, which meant all the buildings and objects within it was related to this.  This showed us as student teachers that anything can be incorporated into games such as Minecraft, and the teacher of this class also stated that they have used it for many other things such as class topics and as a stimulus for creative writing.  Below are a few examples of Curriculum for Excellence outcomes and experiences that using games within a classroom fits into:

I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models. – TCH 2-09a

When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value other’s contributions and use these to build on thinking. – LIT 2-02a

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

After the children showed us how to work Minecraft, we then tried for ourselves to create something.  We made a room and made it into a book shop, which had a glass top roof, a corner sofa, book shelves and other different objects.  Although it was difficult to work at first due to the position of the screen and squares appearing on the ground when I wanted to get rid of a block, it was more rewarding that anything else! The difficulty did not lead to frustration as we were having that much fun trying to work it out, that we fully turned into the learners while the pupils told us what to do when we needed help.  Not only was this a great experience for us as student teachers, but also for the children for their hard work and skills within this game to be acknowledged.  When working with the children we asked them what they enjoy most about Minecraft and they all stated that it allows them to work together as part of a team, this therefore setting them up for further education and jobs in the future.  I also thought it was a really good idea that at certain times the children got assigned roles, this teaching them leadership skills and motivating them to work the best they can as everyone in the club was working on the same creation/world.

Therefore, todays lesson has showed me that it is also very important for teachers to learn from pupils to be able to communicate with them fully and for everyone’s skill set to be improved upon.  Every week within Digital Technologies my confidence working with technology and games is increasing, due to the hands-on activities we carry out.  Working with children this week was especially beneficial as I loved being taught how to work Minecraft, and they loved teaching us how to work it.  Therefore, it was an extremely beneficial morning for everyone involved.

 

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to 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 March 2018]

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

In today’s session we focused on finding out more about using games to develop learning. It has a lot of benefits as through using digital games to support learning it increases the children’s attention span and makes it more engaging. It gives the children an opportunity to play and have fun while still developing crucial skills from the curriculum. It helps with developing children’s team-working skills as well as their ability to concur problem solving. (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

‘Theorists Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky have argued that play is a crucial component of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood’ (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

Games based learning is another source like movies, books and digital technology that when used correctly, has a great advantage for the children in their learning. Games can also be easily incorporated through-out the curriculum and most activities (Matthew Farber, 2016)

‘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’ (Stephen Reid, 2016)

A challenge that might arise is using a suitable game to target all the needs so that it isn’t a waste of time (Stephen Reid, 2016).

In groups we created a mind-map based on Mario Kart and what lessons you could do with the game to target several experiences and outcomes, this is what we came up with;

• Literacy-
• Pupils can write own storyline, this will explore punctuation and grammar as well as developing their creative skills.
• Pupils can describe their Mario character.
• Experience and outcome:

  I can use my notes and other types of writing to help me understand information and ideas, explore problems, make decisions, generate and develop ideas or create new text.I recognise the need to acknowledge my sources and can do this appropriately. LIT 2-25a

• Maths-
• Pupils can make price lists for tickets and merchandise for the Mario Kart event
• Decide on promotion deals, this would target money work
• Calculate if they made a profit of the event
• Experience and Outcome:

  I can use the terms profit and loss in buying and selling activities and can make simple calculations for this. MNU 2-09c

• Art-
• Pupils can design their character, kart, tickets and merchandise.
• Experiences and outcomes: I can create and present work that shows developing skill in using the visual elements and concepts. EXA 2-03a,
• Through observing and recording from my experiences across the curriculum, I can create images and objects which show my awareness and recognition of detail. EXA 2-04a

 

• Music-
• Re-create  the Mario Kart theme song and make their own version
• Make their own sound effects
• Experiences and Outcomes:

  I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation. EXA 2-16a

Through my own use of the game I found that there is so many ways you can incorporate games into learning, I believe it is a lot more fun and interesting that the usual way of teaching and could be a great tool to use in the classroom to aid learning even children with ASN.

References-

Higher Education Academy (2017) Gamification and Games-Based Learning [online] https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning [Accessed-6.3.18]

Matthew Farber (2016) Three ways to use game based learning [online] https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-use-game-based-learning-matthew-farber [Accessed-6.3.18]

Stephen Reid (2016) Teachers Experience Games-Based Learning at Minecraft Launch [online] http://futurescot.com/educators-encouraged-open-minds-possibilities-games-based-learning/  [Accessed- 6.3.18]

 

The British Education Suppliers Association (BESA)  believe that schools rely on mobile devices as useful and crucial tool within younger children. Through their research they found that 406 schools acknowledge internet availability at both school and home to be the most useful technology. 75% of teachers also believe that game consoles are beneficial for child development. Ray Barker for BESA stated that the belief to use of mobile phones by young children at home is split between teachers. 39% believe children should have no access to smartphones while 29% think it would be the best option. Up to 69% of pupils would rather use iPads within the classroom an d at home but only 4% of schools supply them. Most schools believe that children use at home laptops and PCs to do online homework (as 64% of schools give homework that can only be done on a computer) and entertainment (Teaching Times,2008)

A large variety of technology is used by children some include; Amazon fire stick, computers, camera’s, Nintendo’s, iPad’s, iPod’s, laptops, mobile phones, Wii and X-box. (Children’s Parliament, 2016)

‘The use of mobile digital technologies in the classroom might be largely unfamiliar to parents, but the benefits can be huge’, stated Drew Buddie, senior vice chair at Naace, he association for the UK’s education technology community ( The Telegraph, 2014)

Today in class we wrote an ‘I am’ poem and recored ourselves reading it using a speaker, we then made a powerpoint presentation based on it. I had a lot of fun working on my partner on this so I can only imagine how much the children would enjoy the task. It was creative but still involved a lot of teaching for the pupils. I think this is a great resource to use in the classroom and hope to try out this lesson in my 2nd year placement!

References-

Children’s Parliament (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The View’s of Children
[Online] http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed-1.3.18]

Teaching Times (2008) Games Consoles Benefit Children’s Education [online] https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm [Accessed-1.3.18]

The Telegraph (2014) Digital Learning: how technology is reshaping teaching [online] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed-1.3.18]

Today we had the opportunity to explore the use of animation within the classroom. ICT let’s pupils explore a large range of possibilities that would not be possible without it. ICT is used and incorporated throughout the curriculum and subjects, also children don’t divide their learning into sections but rather see it as one area. E-inclusion has the ability to improve the experience of learning through the use of digital technology for ASN children. (Beauchamp, 2012). Beauchamp (2012) also states that due to the increasing use of ICT in pupils within the school in their daily lives, it should also be used for them to play with.

‘Although teachers may be worried by new technologies… we need to be sure that this is not transmitted to young children, or that other obstacles are not put in the way of their natural curiosity and willingness to explore new technologies’ (Beauchamp, 2012, p.66).

Animation is beneficial in the following three ways:

1. To develop the visual awareness of the learners
2. To show the process of something
3. To make the learning interesting and interactive

Although animation (the visuals and sound) help to further emphasise what is taught and has a positive impact on how the children handle information it can take up more time to teach the children. Animation is when a large number of images are played one after the other to give the impression of movement (Jarvis, 2015).

The 5 types of animation  are-

1. Cutout: simple and fast
2. Stop-motion: large variety of materials can be used such as clay
3. Pixilation- people are recorded
4. Drawn- most Disney films are made with this method
5. Computer- movies and games are made this way (Moving Image Education).

Through my own experience of stop motion I found that it was a really easy and quick way to create my own story, I noticed I used my literacy and art skills and I drew them on paper therefore I think this can be a really engaging and interesting way to reinforce these subjects. If used well I believe that this can be a very useful tool and can be open in an app on an iPad which is also usually easily accessible in schools.

 

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: [Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 25.2.18]

Today in Digital Technologies we focused on Game-based Learning, which is when games are used as a stimulus as they often act as a starting point for other activities to follow. In class we started by creating a mind-map to discuss why game-based learning is an effective tool to use in education.  This was very beneficial as it got me thinking of the benefits Game-based Learning has before I created an interdisciplinary plan as part of a group.  The interdisciplinary plan was focused on Mario Kart and we had to create lesson plans in different curricular areas and make links to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes.

As we created a mind-map at the start of the class on why game-based learning is an effective tool to use in education, we also went back to it at the end and wrote down more on what we had learned throughout the class (picture attached below, pink pen – start/orange pen-end).  At the start of the class we wrote down things such as it is fun, interactive and engaging.  However, by the end of the class our understanding of the benefits Game-based Learning has had been increased massively and we wrote down things such as it has a positive impact on social skills due to children being able to work together, it allows for knowledge to be reinforced, it is stress free and pleasurable and it grabs attention.  I enjoyed creating the mind-map as I find it very rewarding to look back on and see how my understanding has been developed through watching different videos, reading the power point and researching what people such as Marc Prensky say about Game-based Learning.  Along with the benefits we also looked at the challenges Game-based Learning has, such as how it is often difficult to select a suitable game to carry out.  Game-based Learning can also be seen as time consuming, and some schools may not have the resources or budget to allow it. (Learning and Teaching Scotland).  However, after looking at both sides, I fully believe that the advantages outweigh the challenges.

Marc Prensky believes that Game-based Learning makes curricular areas and lessons more motivating and engaging to children (Prensky, 2007). I agree with this fully as during today’s class we had to create a character, using the characters in Mario Kart as inspiration.  Usually I would be apprehensive about drawing but because I knew it was based around a game, I felt more at ease.  Due to this I am excited to plan lessons in the future such as creating characters to feature in a game as it allows for children to use their imagination while learning.

When we started the interdisciplinary plan I became fully aware of the wide range of lessons and curricular areas Game-based Learning fits into.  The curricular areas we focused on were Literacy, Technologies, Numeracy, Expressive Arts and Health and Wellbeing; however, many different lesson plans can be covered for all ages as we had an unlimited amount of ideas just focused around Mario Kart ranging from relatively easy to more difficult.  This is backed up by (Porter, 2004, p.35) when he states “The digital environment provides a unique opportunity to empower people of all ages”.  Some of our ideas were:

During literacy children could write a diary entry based on being in the audience and watching the different races, during this they would need to include adjectives and descriptive words about the setting.  – I can spell the most commonly-used words, using my knowledge of letter patterns and spelling rules and use resources to help me spell tricky or unfamiliar words. – LIT 1-21a

The lesson we planned for Technologies was to draw cars and other things included in Mario Kart to create an iStop Motion animation. – I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models. – TCH 2-09a

For numeracy our lesson plan was to give the children a set budget, from this they would have to work out what they can afford to repair a race car and buy to make them go faster etc. – I can manage money, compare costs from different retailers, and determine what I can afford to buy. – MNU 2-09a

The Expressive Arts lesson we planned was for the children to create their own cars to stand in by painting and decorating cardboard boxes.  After they have completed their cars they could then preform races in front of their peers.  – I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances. – EXA 0-01a / EXA 1-01a / EXA 2-01a

This Expressive Arts lesson could then lead onto a Health and Wellbeing lesson as the children could then use their cars to create roads.  This would then be a perfect opportunity to learn children about or reinforce their knowledge on road safety by creating traffic lights, crossings etc. – I know and can demonstrate how to travel safely. – HWB 0-18a / HWB 1-18a / HWB 2-18a

After learning about the wide range of benefits Game-based Learning has and how many lessons within the curriculum it fits in, I think that it is essential I am confident in carrying it out to children in future years to come.  During classes like this my confidence increases as I get to think of lesson plans and also get to enjoy carrying out activities such as creating our own characters, this making me aware that children will too!  I also try my best to keep up to latest games that come out as I know how quickly children learn to play them, therefore I hope in the future I am always aware what games may be best to use in certain lessons.  I feel as though this is important so that children’s learning in school is connected with their home life.

Overall, todays class made me aware of how important it is to carry out Game-based Learning within the classroom.  This is due to the benefits it has which I mentioned previously, along with the huge amount of lessons that can be created through one game.  I am thankful that this module is increasing my confidence in aspects such as this, as I know how much children will both enjoy and learn from lessons inspired by a game.  Therefore, if I can teach Game-based Learning to the best of my ability in the future then children will get the most out of their lessons that I plan and carry out.

References:

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

Prensky, M. (2007) Digital Game-Based Learning. United States: Paragon House.

Learning and Teaching Scotland. (2010) The impact of console games in the classroom: [online] Available: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/FUTL25/FUTL25.pdf [Accessed 6 March 2018]

 

 

This week’s digital technologies lesson concentrated on the use of mobile devices in the primary classroom. At the beginning of the lesson we were faced with the question of whether mobile devices should be used in the primary classroom or if their use should be limited to home. While contemplating the answer I read a variety of online reports and articles to expand my knowledge on the pros and cons of introducing mobile devices into a primary classroom.

To answer the question, I stated that I feel that mobile devices should be used in the primary classroom for many reasons. Firstly, The Telegraph published an article entitled ‘Digital Technologies: how technology is reshaping technology’ which detailed that “Over four out of 10 households now have a tablet, meaning that children are becoming computer-literate before they’ve even started primary school”( Telegraph 2014) in other words today’s children are so familiar and engaged with technology prior to entering education thus if mobile devices were integrated into class lessons the children are more likely to be engaged with the lesson. The article also spoke of an experiment that aimed to compare two English lessons, one lesson involved no technology while the other used a variety of technology devices. The experiment found the lesson that used no technology required more concentration and was less appealing than the lesson that used technology which was found to be more engaging.

Furthermore, Teaching Times released an article entitled ‘Games consoles benefit children’s education’ that supported the view that mobile devices should be used in the primary classroom. Despite stating that “39 per cent of educators stated that children should not have access out of school to mobile phones”, the article also included research carried out by the British Educational Suppliers Association which analysed the results and impact of pupils using mobile devices in and out of the classroom. The report found that “the majority of schools indicated internet access at home and at school as the most beneficial technology for pupils”(Teaching Times). Therefore, after revising the evidence I feel that children having access to the use of mobile devices at home and in the classroom would prove to be most beneficial for young learners.

After completing the opening task, we then progressed to the lessons main task of creating an I Am poem using an easy-speak microphone. The I Am poem began with sentences such as “I am….” Which we had to complete. My partner and I decided that we would pretend to be aliens and use our poem to provide clues to the listener of what we were. For example, we used lines such as:

“I am green and mysterious”

“I feel lonely on my little planet”

My partner and I had great fun making the PowerPoint and using the easy speak microphones and spoke about how a lesson like this would be fun and engaging to use in a classroom with the children guessing what our character might be. The lesson could be extended to the children making their own I am poems using the easy speak poems with their own mystery characters.

As a learner I found the easy speak microphones interactive and engaging to use. I enjoyed recording my voice and hearing the recording play back. Although I did find it time consuming to record each sentence individually, so the recording clips could be placed on individual PowerPoint slides. Also, after we had recorded each sentence individually myself and my partner connected the easy speak microphone to the computer to find our recordings had not saved as the microphones storage was full. As a result, we had to record each sentence again. Despite the setback we learned that before using easy speak microphones in future we should check its storage. Overall, I feel I would use easy speak microphones again particularly as a student teacher in future lessons.

As a student teacher I believe there are many benefits to using easy speak microphones as well as other mobile devices in the primary classroom. Beauchamp spoke on the multiple benefits of introducing mobile technologies into the primary classroom. It was detailed that mobile technologies “increases motivation and engagement with learning” and “reaches places traditional learning cannot” (Beauchamp 2012 p.91). After examining the multiple benefits of mobile technologies, I feel it is vital in todays society that we as student teachers aim to incorporate them into future lessons.  An article by the Telegraph revealed that almost 50% of UK teachers are not using technology in the classroom as they are unsure how to integrate its use into their class lessons. The article spoke on the importance of teachers using technology in the classroom as the government spend millions each year supplying technology to schools as it has been proven to improve learner’s education. Instructure director of schools Stephanie Blyth stated in the article, “There is clearly no lack of enthusiasm for technology among UK teachers and there is broad support for the principle that it improves learning.” (Telegraph 2015).  I feel it is vital to my practice as a student teacher that I educate myself on mobile devices and the ways I could use them in future lessons that are n line with curriculum outcomes. For instance, creating the I am poem in todays lesson is in line with both Literacy and Technology curriculum outcomes:

“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

To conclude, todays lesson informed me on the benefits of using mobile devices in the primary classroom. After my experience of using the easy speak microphones I feel I now have the experience and confidence to successfully integrate the use of mobile devices into future lessons. I look forward to continuing to experiment with mobile devices and using them with young learners as a fun and interactive resource.

 

References:

Gurney-Read, J (2015). Classroom technology ‘rarely used’ by half of teachers. The Telegraph [Online]. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12013650/Classroom-technology-barely-used-by-half-of-teachers.html. [Accessed: 27^th February 2018]

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: 27^th February 2018]

Teaching Times. Games consoles benefit children’s education. Teaching Times [ Online]. Available: https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm. [Accessed 27^th February 2018]

 

This weeks Digital Technologies lesson focused on the use of animation programmes such as ‘Puppet Pals’ and ‘Stop Motion’. Throughout the lesson we looked at the benefits of using animation programmes in the classroom as well as experimenting with animation ourselves from the perception as both the learner and as a student teacher.

The lesson begun with us working in partners and experimenting with ‘Puppet Pals’ as learners. The app allows users to create a short story involving a range of characters from fairy tales to zombies, appealing to every child’s interests. Learners can also move their characters around the screen while using their own voice recordings for their characters voice, bringing their animation to life. As a learner I found the app relatively easy to use and interesting. However, as time progressed I found my mind wandering from the app and the task and therefore I feel the app is best suited to young learners. As a student teacher I can see why young learners would find the app fun and engaging in a lesson.

After our experiment with Puppet Pals we looked closely at what animation is and why we as student teachers should incorporate its use into future lessons. Jarvis defined animation as “the stringing together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move.” (Jarvis 2015 p89). Moving Image Education stated that there are five main types of animation; cutout, stop-motion, pixilation, drawn and computer. Despite acknowledging that cutout animation is the quickest and easiest form, the next task of the lesson focused on stop-motion and the benefits of using this type of animation in the classroom. Stop motion involves the compilation of photographs taken individually with each photo showing a slight movement of the objects in the frame. When grouped together the photos create an illusion of movement.

To begin the task y partner and I discussed the potential storyline for our short Stop motion animation. We settled on the story of a house catching fire as we could use the individual photos to create the illusion of a fire spreading. Once we had settled on the storyline we began to design our background and characters and eventually began taking each individual snapshot which we would later combine to create our animation. Overall, we were very pleased with the outcome of our animation and it was rewarding to see the completed project:

 

As a learner I found Stop motion to be extremely enjoyable and engaging. Although, the animation was time consuming to construct and required a lot of determination and concentration from the learner, I feel this did not minimize the fun constructing the animation.  I found that in contrast to my experience with Puppet Pals I continued to feel engaged with Stop Motion, despite stop motion being more time consuming.

As a student teacher I feel that I would unnotably integrate the use of animation programmes such as ‘Puppet Pals’ and ‘Stop Motion’ into future lesson plans. After today’s lesson I feel I am now aware of the many benefits of using animation in a primary setting and now have the confidence to successfully construct an enjoyable and educational lesson that involves animation. Beauchamp spoke on the importance of teachers feeling confident while exploring and teaching new technologies as the teacher’s confidence and enjoyment of the lesson is mirrored by the young learners in their class. Therefore, if a teacher showcases their nerves and reluctance to explore new technologies to the children, the children will in turn be unwilling to experiment with new technologies (Beauchamp 2012). In addition, the use of animation in the classroom can be used to enhance children’s learning. Jarvis detailed that although the use of animation can be time consuming, there are many benefits to its use “Animation can have a big visual impact” (Jarvis 2015 p.90). Jarvis also included Bertrancourt’s (2005) suggested ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning; to enhance learners’ visual representations, to illustrate processes and to provide an interactive element.  Furthermore, despite belief that technologies should be kept as a separate subject from the main curriculum areas such as literacy, the use of animation and other technologies can be used to fit into a variety of curriculum outcomes. For example, the lesson we were involved in today followed both Literacy and Technology outcomes:

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

“I can explore and experiment with sketching, manually or digitally, to represent ideas in different learning contexts.” TCH 1-11a.

To conclude, after today’s lesson I feel animation programmes such as Stop Motion are a beneficial and engaging tool to use in the classroom. I feel after today’s lesson I now have the confidence and knowledge to successfully incorporate animation into future lessons and am hopeful that by doing the children’s knowledge and enjoyment of technology will continue to develop.

 

References:

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The purpose of this weeks session was to use mobile devices to create a poetry lesson for the curricular area of literacy. The mobile device that we used was the Easi-Speak microphone. Alongside this, we considered the impact of mobile devices within the classroom and we were able to read articles with regards to this topic.

Whilst carrying out reading for the subject of mobile devices, I found a statement that really grasped my attention that “over four in 10 households now have a tablet, meaning that children are becoming computer-literate before they’ve even started school”. This statement emphasises the importance of digital technologies within our classrooms, digital technologies is the future of this generation of children and teachers should be embracing this rather than holding back. The fact that children are computer-literate prior to starting school clearly shows a deep interest of digital technologies from them. Thus, if we use digital technologies to carry out lessons, most children should be very engaged. The same article also stated that the average six-year-old child may have the same knowledge of technology as a 45-year-old once again, this is clearly depicting the importance of digital technologies in a child’s everyday life (Curtis, 2014).

As we progressed on to the practical part of today’s session, we were shown Talking-Tins and Easi-Speak microphones. However, the sole focus was to learn the functions of the Easi-Speak device, use the device then successfully transfer the files into a PowerPoint presentation. We were provided with poem templates for an ‘I am’ poem, I worked alongside a partner and we decided to do the poem from the perspective of a student teacher (Attached below). We then recorded ourselves reciting the poem with the Easi-Speak microphone. We took the approach of saying one line each, the poem had 18 lines in total. The device was simplistic to use and I believe that it is child-friendly and for all ages. We then transferred the audio clips into a PowerPoint presentation and added pictures that corresponded to what we were saying.

Elise and Nicola’s I am Poem

Whilst looking at the Experiences and Outcomes, this activity had linked in with several literacy outcomes including:

References

Curtis, S. (2014) Digital Learning: how technology is reshaping teaching [Online] Available from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed: 27th February 2018].

This weeks Digital Technologies class was focused on mobile devices, this allowed me to explore how mobile devices can enhance learning.  At the beginning of the class we had to answer the question ‘should mobile devices be used in education?’ to which we had to post our responses onto a forum on Moodle.  This allowed me to read many different articles and reports, which built up my knowledge on this area before going on to create an I AM poem with a partner.  Having the opportunity to use Easi-Speak microphones and Talking Tins allowed me to think about what kind of lesson plans I could carry out in the future using these type of devices.

When answering the question ‘should mobile devices be used in education?’ I answered that, in my opinion, mobile devices should be used within education.  Children’s Parliament (2016) stated that technology and being online is a normal part of children’s day-to-day lives, therefore I feel as though children should have the opportunity to use technology within schools; this linking both their home and school life.  I feel as though mobile devices within the classroom will therefore both support and enhance children’s learning, along with keeping them focused and engaged.  Children’s Parliament (2016) also mentions that children would prefer to have technology included within their subjects rather than have separate ‘ICT’ time.  As a student teacher, I also think it is important that children get to experience how technology can be used in all areas within the curriculum to help their learning.

As this was my first time using Talking Tins, I enjoyed using it to see how it can play back speech, music and other sounds.  I can see from this how children’s listening and language skills could be enhanced through using Talking Tins.  I believe Talking Tins would develop children’s confidence massively in learning a new language, for example, when children of all ages are learning new words in French they could speak into the Talking Tins to try and improve pronunciation.

I enjoy playing with and exploring technologies to discover what they can do and how they can help us. – TCH 0-05a.

My partner and I created an I AM poem using PowerPoint, Easi-speak microphones and pictures (link attached below).  The I AM poem had sentence starters which we had to complete to a subject of our choice, this providing a wide range of ideas to be thought about and used.  We decided to do ours pretending we were an alien by saying things such as ‘I am green and mysterious’ ‘I wonder if people know I exist’ and ‘I hear stars shooting by me’ etc.  This was not only just enjoyable to make, but also got us thinking about how fun an activity like this would be to carry out in a class to try and make them guess what it was that was being talked about.  The poem had to be recorded into the Easi-Speak microphones also, this providing a sentence of the poem and it being spoke on each part of the PowerPoint.  We also included pictures to enhance what was being said and had our background as the sky.  I found the Easi-Speak microphones easy to use, however, we had recorded the whole poem and when plugged into the computer we realised that it was too full and none of it had actually recorded.  This meant we had to do it all again, from this I have been made aware that when I use them in the future I need to check they aren’t full.  I am aware issues sometimes occur when using technology, however in my opinion the advantages fully outweigh the disadvantages and I can’t wait to use Easi-Speak microphones in classrooms in the future!  I think that children will enjoy creating poems and stories online as they get to add pictures, sounds and other features to enhance what they are saying; this meaning digital storytelling combines the old with the new (Porter, 2004).

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

These outcomes both apply to making an I am poem as the poems allow for any topic/idea to be covered as well as enhancing creative writing skills.  Therefore, if I was to carry out a lesson like this with children in the future their learning would be enhanced in a range of different subject areas.  For example, as my partner and I’s poem talked about an alien, delivering something like this to a class could allow for more lessons to follow on aspects such as space and planets etc.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed using Talking Tins and Easi-Speak microphones and identifying how they can improve confidence and enhance learning has showed me just how important technology is within the classroom.  Even though I was the learner using these devices for the first time, I quickly started to think about all the huge amount of lessons that could be carried out using them.  Therefore, I can’t wait to use them in classrooms in the future!

 

References:

Children’s Parliament (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children [Online] Available: http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed: 28 February 2018]

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

 

I am poem

 

The subject of this weeks class was to learn about and use the iStop Motion application on the iPads to create a scene from our own made up stories.

We discussed how the use of digital technologies can allow children to fully delve into literacy. For example, you may ask a child to write a story and they might not be able to create a stimulus and therefore they would struggle. However, with the introduction of applications like iStop Motion, children can often create imaginative stories instantaneously without even realising that they are doing so. Beauchamp (2012, p.54) similarly states that ICT allows pupils to “achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”.

When creating iStop Motion animations, Moving Image Education states that there are 5 main types of animation, these are as follows;

1. Cutout
2. Stop Motion – For example, plasticine
3. Pixillation – Where humans become puppets
4. Drawn – For example, classic disney
5. Computer

The scene that my partner and I created consisted of a family of aliens visiting Earth for the day and the father being bumped from a falling apple on the tree overhead. We created our scene from a paper background and our characters were made out of plasticine. We decided to challenge ourselves by using cutout animation and pixillation animation however, this proved to be quite time consuming as it took us one hour to create a 6 second video. Moving Image Education believes that you should start easy then work up to using harder animation techniques, “animating in the classroom doesn’t have to be with plasticine models – cutout animation is by far the easiest technique to start on”.

I believe that this application can be used for a long-term lesson plan, where in which every day or week, the children can add to their stories by creating more scenes. Over time, the teacher can introduce the five different animation types and this will fully allow the children to explore their understanding of the application whilst gaining enriching life skills.

my partner and I  associated this activity with the first level in the CfE:

“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”

Thus, the child can create multimodal texts with regards to such subjects like literacy. Therefore, they are enhancing their knowledge in literacy through the use of digital technologies.

To end this weeks blog, I am going to leave a quote from the Children’s Parliament which emphasises the importance of movie making within the classroom:

“[…] making movies was important to most of the children. They wanted the opportunity to remember things and create their  own content to share.” (Children’s Parliament, 2016).

References

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

›Moving Image Education website: [Online] Available from: https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed 20 February 2018].