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Sadly due to illness today, I unfortunately missed our last input of digital technologies based on enhancing outdoor learning. However, I have taken the time to study and read over the powerpoint used within the lecture to help improve my understanding of the importance of taking a child’s learning out of just the classroom and adapt it to the outside world. From the powerpoint I learned that according to Education Scotland (2010), “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”. This shows that rather than just having learning experiences within the classroom, they can use these skills at home with their parents/carers to solidify understanding and knowledge. They can also use these skills and manipulate them to have the ability to use them in the future.

The idea of outdoor learning can be adapted to almost any area within the curriculum to help achieve various Es and Os. For example a variety of science outcomes can be achieved if they were to study biodiversity and nature in the world around them. Children could possibly achieve the outcomes “I have observed living things in the environment over time and am becoming aware of how they depend on each other (SCN 0-01a)” and “I can distinguish between living and non-living things. I can sort living things into groups and explain my decisions (SCN 1-01a)”. Basing activities outside however can be adapted to any area of the curriculum, and this is just one very specific example.

Their task for today was to explore the QR codes and to use an app with a scanner on it to help them find clues and crack the puzzle. After observing completed work and talking to peers who took part, it seemed a very fun challenge which could also be used with primary children to help them improve teamwork and communication skills in working with others.

Overall, this input seemed a very interesting one which I am so gutted to have missed. This however gives me the drive and opportunity to explore this idea further in my own time, and hopefully continue this type of learning whilst on placement or indeed when I am a teacher in the future.

References

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

Curriculum for Excellence

“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.) Children retaining information by remembering a fun, engaging lesson is one of the main reasons I have found digital technologies to be such a useful tool for teachers today. Digital technology when used correctly often allows children to immerse themselves into an enjoyable learning experience which is far more likely to stay with them as it has engaged them and they have had fun throughout the process and so the thought of combining both the excitement of learning outdoors with the opportunities digital technology brings, I was looking forward to this lesson.

During this lesson we particularly focused on the use of QR codes in outdoor learning whilst the PicCollage app was also used to further enhance this lesson so we could document our journey. In order to introduce us to the way in which QR codes could be used both educationally through a median of fun a QR code hunt had been set up for our class in the university grounds. We gathered ourselves into teams each with two iPads, one to scan the QR codes which would reveal a question we were to answer before finding the next clue and the other to take pictures along the way to document our hunt. Before starting our hunt we were given some time to familiarise ourselves with the PicCollage app by taking various pictures to summarise an aspect of university life. The app itself is simple and easy to use, with many options available to create a unique collage including altering pictures, changing background styles, adding text and cartoon images.

Once we had created our collage we were ready to go on our hunt. We discussed the importance of talking through the rules and boundaries and reasons for these with children whilst still inside the classroom to ensure you have their full attention, everyone knows the rules, what areas to stay within and therefore are safe when outside the classroom. We all ran around the university grounds searching for various QR codes alongside a picture of where our next clue could be found. Once we used the iPad to scan the QR code a question popped up on the screen of our iPad with two possible answers. Next to the each answer was a letter, after we had found all six hidden QR codes we could have an anagram of six scrambled letters which we had to solve. From the perspective of a learner, being part of a group of students ranging from 18-40 there was so much excitement, fun and enjoyment, as well as a lot of competitiveness to get back first and so I find it exciting thinking about one day running a similar activity with a class  .“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.). This activity integrates so many and if done well, all, of the core values of the Curriculum for Excellence as well as so many more important skills and values including team work, communication and allowing children to explore, play and be adventurous in the outdoors.

The questions created could be about any topic, the children could run around searching for QR codes which then asked a mathematics question, or questions relating to a topic they’re studying. The opportunities are endless.

• Opportunities to carry out different activities and roles in a variety of settings have enabled me to identify my achievements, skills and areas for development. This will help me to prepare for the next stage in my life and learning.- HWB 2-19a
• Within and beyond my place of learning I am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in physical activities and sport, making use of available indoor and outdoor space. –HWB 1-25
• “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

(Scottish Government, 2008).

I have chosen outcomes from various levels to show that this activity can be used with a wide range of children (and adults!). Depending on the topic chosen for the questions, whether the children work alone or in groups, the way in which children have to make their way to the clues (run, hop, skip, jump) many more experiences and outcomes across various areas for the curriculum could also be covered during a similar activity.

Upon returning from our hunt we were given the opportunity to create our own QR codes using the QR reader app. This could be on any topic we wanted and use any format we found in the app. I created an Olympic hunt based upon a possible topic classroom topic. I had initially hoped for one of the clues to pop up a video of ice hockey on the children’s iPad and subsequently a question would pop up asking which team are the current Olympic Champions at this sport. However, I found that I could not do both a video and a question using the same QR code which is an extra feature I think could add further depth to this activity. However, after discussing this with Graham he suggested that it was possible to have one QR code as a video and the next asking questions about the video and so a similar objective was still achieved but in a slightly different way. Below are the QR codes I generated using my questions based on the Olympics. There is also a question sheet which the children would have to fill in and similar to the hunt we went on the letters next to each answer would form an anagram they would have to solve at the end of the quiz.

 

 

 

During this lesson I found it interesting how many different aspects of not only the Curriculum for Excellence but also GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) outdoor learning covers. very much at the centre of GIRFEC is the SHANARRI wheel, featuring eight well-being indicators; Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurture, Achieving, Responsible, Respect and Included (Scottish Government, 2012.). In pairs, we chose one of the eight well-being indicators and discussed how we thought outdoor learning  achieved this indicator. During our discussion we chose to focus on respect. As a teacher you are giving children the respect as you trust that they can go outside and follow your rules to remain safe. By showing the children this respect by trusting them this is also allowing the children to be responsible whilst feeling safe and so covers more than one of the well-being indicators. Some of the other ideas from around the classroom included respect for their teacher, the environment and the people around them as well as being active and healthy.

 

I really enjoyed todays lesson. I think children should be encouraged to learn through adventure and playing outside where possible. Children being active and ‘getting some fresh air’ is vital for not only their own health and wellbeing but also, many of my most vivid memories from my own childhood are playing and having adventures outside and so I would love to bring similar, life-long experiences to children in the future. Living in Scotland the weather is not always predictable however so long as the weather is safe clothes can be dried and clothing can be changed. In Scotland, especially in Ayrshire we are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place with so many beaches and open green spaces that children should be given opportunities to take advantage of all of this outdoor space to play and learn. The apps we were introduced to today we both simple to use and created a wonderful learning experience which hopefully children would enjoy and remember.

 

Final Lesson

                                                                                                           (Pixabay.com, 2018.)

Today was our final lesson in our Digital Technologies module. I have thoroughly enjoyed this module and my confidence in using Digital Technologies had gone from strength to strength each week during this semester. During our very first dt (digital technologies lesson) we filled out a form assessing our own confidences and abilities in various dt areas. Prior to this course, with exception of the ipad, most of my initial markings were either at 1 or 0 (Not very confident/ not much prior knowledge). However, since finishing the course all of these areas have improved and I rated myself either 4 or 5 in each area, which can be seen by the markings near the outside of the circle.

I now feel so much more confident about using dt both inside an outside of the classroom. I have loved discovering new, innovative and engaging ways in which digital technologies can be used, in particular the inter-dsicplinary learning opportunities they can provide and I look forward to finding ways of integrating digital technologies into my own lesson planning order to enhance my lessons and make them experiences to remember.

I am excited to take everything I have learned forward into my teaching career and build upon some incredible ideas which we have been provided with, created and discussed during this module. I will continue to research digital technology in the classroom and follow which games become popular, such as minecraft, and think how I could create learning opportunities or use these games as a stimulus for learning.

(Pixabay.com, 2018)

 

References

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

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

Pixabay.com. (2018). Free Images – Pixabay. [Online] Available at: https://pixabay.com [Accessed: 29 Mar. 2018].

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed: 22 March 2018].

Scottish Government (2012) A Guide to Getting it Right for Every Child [Online] http://www.gov.scot/resource/0042/00423979.pdf [Accessed: 24 March 2018]

›SHANARRI Wheel image taken from: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0043/00438639.jpg

 

 

 

 

Today in digital technologies we were studying the idea of games-based learning within the classroom and how this could enhance understanding for the children. This week is linked vaguely to last weeks as they were both surrounding lessons involving a game to enhance further learning. This week however it was based upon Minecraft for the iPad. I was a little more apprehensive about this weeks input as I have never used this app before and had no idea how it worked. This session however was very different from any other we have completed, as our lecturer got in contact with a school that had a group of digital leaders who came along and enlightened us on how this application has benefitted their learning. The ability to work with these children was very helpful for me as it was good to discuss their own opinions on the software and what skills they learned using it within the school. The children brought along their work that they had completed in the class which was based upon a Harry Potter theme. They let us explore their worlds that they had created, and our challenge for the university students was to work in teams to create another aspect for their world without the children physically doing this for us. This was a very interesting experience as we were able to feel what it was like for brand new learners of the software, the obstacles they had to overcome and then getting to see our final product.

According to the Ofcom Report (2011) it claims 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 the use of games-based learning is very beneficial for children as they can use their knowledge both at home and in then classroom. This provides a very strong link between home and school life and gives children the ability to involve parents in their learning and progress of certain skills within the classroom.

Beauchamp (2012) states that the type of skills that could be developed by ICT games include; strategic thinking, planning, communication, application of numbers, negotiating skills, group decision-making and data handling skills. All of these skills are very important to a child’s development when growing up in the 21st century and can be used when they begin a job in their future.

Within the CfE using Minecraft can achieve the Experience and Outcome “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”. This shows that although this is a technology-based game, it can however be adapted and used for many different curricular areas therefore covering a larger variety of CfE outcomes depending on the subject.

Overall, I really enjoyed this session of digital technologies as we were able to see more of the theories in practice and got to hear first-hand what children in the 21st century think of more games-based learning in classrooms. I found this beneficial and also enjoyable as it was a very fun session allowing our imaginations to run wild when creating another building in the Minecraft world. This is something I would love to consider using within the classroom as I progress further to become a student teacher.

References

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

Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes, Ofcom (2001)

Curriculum for Excellence

In our final week in Digital Technologies, we looked at using QR codes to enhance outdoor learning. Outdoor learning was something that I experienced at school without the technology aspect of learning, so I was looking forward to experience the outdoors and combine it with technology.

“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 & Teaching Scotland,2010). If children are enjoying a lesson, they are more likely to remember it and retain the information they learned. This is one of the reasons I think Digital Technology is a useful resource for teachers. It is an enjoyable experience not only for children but for the teachers too.

In conjunction with exploring the QR reader, we also looked at an application called Pic Collage. To become familiar with the app, we created a collage of our life here at UWS before we started the task. Our task today was to crack the QR code by using the QR Reader on the iPad  and find all the QR codes outside.  Each QR code asked us a question and gave us a letter for each answer. From this, we had to figure out the secret word and scan the QR to confirm we were right. QR stands for quick response  and is based on an image-based hyperlink. A QR code can store 7089 numbers in comparison with a standard barcode that can only hold up to 30 numbers. ›A QR code can also  link to a short bit of text, an audio recording, a website, a phone number, an email address, a map location, an calendar event.We then had to create a collage based on our outdoor learning task using Pic Collage. I thought this was a great task. It is fun and exciting for children and allows them to experience the outdoors and their surroundings. Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) suggest that “it’s clear that the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college.” There are many advantages of outdoor learning. It can help develop their critical thinking skills as it can help children to make links with other curricular areas. It enhances their personal development such as their problem solving skills, communication with each other and working with others. In addition to this, it can also promote a healthy lifestyle which can then lead to a life long recreation such as hill walking, cycling, and swimming. Personal safety is another advantage of outdoor learning as it can provide opportunities for children to develop skills to assess and manage the risks that outdoor learning can impose. One of the biggest advantages for me is that outdoor learning includes everyone. It can provide opportunities for children to use a wide range of skills and abilities that are not always visible in the classroom. This in turn can increase individual’s self-worth and change the way other children perceive them. Children are always exploring the outdoors and Beauchamp (2012) states that “children are citizens of their localities, making contributions to the communities whether playing sport, interacting with others or simply hanging out with friends”. Outdoor learning helps children to interact and communicate with others. This is a valuable skill they use in life. The 7 Principles of Design in the Curriculum for Excellence  resonates with the essential 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).

 

Throughout this lesson, I thought it was quite interesting how many aspects of the GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child) was covered by outdoor learning. The SHANNARI Wheel demonstrates eight Health & Wellbeing indicators for children; Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included. It also links in with the four capacities in the Curriculum for Excellence ; Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, and Responsible Citizens. In pairs, we had to pick one of these indicators and discuss our thoughts on how outdoor learning can achieve these indicators. We picked respect as it is important that children learn to respect the environment and not pick any living flowers or leaves from trees, keeping quiet in certain areas, and not littering. Respect also occurs between the pupil and the teacher. For example, if the teacher explains to a child not to do something and gives a good reasons to stay safe, the pupil then respects the rules the teacher has set. By following the rules the teacher has set the children are safe and become responsible for their own actions. All of these indicators can be achieved by outdoor learning and it is vital the children have the opportunity to experience it.

Experience & Outcomes from Outdoor Learning:

“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

“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 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

 

In conclusion, I think it is vital that children experience outdoor learning. After experiencing today’s lesson, outdoor learning is definitely an enjoyable and memorable way of learning. As a teacher, you want the children to remember and take lots of experiences from your lesson. They also gain many valuable skills such as communication, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills and this helps them grow as an individual. Outdoor learning also covers many cross- curricular areas. By using the QR reader, many quizzes can be created and can be tailored to suit the topic that is being covered. This application gives teachers flexibility as it can be adapted to any age. The SHANNARI Wheel is also an important aspect to follow as many of them can be covered by outdoor learning. It can build up their personal development and also promotes a healthy lifestyle.. These skills will be carried throughout their lifetime.

 

Throughout this module, I feel that my confidence has grown week by week. Some areas of Digital Technologies I have experienced before and had a sound knowledge of. However, there are many areas that I had never came across before such as Minecraft and Scratch Jr, but now I feel I could use them in the classroom. Digital Technologies has opened up my mind to various lesson planning ideas in the classroom and the links to the Curriculum for Excellence for those lessons. I have learned a lot about using technology in the classroom and the benefits it can have for children. With technology growing in today’s society, it is important as a teacher that we keep up with it and embed it within children’s learning so that they are picking up essential skills such as problem solving, critical thinking skills and communication skills. I can see how teachers would be afraid of using technology in the classroom, however it is vital that they have the support within the curriculum to gain that confidence to teach it in schools. In my future career as a teacher it is something that I will definitely use in my classroom.

 

 

References

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

›Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. [Online] http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/105271/mod_resource/content/3/cfeoutdoorlearningfinal_tcm4-596061%20copy.pdf [Accessed: 27th March 2018]

Education Scotland (2016) Curriculum for Excellence: Technologies Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/Technologies-es-os.pdf [Accessed: 27th March 2018]

›Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf [Accessed: 27th March 2018]

Scottish Government (2010) http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0043/00438639.jpg

 

Today we were specifically exploring using minecraft as a stimulus for learning, this was an important lesson as “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.”  (Magbook, 2014, p.3) as Beauchamp states “Children spend most of their time on games not found in schools.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.9). In order for games-based learning to be as successful as it has the potential to be, the games used in classrooms must be relevant to what the children play, talk about and engage with at home. This also then leads to the learning continuing when the children go home. They may recognise different aspects of the game and link that to what they learned whilst playing or discussing it at school. As  Minecraft is such a worldwide phenomenom and can lead to so many stimulating learning opportunities which we explored throughout the lesson, as a teacher it is an important game to be familiar with.  Ofcom reports that 86% of 5-7yr olds and 90% of 8-11 using gaming devices regularly (Ofcom, 2001)  This is a huge percentage of children and in order to make learning relevant to their life this statistic must not be ignored as gaming devices now play an important role in children’s every day life.

 

Today we had the opportunity to work with Primary 6 pupils from a local primary school. As an aspiring primary school teacher it was great to work with the pupils and for me it reinforced my love of working with children and therefore, why I am spending so much time studying, writing blogs and taking exams!

The children alongside one of their class teachers visited us to show how they incorporate minecraft in their learning. They also brought their own iPads, with the Minecraft app installed so we could have some hands-on experience of the game. For the first half of the lesson the children were in control of the iPad and showed us around the game, answering any questions we had. Watching the two girls in our group they made this look easy and could very quickly find the tools and equipment they needed to build anything they wanted! However, during the second half of the lesson the iPads were handed over to us and the children were given instructions not to touch the iPad, they could only use their words to explain to us what we had to do. Being handed the iPad first I found it difficult to even place one brick from my ‘stores’ into the wold we were creating and quickly realised that it would take a long time for me to be anywhere near the level of ability the pupils had reached. The two girls did an incredible job of describing to us what we were to do and step-by-step instructions of how to do this. As Graham discussed with us at the end of our lesson this was an important lesson for us to remember in the future when we are teaching children to use computers, put our hands behind our back and talk them through it as if we just take the mouse and do it for them, we can already do it however they won’t be learning how to.

Whilst discussing the game with us the children were able to become the teachers and explain to a group of 4 adults different aspects of the game they liked, explain and show us the different worlds and characters you could create and finally coach us (4 completes novices) through playing the game…a difficult task for anyone never mind a primary 6 pupil. The two girls working with us did this with ease, confidence and a smile on their face the whole time. The girls were clearly very engaged with this game and I believe this engagement gave them the confidence to be able to discuss and explain the game thus so fluently. Some of the main comments I picked up from talking with the girls were

“It’s really interesting sharing and seeing each other’s worlds”

“You have to work out how many you need”

“What shall we do, we could make this, what do you think?”

alongside this the two girls in our group would discuss any question they couldn’t answer either with each other or with another group, communication and problem solving to find the answer.

These comments reinforce some of the work by Beauchamp who states the skills which are developed through games-based learning, including:

• Planning
• Communication
•  Negotiating Skills
• Strategic Thinking
• Application of numbers
• Group Decision Making

(Beauchamp, 2017)

 

After having the opportunity to work with the children it was clear to see the development of these skills through the use of games-based learning in a real-life school setting.

Towards the end of the children’s time with us the class teacher discussed further with us the ways in which she uses Minecraft with the children. She encouraged us to not to be scared or embarrassed to learn from the children as she is still learning things about the game from them. As we had discussed in many lessons previously, children really are the experts at many of these games and they can further our knowledge and introduce us to different aspects of the game which may allow us to create more, better ways to use games-based learning and as Beauchamp states “…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). Therefore our understanding of the curriculum and how to use the game in order to achiever various outcomes is more important than an in-depth knowledge and ability in the different games.

The class teacher also commented on how she uses Minecraft as a stimulus for literacy, writing and in topic work. The children are currently doing a topic on Harry Potter and so they are currently creating a Harry Potter world where all the children join and build new parts of the Harry Potter World together. All of these ideas further reinforced the important role Minecraft can play when used by someone with the knowledge on how to use it. However, the story which resonated with me the most was when the children’s teacher told us about a new child during a trial day at the school.  Throughout the day the child barely spoke a word, however when the children began taking about minecraft the new girl joined in the conversation and was able to give advice and tutor the other children through different tips and tricks she had discovered. It was amazing to hear about the ability a game has to bring people together. This common ground and shared interest gave her the confidence she did not have during the day and allowed her to make friends with others.

 

 

Todays learning provided me with so many examples of the ways Minecraft could be used as a stimulus for learning, as the learning does not come from the game, the game provides a stimulus to allow further learning (Bray, 2012). An example of this could be as a stimulus for topic work. This could work for anything from the Romans to Titanic and The Egyptians. The children could create a world or a scene based on their topic, for Egyptians they could create a Pyramid or Titanic they could create their own ‘unsinkable’ boat. They could work to create this in groups or create a whole world as a class, each responsible for a different area of the topic. This could lead to many cross-curricular learning opportunities including a literacy lesson presenting their world to the class or an art lesson creating their world from various materials including boxes, paint or natural materials found in their playground. Some of the experiences and outcomes I identified from the Curriculum for excellence include, however are definitely not limited to:

• 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
• 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 can use exploration and imagination to solve design problems related to real-life situations-EXA 1-06a
• When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can:
  • share information, experiences and opinions
  • explain processes and ideas
  • identify issues raised and summarise main points or findings
  • clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more-LIT 2-09a

Bray (2012) 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 and today’s lesson has been an excellent example of how this can be done and the benefits this approach is bringing to the pupils in a local primary school.

 

References 

Beauchamp, G (2017) Computing and ICT in the Primary School From Pedagogy to Practice 2nd ed. London: Routledge.

Bray, O (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education [Online] available https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education/2-the_microsoft_visual_identity_the [Accessed 13 March 2018].

MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf   [Accessed 13 March 2018]

If someone had told me before I came to university that I would be learning how to use Minecraft in an Education degree programme, seriously – I would of laughed at them. Both my stepsons have been engrossed in the same game for the last couple of years and despite them excitedly showing me their weird and wonderful creations, I never really took a proper interest in how the game worked, what it really involved or noticed that in fact it was benefiting their education in more ways than one. Today we got a really deep and useful insight into how it worked and the many purposes it serves in and out of the classroom. However today’s lesson was totally different. It wasn’t just watching tutorial videos online or having a play around the iPad to get to know my our way around it. Today we became the pupils, and a group of young local primary school pupils became the teachers! Well I never…

When we found out that children from a local primary school were coming to show us how to use and work Minecraft I was feeling positive and looking forward to the prospects of…

1. Working with children in this class in particular;
2. Learning from the most experienced users;
3. Understanding the benefits and areas in which Minecraft fitted relevantly into their education and
4. Becoming more familiar with the game and gaining knowledge and experience that I can take forward with me in my own professional career.

As a prospective teacher I feel it is vital to ensure that my technology skills are up to date, relevant and I can use them to the best of my abilities in order to enhance my pupils educational experiences. As suggested by Bray (2012) “Games-based Learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching”.  Marrying together my learning experience from the pupils today with a skillset that I am enhancing each year of my degree, I feel that Games-Based Learning in the classroom has the potential to be a tremendous success across many curricular areas. Beauchamp (2012, P.9) states that “Not only do [teachers] have to become familiar with the games, they also have to ensure that they make clear the way in which they want for the game to used.” Curricular areas that could be utilised with Games-Based Learning can include:

I regularly select and listen to or watch texts which I enjoy and find interesting, and I can explain why I prefer certain sources. I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to create texts of my choice. LIT 1-01a / LIT 2-01a

I have the opportunity to choose and explore an extended range of media and technologies to create images and objects, comparing and combining them for specific tasks. EXA 2-02a

I can use exploration and imagination to solve design problems related to real-life situations. EXA 1-06a

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 can work with others to generate, discuss and develop imaginative ideas to create a product of the future. TCH 1-01b

When exploring technologies in the world around me, I can use what I learn to help to design or improve my ideas or products. TCH 2-01a

It was suggested by Ofcom (2001) that “The use of computer games, particularly console games, is firmly embedded in 21st century youth culture.” If children already have prior knowledge and experience in certain areas in technology then they are set in good stead for their future in a classroom where technology is prevalent and also in a society out-with education where being surrounded by technology is now seen as the norm.

Today we were paired with 2 pupils from a local primary school. They showed us how Minecraft worked on their own tablets and gave us an informative description of how Minecraft works, how it can be used, what it can be used for and objects and building they had previously made. They told us why they liked using the game which included that they could be as creative as they wanted and there was no right or wrong thing to do. It allowed them to develop a space which they called their own and if they wanted to share it then they could do so by joining the same network as their peers and game virtually together. We were then given the opportunity to get hands on with the game ourselves, with the pupils giving us only verbal prompts and advice and were not allowed to take over. It allowed us to work as a team, use active listening and questioning skills and collaborate effectively and in turn it allowed us to gain knowledge on the game and the end product ended up being the Three Broomsticks from Harry Potter. The pupils were excellent in answering our questions and giving us prompts and advice. It also allowed me to see how much they enjoyed it and the many benefits they got out of it wether they realised or not that they were impacting their education. Some of which included:

• Strategic Thinking;
• Planning;
• Communication;
• Application of numbers;
• Negotiating Skills;
• Group decision-making and
• Data Handling Skills as noted by Beauchamp (2012).

Overall, I would have to say that today’s lesson was by far my favourite. I really enjoyed working with the pupils from the school and learning from them. They were passionate, engaged, motivated and were keen to let us in on the magical Minecraft world and the autonomous potential that it can hold. Utilising a game such as Minecraft in the classroom I think would be genius, as in just the few short hours we spent with the kids today, it was evident that it engaged, motivated and held the pupils attention. They were keen to learn, keen to show us their creations and was apparent that Minecraft is not just a game. It is a valuable resource and learning tool that if used in the classroom correctly, holds the key to pupil success and education satisfaction for both them and the educator. I will certainly be taking forward with me what I learned today, and building on my knowledge of Minecraft as well as recognising and researching for other ideas and areas in which it can be used in the classroom. It has already been downloaded onto my daughters iPad and we have started to create our own Barbie Dreamhouse. We are both enjoying getting to make our own designs and already she is starting to show me what else can be done!

 

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 at: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education First Accessed: 13th March 2018

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

Images – Pixabay

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf First Accessed: 13th March 2018

 

20/02/18

Animation

ICT allows pupils to “achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”, (Beauchamp, 2012, p.54). The skills that children gain while carrying out tasks and experimenting with different types of technology are skills they use not just in the subject of ICT but also in everyday life, in and out of the classroom.

The skill of confidence is one of the most important skills we can give to children while using technology and showing them that we are confident while using the different apps and programmes will help them feel like they can do it too.

“ICT equipment is part of pupils’ everyday life, so should be part of their everyday play” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.66). Children should feel that using technology is fun and not a chore and a of making it fun is letting them explore the world of animation.

Bertrancourt (2005) gives three ways in which animation can be used to make learning more effective:

• gives visual representations
• illustrates processess
• provides an interactive element                          (Jarvis, 2015, p.92)

The process of animation is “the stringing together” of still images but giving the appearance of movement (Jarvis, 2015, p.89). Creating animations gives the children the chance to be in control of their experience and learning with technology and make something as simple or as complex as they want.

Diving into a new branch of technology can make teachers, student and children unsure of what to do and how to use it but the different types of animation can be broken down in to five main types:

• Cutout – quickest and easiest
• Stop-motion – e.g. plasticine models
• Pixillation – humans become the puppets
• Drawn – e.g. Disney productions
• Computer – e.g. games and movies                      (Moving Image Education)

Starting off with the simplest of the five, cutout, is the easiest way to get to grips with the process of animation.

    

 

Reference List:

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 Lecurers. Routledge.

Moving Image Education [Online] https://movingimageeducaiton.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 21st March 2018]

The PicCollage Application (App) and a Quick Response (QR) Code and reader App are a fun way to integrate digital technology into learning. It is suggested that six-year-olds have the same level of understanding technology as a 45-year-old (Curtis 2014) so integration of technology is something that children can fully engage with.

 

“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” (Scottish Government, 2010).

 

The Scottish Government Health and Wellbeing indicators of wellbeing promote that children should also achieve indicators to promote physical and emotional wellbeing (Scottish Government, 2017) and the inclusion of outdoor learning into helps educators achieve the specified indicators. Asking a learner to be responsible for an i-pad provides them with a sense of “responsibility” (Scottish Government, 2017) and can also ensure that they are “included” (Scottish Government, 2017) by the other children. Being outdoors is an opportunity “for staff and students to see each other in a different light” (Scottish Government, 2010). Furthermore, outdoor learning should not be restricted to learning about outdoors, rather should be used to compliment a variety of lessons. It is a valuable part of an Inter-disciplinary lesson (IDL).

 

A QR Code and Reader App is an easy way to set up an outdoor lesson. Pic Collage works well to compliment the lesson and to create an eye-catching memory that can be shared within the school.

 

From a learning perspective, I found PicCollage easy to use and saw the value of it immediately. Tasked with creating a collage about any subject it was simple to use and easy to get a final product. Myself and my working partner decided to do a collage suggesting the options for travel to the University of West of Scotland (UWS) campus. A picture of the footpath (UWS Campus is located next to the River Ayr, so this is an attractive setting), the bus stop, a car in the car park and Ayr Train station. The photos were sorted by the App and were entitled “Travel options”. This task, allowed me to see the benefits of the App from a teaching perspective; it is easy to use and produces attractive images therefore one can see the benefits of the App and understand why it would compliment any outdoor learning.

The QR reader app is easy to programme and produces QR codes automatically when information is input in to the App. Even though the learning was outdoors, the subject of the learning did not have to be about outdoors. This was demonstrated to the students by lecturer, Graham Brett, who had arranged for us to explore the grounds around the UWS campus whilst we searched for QR codes to scan and reveal answers about Scotland.

Creating a QR based quiz as part of a team of four met the following outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence:

• 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 can communicate clearly when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, using selected resources4 as required. LIT 1-10a B 1-23a.
• I can read and demonstrate understanding of words, signs, phrases and simple texts containing mainly familiar language. MLAN 2-08b.

(Scottish Government, 2008).

This was done by creating a series of questions considering how to say words on Spanish. The answers were built into a series of QR codes. The codes were to be displayed/hidden within a space outdoors. When learners find the codes, each would be scanned and the correct answer would reveal a letter. Collect all the letters and work out the secret word. The game encourages a deeper understanding of words that have been learned and also makes the learning fun. Having the game outdoors has the advantage of complementing the academic side with other benefits such as: encouraging a healthy lifestyle, development of communication skills, encouraging working with others and can make children feel more included.

 

The workshop marked the end of the module and it is time to reflect on my experience and review my own confidence in using technology as an educator. Going forward I will actively look for opportunities to integrate digital literacy and use of the programmes and devices that have been explored as part of the module in my teaching and lesson planning. My confidence has grown and I ca only see a positive impact should devices and Apps be introduced and managed appropriately within a classroom environment. As the module ends, I have been able to review my current confidence levels compared with how I felt about certain programmes and devices at the start of the module. There has been a marked increase in every category.

References:

Curtis, S (2014) Digital learning; how technology is reshaping teaching (online) Telegraph [online] Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed 21 March 2018].

Scottish Government (2017) Wellbeing (Online) http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/wellbeing [Accessed 21 March 2018].

Scottish Government (2010) The Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning (Online) https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf [Accessed 21 March 2018].

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed 21 March 2018].

Outdoor learning is extremely beneficial in the classroom. “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) Outdoor Learning challenges children, provides enjoyment, is relevant and develops depth in knowledge; these are 4 of the 7 design principles of Curriculum for Excellence Design.

There are many advantages to outdoor learning. It develops critical thinking skills by allowing children to link curricular areas together, it allows for personal development such as gaining communication skills and problem solving, it also promotes things such as healthy lifestyles and personal safety. Outdoor learning can be linked to all areas of the SHANARRI wheel:

• Safe – children learn about how to stay safe in their surroundings.
• Healthy – children develop an understanding of how being outdoors has positive effects on both physical and mental health.
• Active – children are given the opportunity to be active in their learning.
• Nurture – embedded in all outdoor learning experiences by encouraging and supporting children.
• Achieving – outdoor learning allows children who may struggle in the classroom to achieve in a surrounding more suited to their needs.
• Responsible – children are responsible for their own safety when outdoors as well as being responsible for completing their work.
• Respect – children must respect their surroundings, for example, not standing on flower beds.
• Included – outdoor learning allows for all children to learn and play together in a structured environment.

Outdoor learning can be used with links to other curricular subjects such as health and wellbeing, science and social studies.

Today during Digital Technologies, we explored the use of PicCollage and QR Codes and QR Code Scanners. Initially, we created a PicCollage of a small summary to understand how the app works. We then went outside for some outdoor learning. We completed the QR Code Cracker Task by finding all 6 of the codes and scanned them to get the questions. We answered the 6 questions to find the mystery Scottish word. The mystery Scottish word was HAGGIS. We then made a PicCollage of our outdoor learning.

I enjoyed using the QR Codes and PicCollage. As a learner it was easy and fun. Outdoor learning was extremely engaging as it took learning out with the classroom into a different setting.

REFERENCES

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

13/02/18

Movie Making

During our sixth session we explored the world of movie making and the importance of explaining and showing how to be safe online. “…The key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but abut educating them”, (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58). Allowing children to use to technology and the internet is important as they develop and gain information and knowledge about modern ways of learning but also modern ways of interacting with friends online safely.

The Scottish Government (2015) have found evidence that digital technology, when used effectively, can raise the speed and depth of learning in science, mathematics as well as improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, (The Scottish Government, 2015).

Allowing children access to these necessary tools gives them the opportunity to communicate, express themselves and collaborate with others but also gives them the skills of being able to become functioning members of society, (Weiss, 2017).

“…Being literate in the twenty-first century incorporates more than simply being able to read and write. Children need to also learn how to use [and] present…” (Bennet, 2004, p.21). There are many ways to give children the chance to use digital technology in and out of the classroom, allowing them to present their thoughts and ideas in different ways, using different programmes such as iMovie.

Digital Literacy helps to develop:

• Practical & Functional skills
• Critical Thinking skills
• Awareness of e-safety
• Collaboration skills
• Ability to Find & Select Information
• Effective Communication
• Creativity

As part of our task we had to split into groups and create a movie to show the dangers of being online and how to be safe. Our group decided on a Snow White and Evil Queen theme to show that people can disguise themselves and pretend to be someone they aren’t to try and hurt you.

 

 

Reference List:

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

The Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. [Online] http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed 19th March 2018]

Weiss, D. (2017) Time to Know blog [Online] https://www.timetoknow.com/blog/essential-digital-literacy-skills-for-the-21st-century-worker/ [Accessed 19th march 2018]