For today’s lesson we were exploring games-based learning “Digital Games-based Learning is the integration of gaming into learning experiences to increase engagement and motivation.”(Higher Education Academy 2017). One of the main reasons I chose Digital Technology as an optional module is during our first semester in another module we were introduced by our lecturer Graham, how the Wii Game ‘Rock Band’ could be used to engage and motive children from creating a band, drawing or painting the band members, going on a world tour and calculating prices of tickets, working out where to go and when, the options are almost endless and include so many, both cross-curricular activities and life-skills from collaborative working to problem solving.

We began today’s lesson by working in groups to create a mind map on the positives and negatives we  thought about Game-Based learning. Some of the positives we decided upon were that children were free to express themselves, in control of their own learning and the interactivity they allow. We then did some further reading and returned to our mind-map. From our reading this emphasised the collaborative and co-operative working opportunities and promoting exploration games-based learning can provide in a classroom.

 

 

Jean Piaget first introduced the idea of discovery learning and Piaget, alongside Vygotsky has argued that play is a crucial component for development from birth through to adulthood. He suggested children learn best through ‘doing and actively exploring’ (Mcleod, S. 2015). Vygotsky built upon this by suggesting that children not only learn by doing but this learning is most valuable when done in social groups, learners helping and teaching each others,  Vyotsky names this the ‘More Knowledgeable Other’. Both Piaget and Vygotsky have changed our schooling system and the way we teach immeasurably and Games-Based learning has the ability to incorporate all of their main theories, promoting social learning, discovery learning and allowing them to actively explore.

An idea for Games-Based learning we were exploring in today’s lesson was the Mario Kart game on Wii console. We were to create our own Mario Kart vehicle:

This has been the first lesson where I have been confident with the technology we have been using. I love the Mario Kart Wii game and I found it really fun to create my own vehicle, it reminded me of the excitement I would feel in Primary School when we were given the freedom to create and draw our own character, this is an excitement I hope to be able to bring to my own classroom and after this lesson I have many invaluable ideas which I can take forward with me. If doing this in a classroom I would provide a range of materials for the children to choose from so they could choose different colours and textures to cut and stick onto the vehicle they were creating. This activity could then be extended in so many different directions which is what we were to discuss in small groups after having created our vehicles.

We created a poster based upon the Mario Kart Wii game and an activity we could extend to Inter Disciplinary Learning (IDL). Whilst creating our poster we found ti difficult to put activities under specific areas of the curriculum as most of our activity ideas were cross-curricular and so covered more than one area of the curriculum. We decided our activities would be based upon the design of a track for the cars to race around, we would encourage the children to create a track to manoeuvre  Beebot around, this included writing directional instructions specific to their track for their peers to follow, creating a short animation film of Beebot moving around their track and writing a reflective blog throughout the whole experience. This is one example of the inter-disciplinary learning Games-Based Learning allows. From these activities we covered Maths, Art, Technology and Literacy however we had many ideas of how we could have extended this evan further to different areas of the curriculum, beginning to incorporate children’s movement through health and wellbeing. Some of our Experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence as seen in our poster below included

• ‘I can describe, follow and record routes and journeys using signs, words and angles associated with direction and turning’ MTH 1-17a
• ‘I can present my writing in a way that will make it legible and attractive for my reader, combining words, images and other features’ LIT 1-24a
• ‘I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts’ TCH 1-01a

(Education Scotland, 2004)

 

Today’s lesson made me excited for the future and provided me with the ideas and ignited my passion to use Games-Based Learning in a classroom one day as I have explored, researched and discovered the benefits and possibilities it can bring to learning. Mario Kart for Wii is a game which has been around for a while, since my childhood, and so I am familiar and confident with it however there are several new games which could also be relevant and valuable to learning opportunities which the children may have more knowledge in than I do. This is not something to be feared though as I can learn from the children and this would also be an exciting opportunity for them to teach me aspects of the game I might not be aware of.

 

References

Education Scotland (2004) Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed:06/03/2018]

Higher Education Academy (2017) Gamificaiton and Games-Based learning [Online] Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning [Accessed: 06/03/2018]

McLeod, S. (2015) Jean Piaget [Online] Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html [Accessed: 06/03/2018]

McLeod, S. (2014) Lev Vygotsky [Online] Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html [Accessed: 06/03/2018]

Today’s lesson was focused on mobile devices and their use in the classroom. We began by reading various online articles and subsequently answering a forum question as to whether mobile devices should be used in the classroom.Upon reading the various articles one of the areas which really resonated with me is the Guardian article by David Andrews, a class teacher; ‘I want the children in my class to create content, not necessarily always accessing it.’ (David andrews, 2012) During both my own time in schools and extended reading I have found that often if children are creating their own learning and learning from each other this can be extremely beneficial to the children retaining the information rather than forgetting most of the lesson by the time they go home. Another aspect I believe is important to take into account is ‘Children now entering school are fully fledged digital natives.’ (Curtis, S.2014) and as such we need to reevaluate our school system in accordance with this new digital way of life. I believe mobile devices can play a crucial role in schooling today, if used well, by a teacher confident in their own knowledge of the technology.

Sophie Curtis, the author or the article ‘Digital learning: how technology is reshaping teaching’ also took part in an experiment during which an English lesson was taught the ‘traditional’ way, with a teacher explaining the main themes of a play and the class then writing their own analysis using only pen and paper. The second lesson video clips and using the internet to research and then type up an analysis. After the experiment Sophie Curtis detailed how the ‘traditional’ lesson ‘required intense and sustained concentration’ whilst she said of the lesson using technology ‘at no point during the second lesson did I find my mind wandering, which is half the battle teachers fight every day’ (Curtis, S.2014). In my opinion, from what I have learned, researched and witnessed it is important for children to be engaged in their learning and enjoy the lessons through various aspects digital technology can offer. However, the ‘sustained concentration’ Sophie Curtis discussed in her analysis of her first lesson is also an important skill children need to learn and so digital technology and more traditional methods need to be used in conjunction with each other for the children to get the most out of their schooling. Digital technology is vital and can add so much to a lesson however it should not be used all the time.

 

The benefits of using mobile devices arriving to Beauchamp are:

• Flexibility and portability – as devices are relatively small, portable and usable anywhere, they allow the learner freedom to learn on the move
• Multi-functionality – mobile devices bring together more than one function that would previously needed separate devices: for instance, viewing web pages and viewing images
• Multimodality – they allow users to create multimodal texts
• Interactivity and communicative potential – communication between a large number of users can be achieved through text and speech.

(Beauchamp, 2012)

 

However, although there are so many advantages to using mobile devices and the crucial role they play in allowing all children in the classroom to engage in lessons, in a poll of 500 teachers it has been found that over a third of teachers are unsure as to how to integrate mobile devices into everyday lessons. Lack of training has been raised as a cause for this. This means that expensive technology is in schools unused or not being used to it’s full advantage and so hundreds of children are not receiving the benefits this technology can bring to their learning (Curtis 2014).

Today we were exploring the Talking Tin and Easi Speak microphones. Our task was to create a powerpoint showcasing an ‘I Am Poem…’ which we were also to create. Each slide had to be a different line of our ‘I Am poem’ featuring an imagine and a voice recording. To record sound, we used an Easispeak microphone. This a small handheld device that can be used to record your voice which can be simply connected to a computer and the file is then accessed from powerpoint. As a learner this was a simple yet fun addition to the poem. At first I found ti really difficult to record it and hear my own voice however the repetition of the poem forced me to overcome this which is another useful tool for building children’s self-confidence. If they are used to recording and hearing their own voice this can be a really useful tool for their education. The poem could be used as a great health and wellbeing lesson to encourage children to think about their feelings as well as the feelings of others in their class and if I was to use a similar lesson in the future it could cover many Experiences and Outcomes from the Curriculum for Excelling including:

• I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them. HWB 0-01a/1-01a/2-01a/3-01a/4-01a
• Within real and imaginary situations, I share experiences and feelings, ideas and information in a way that communicates my message. LIT 0-09a
• I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems, share ideas and thoughts. TCH 0-01a
• I enjoy exploring and playing with the patterns and sounds of language, and can use what I learn. LIT 0-01a / LIT 0-11a /LIT 0-20a

(Education Scotland 2004).

 

‘I want the children in my class to create content, not necessarily always accessing it’ (Andrews, D. 2012)  David Andrews discusses his journey introducing iPads into his school, the positives and negatives. This quote from him is one of the main reasons I think technology is so important to education. A child creating their own learning, resources, materials and accessing these themselves is far more valuable to their own learning, problem solving and self-confidence. The powerpoint we created during today’s lesson is attached below. This is one of many examples of what children could create themselves, allowing them to access technology, work collaboratively, improve their own self-belief, self confidence and covers many literacy outcomes. I think this is another valuable resource which can be used in an array of creative ways.

Emma Robertson & Shannon Scott I am Poem powerpoint

 

 

 

References

Andrews, D. (2012) An apple for the teacher: are iPad the future in class? [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/aug/13/schools-secondary-schools

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

Curtis, S. (2014)  Digital learning: how technology is reshaping teaching [Online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html

Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 27th February 2018]

In this week of Digital Technologies we looked at how mobile devices could be used to enhance learning in the primary classroom. It would be easy to dismiss mobile devices as a tool in the classroom and consider them little more than a distraction. It could be argued, however, that today’s children are constantly exposed to a huge range of mobile devices from a very young age in the home and therefore the use of mobile devices in the classroom could be a helpful way to make the children more comfortable. I think it could be a very useful way to overcome hesitation in children who are far more used to, for instance, using a tablet than putting pen to paper.

It could be argued that affordability is the main issue in bringing mobile devices into the classroom. It would not be viable for most schools to buy every student an iPad, for instance, which is what I think of immediately when I consider mobile devices in the classroom. However, today we used Easi-Speak microphones to create a performance poem that would be quite at home in a literacy lesson in either key stage one or two:

“By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in a logical sequence and use words which will be interesting and/or useful for others.” LIT 1-26a

“By considering the type of text I am crating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in an appropriate way for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience.” LIT 2-26a (Scottish Executive, 2004).

We created an “I am…” poem using a template with simple instructions. We then created a PowerPoint with a slide for every line and recorded each line of the poem using the Easi-Speak microphone and then embedding these in the PowerPoint.

The Easi-Speak microphones were very simple to use, with just two buttons on the side. No cables were needed, the microphone plugs directly into the USB port of a computer and the sound files were simple to insert into the presentation.

This was a fun activity which was reasonably flexible. Some individuals in the class wrote a silly poem, others wrote something more imaginative from the perspective of a character and some wrote a poem which was slightly more personal. I think that this model of lesson involving the Easi-Speak microphones could be used for a huge variety of topics and my perception of using mobile devices in the classroom has been widened. I think that the ‘digital native’ students in the primary school classroom today would engage well with this as opposed to creating their poem on paper alone.

There is also scope in this lesson for children with their own devices to use them to make the presentation, which they may be more comfortable with. Scotland’s Children’s Parliament (2016) carried out a survey of primary school children and the results showed that the children used a huge range of mobile devices at home. There is no need to equip an entire classroom of children with a mobile device, nor to make every single lesson include technology – this could instead be detrimental to the learning. However, when the lesson lends itself to flexibility across mobile devices, I see no reason to entirely exclude the mobile devices that children are comfortable using from the primary school classroom.

 

References

Children’s Parliament (2016). A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children. [Online] http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed: 09.03.18].

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

Today in digital technologies (06/03/2018) we were investigating games-based learning within the classroom. I was apprehensive in the beginning as to how this would in fact benefit and enhance a child’s learning within school. However, it was brought to my attention how flexible the capacities of various games were and how easily adaptable they were to cross curricular areas. According to the Edutopia website the term games-based learning means “like novels, films, plays and other media, games can be high quality materials a teacher uses to enable students to access the curriculum”.

With this type of learning however, Learning Scotland also identified a variety of different problems that may arise through this form of teaching in the classroom such as the cost, identifying a suitable game, integrating the game – time/structure of the day and also teacher confidence/skills. Although these are huge issues, I believe with more awareness in schools many of these can be overcome and can in fact benefit pupils in a huge way within modern society.

We were given the opportunity within the class to create a mind-map surrounding reasons why games-based learning may be incorporated into a lesson and how it may benefit a child. At the beginning of the session we came up with ideas such as it is interactive, engaging, there’s a connection between home and school life, and it can also be used as a cross curricular activity over a variety of different lessons. After further investigation and thought, we discovered it also reinforced knowledge, it was stress free and also useful for children who have additional support needs.

During this session we were also given the opportunity to create an Interdisciplinary Learning Plan (IDL), based on the game Super Mario Kart. We chose six CfE areas to base our lessons upon, alongside the Es and Os that would be covered. We created lesson ideas for literacy, IT, numeracy, health and wellbeing, art and expressive arts (music).

I found this activity very fun as we could be creative, however also realistic within designing these activities. It was good to also share lessons with other groups as it was interesting to hear a variety of different ideas all based upon the one original features of Mario Kart.

Overall, I found the first input of games-based learning very interesting as I was surprised to see how wide one idea can be covered over different CfE areas whilst still remaining informational and beneficial for the children. I was apprehensive to begin with at the thought of this being used within the classroom, however after further investigation this is definitely something that I believe should be incorporated into more schools in modern day society, and in the future for when I hopefully become a primary teacher too.

References

https://education.gov.scot/ [Accessed 08/03/2018]https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-use-game-based-learning-matthew-farber [Accessed 08/03/2018]

I was a little intimidated when I first set eyes upon the WILF (What I am looking for) Success Criteria for the weeks task.  Beauchamp suggests that educators should not reveal their worries about new technologies to young children (Beauchamp, 2017) and his point is proven because I need not have been nervous as both the Puppet Pals Application (App) and iStop Motion App used in the tutorial today were user friendly and easy to navigate.

One of the advantages of integrating an App such as iStop Motion into a lesson is the inclusiveness it offers to those who do not always engage with a traditional teaching style.  Internet and Computer Technologies (ICT) allows pupils to engage with something that they would find difficult to achieve by other means (Beauchamp, 2017).  What I have found interesting about this is that when I reflect upon my own learning, I enjoy storytelling and have a flair for expressing my ideas in traditional formats.  Yet, I fully engaged with the Apps used in the workshop, this suggests that pupils with additional support needs are not limited to those who struggle but also encompasses those who are over achieving in certain areas of the curriculum.  The benefits of cross curricular learning are also evident as creating the iStop Motion animation really tested my limited artistic skills.  My own reflections are supported by evidence cited in the Scottish Government Document Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching which states:

“There is conclusive evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can, where effectively used, raise the speed and depth of learning… for primary and secondary age learners. There is indicative evidence that the same can be said for some aspects of literacy, especially writing and comprehension. Digital technologies appear to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy… especially in primary settings.” (Scottish Government, 2015. P.16).

 

Including animation as part of a lesson plan will help to achieve the following experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence:

I can create, capture and manipulate sounds, text and images to communicate experiences, ideas and information in creative and engaging ways.  TCH 1-0b/2-04b

I am developing an interest, confidence and enjoyment in using drawing and colour techniques, manually or electronically, to represent ideas in different learning situations.  TCH 1-15

(Scottish Government, 2008)

Jarvis Suggests that although there are benefits to integrating the use of sound and video into a lesson it can be time consuming (Jarvis, 2015).  When reflecting on my use of the App, I found that as part of a team were able to create a short animation within an hour and this also included drawing up the background.  Although Jarvis may have a point that it can be time consuming the animation being integrated into a lesson could be a final step after weeks of other lessons which build to the final animation for example, Art lessons creating backgrounds or Literacy lessons writing story boards.  If this was integrated into topic/project learning the animation would only be a small part of the overall time and in my opinion well worth the effort as I really enjoyed viewing the video we made and setting it to music.  Additionally, animating does not have to be with models, cut-out animation is the easiest technique to start (Moving Image Education).

I have already downloaded an App and have made a second Animation with my son!

References:

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

Jarvis, M (2015) Brilliant Ideas for using ICT in the Classroom London: Routledge.

Moving Image Education Website; (Online) https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films.animation [Accessed 05 March 2018]

Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. Edinburgh: Scottish Government

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed 05 March 2018]

The topic of discussion today in Digital Technologies was about Games-based Learning and why we should be using it in schools. In addition to this, we looked at the video game Mario Kart. It was a game I played throughout my childhood, so it was very familiar to me. We created our own Mario character and our own kart too. We also created a mind map of the positive effects of Games-based Learning in the classroom. This was followed by an Interdisciplinary Learning plan where we came up with activities that could be used in the classroom, based on Mario Kart. Our Mario kart with a rocket exhaust and had pizza wheels. We based our activities on the pizza wheels and related them to areas of the curriculum. Our maths activity was based on fractions of the pizza, where they would be asked questions like “If someone ate 1/8th of a pizza, how many 8ths are left?” They had to research the recipe using the search engine on the internet and then write down the recipe structured the way a recipe should be. This involved digital and literacy skills. Finally, we would get them to make a pizza which would link into Health and Wellbeing area of the Curriculum. Whilst finding the experience and outcomes of these tasks, I found that some of them overlapped. For example, maths was also used in the weighing and measuring of the ingredients. This would also cover the weight and measure experience and outcome.

Digital Games-based Learning is defined as “ the integration of gaming into learning experiences to increase engagement and motivation” (Higher Education Academy, 2017). From personal experience of growing up around video games, I think it is engaging and is something that children would enjoy as it is something that I enjoy. My initial thought was that games based learning might not be really effective tool for the classroom, as it may be a  distraction. However, after discussing and reading in detail on the use of games-based learning, I found that there are many advantages of using it in the classroom. Some of these advantages include an increase in motivation, reinforces knowledge, it is enjoyable, engaging and will grab children’s attention. “Like novels, films, plays and other media, games can be high quality materials a teacher uses to enable students to access the curriculum” (Edutopia, 2016). Game-based Learning is another useful and interesting tool that can be used effectively in the class and can link to many experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence.

Computing started in the 1980s and when the internet came along in the 1990s, it allowed children to play in the form of video and computer games (Higher Education Academy, 2017).  However, the transition of using Games-based Learning in classrooms is moving slowly. This could be down to the fact that teachers do not have the confidence to use video games as part of their lesson. Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky suggest that play is a vital part of cognitive development throughout someone’s entire life (Higher Education Academy, 2017). It is important that as teachers we are clear about what the learning intentions are and also that we implement games and the discussion around them. In addition to this, appropriate and relevant games must be used for the tasks to achieve the outcomes (Learning and Teaching Scotland). We are role models for our pupils, therefore we must ensure that game-based learning has positive impacts on their social skills, enhances their learning, supports and develops learning and that they are given the opportunity to apply those skills.

After today’s session, my opinion has changed about the use of video/ computer games in the classroom. I have increased my understanding and knowledge into how game-based learning can have positive effects on the children and their learning. It is important to keep them engaged, so they can develop their skills.  This also has benefits for teachers, as there are many activities that can be planned around a video game. One activity can cross many curricular areas in the Curriculum for Excellence. Overall, I think classrooms need to use this resource more often.

 

Experiences and Outcomes for this resource:

“I can share out a group of items by making  smaller groups. I can split a whole object into smaller parts.”  MNU 0-07a

“Through exploring how groups of items can be shared equally, I can find a fraction of an amount by applying my knowledge of division.” MNU 1-07b

“I have experimented with everyday items as units of measure to investigate and compare sizes and amounts in my environment, sharing my findings with others.” MNU 0-11a

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

“I enjoy eating a diversity of foods in a range of social situations. ”
HWB 0-29a / HWB 1-29a / HWB 2-29a

“I experience a sense of enjoyment and achievement when preparing simple healthy foods and drinks.”  HWB 1-30b

“I can use digital technologies to explore how to search and find information.” TCH 0-02a

 

 

 

References

Education Scotland (2009) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf [Accessed: 6th March]

Edutopia (2016) 3 Ways to Use Game-Based Learning. [Online] https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-use-game-based-learning-matthew-farber  [Accessed:6th March 2018]

Higher Education Academy (2017) Gamification and Games-Based Learning. [Online]https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning  [Accessed: 6th March 2018]

Learning and Teaching Scotland

In todays Digital technologies session, we were learning about using mobile devices to enhance learning. We were able to look through online documents which explored the many opinions and facts based around the use of mobile devices as an educator and as a child with regards to its benefits within a learning environment.

Mobile devices play an extremely important role in primary education establishments. With the increased use of technology such as smartphones and games consoles at home, the technology skills and benefits they bring are endless to the child.

Children are now entering schools who are fully digital aware with research suggesting that six year olds have the same understanding of communication technology as forty five year olds. Through further reading I discovered the online article by the Telegraph which discussed how technology is reshaping teaching it stated that ” Over four in 10 households now have a tablet, meaning that children are becoming computer-literate before they’ve even started primary school… we’ve all heard about the techno-babies who can handle an iPad before they have learnt how to tie their own shoelaces”. (Curtis, S. 2014) As children nowadays have increasing use and access to mobile devices, their understanding and skills when using them are becoming very advanced from a young age, so it is very beneficial to a child when using this within their education as they have already had a head start.

In education establishments, technology can be used in many ways. Children can take part in electronic quizzes and submit their answers in a digital method. This means their answers are interpreted through a mobile devices in ways in which perhaps written forms may not have.

However, many teachers have different opinions to the use of mobile devices by primary school aged children. Through reading an online article by the teaching times it was stated: “39 per cent of teachers stated that children should not have access out of school to mobile phones, while another 29 per cent of teachers said the ideal situation would be if all pupils had access to a mobile. Schools also believe that children’s preference for technology both at home and at school is evolving quickly, just as technology is continuing to change at a rapid pace” (Scottish Government 2016).

Some children may have limited access to mobile devices at home, whereby possess a disadvantage when utilising technology in the classroom. In contrary to this, using mobile devices in the classroom may help to strengthen their technology skills and build up their confidence when using it in the future if they gain access.

Today we explored Talking Tin and Easi Speak microphones, creating “I am…” poems using the Easi Speak Microphone. This poem consisted of a series of  sentence starters and prompts in order to create a poem that was interesting and unique to the individual. Once we had created our poem it was to be recorded through the Easi Speak microphones. Once it was recorded, the Easi Speak microphones were plugged into the computers and each line of our poems was uploaded to Microsoft Powerpoint and placed on a slide with a picture using the Pixabay website, which is a free to use copyright free website which will be so useful to me as a teacher in the future when creating resources. I have linked the poem below:

I am poem – bethany and orianne

The outcome within the Curriculum for Excellence which  linked to this task was “I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-01a” (Education Scotland 2014).

I found this as a learner an excellent resource for learning and I enjoyed taking part in the task. I will definitely use The Easi speak microphones as a teacher in the future as I feel that this is a very good use of exploration of different digital technologies and is an excellent resource to teach the concept of recording and also links in with using different digital platforms such as Microsoft Powerpoint to help showcase our work. This enables the enhancement of a child’s digital skills and learning how to use technology in a range of different scenarios and contexts. It also helps to reinforce the idea that mobile devices should be used within education establishments as it really does help to enhance a childs overall learning experience.

REFERENCES

Curtis, S. (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: 27th February 2018]

Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 27th February 2018]

Scottish Government (2016) Teaching Times – Games Consoles Benefit Children’s Education [Online] – https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm [Accessed 27th February 2018]

 

This week’s digital technologies workshop was focused on the use of animation within education and its benefits to the learning development of the child.

Bertrancourt (2005) states that “three ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning: 1. To enhance learners’ visual representations. 2. To illustrate processes. 3. To provide an interactive element.”

As stated by Moving Image Education there are five main types of animation: 1. Cutout – quickest and easiest

2. Stop-motion – example is plasticine models

3.Pixillation – humans become the puppets

4.Drawn – example is the classical Disney animation

5.Computer – also known as CGI and found in games and movies

(Moving Image Education).

Beauchamp (2012, p.54)  states that “through the use of ICT and technology it could allow pupils to accomplish something that could be difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”. This powerful use of digital technology a pupil with Additional Support Needs are able to excel throughout their education and portray their learning and understanding of what they have been learning in a modern way.

During today’s session, we explored just some of the many apps on the iPad such as Puppet Pals and iStopMotion to create a story which included a beginning, middle and an end. By doing this we had to take many still images which would be linked together, creating an animation and bringing still objects to life. Our animations also included audio recordings, plasticine models, cutouts and a background which enabled our story to have a setting. My partner and I created a park scene background using pens and paper. We also created plasticine models of three aliens who we named as ‘the blob family’. In our story, the blob’s visited planet earth and were playing ball in the park, when suddenly an apple fell from the tree and hit Mr Blob’s head. We cut out comic strip expressions such as “Ouch!” to illustrate how our plasticine model was feeling when the apple hit their head. We took a series of images of the story which enabled us to illustrate what happened.

For our animation we linked it to the curriculum for excellence experience’s and  outcomes:

“I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. TCH 1-01a” (Education Scotland 2004).

This outcome expresses the fact that a child can use the Ipad apps to explore and support their animation and technology skills and enable them to create different stories to enhance their learning and develop their technology skills in a different way.

I would definitely  use animation in the classroom when I become a teacher, as I found it extremely interesting to see how creative our stories could get and it could benefit a child’s understanding of how some of their favourite films and cartoons are created. To be introduced to these apps at an early stage was beneficial to me as a prospering teacher as I feel that if a teacher is  confident in their ability to teach a lesson using different methods of technology then it will encourage the child to be the same: ‘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 2015).

 

REFERENCES

Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 21 February 2018]Moving Image Education website:[Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [ACCESSED: 20.02.18]

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

 

Mobile devices are becoming a prominent feature in the majority of households in today’s society. The discussion in our class today was whether mobile devices should be used in the classroom and what benefits they bring to learning. We also explored the talking tins and the easi speak microphones and how they can be used in the classroom. The aim of today was to create an ‘I am’ poem using the voice recordings from the easi speak microphones, and then create a powerpoint with those recordings and images.

Technology is playing a central role in the classroom, not just in ICT, but in English, Maths and Science. According to the Telegraph (2014), four in ten households have a tablet, so children are computer literate before going to school.  Mobile devices have many benefits in the classroom. Technology can retain the children’s attention for a longer period of time than the traditional way of teaching. It keeps them engaged because it’s something that they are familiar with outside of school. According to Teaching Times, only a quarter of schools believe they only use it for entertainment. However, it has other benefits not only for children but for teachers too. For example, in maths children can submit their answers straight away and find out the answers instantly. This is a faster way of learning. Teachers are also able to look at the children’s answers and can easily note down their marks.   Parent/carers are often trying to get children to stop playing on their mobile devices for too long. Some children agreed that if they played it for too long it would make them tired or frustrated, but on the other hand some children find it relaxing and calming (Children’s Parliament, 2006). Technology is also useful as an additional support tool if the teacher is busy with other children. They can be left on their own and this would increase their independence. For example, they could use mobile devices to clarify the spellings of words, or play educational games to enhance learning if they had completed all of their tasks. (Children’s Parliament, 2006). Personally, I think mobile devices are a great resource for the classroom if they are used effectively.

Technology is growing at a rapid pace and it is important to keep up to date with it. However, there are some teachers that are not confident with using mobile devices. This is mainly because there is little support being given to teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum (Telegraph, 2o15).  In my opinion, if teachers had additional support or even attended an ICT class, it would have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning in the classroom. Teachers who are not as confident must also be aware that their uncertainty towards technology can also have a negative impact on the pupils. They must not pass on the fear they have.   Using technology in schools also allows children to make use of their devices to enhance their learning.

Although there are many advantages of mobile devices, there are also disadvantages of using them in the classroom.  Technology is very expensive and according to the Telegraph (2015), technology in schools in England is costing around £623 million per year. This means that many schools may not the same access to mobile devices that other schools have. In addition to this, most mobile devices will need Wi-Fi to set up the applications and devices, and schools have reported that they are under resourced in Wi-Fi. This makes it difficult for children and teachers to get online to use the technology facilities such as educational websites. Despite the negatives, I think there are far more many advantages when it comes to using mobile devices.

The Experiences and Outcomes for using mobile devices:

“I can extend and enhance my knowledge of digital technologies to collect, analyse ideas, relevant information and organise these in an appropriate way.” TCH 2-01a

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

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

Overall, We must keep up to date with the ever changing technology, as children are now fast becoming more intuitive when it comes to technology in today’s society. I think as a student teacher is it vital to use mobile devices in the classroom. It can enhance learning and keep children engaged in lessons. Therefore, they are more likely to enjoy and take more information from a lesson.

 

Powerpoint – easi speak microphone 

 

References

Children’s Parliament (2006) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Vies of Children. [Online] http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf  [Accessed: 28th February 2018]

Education Scotland (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: Technologies Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] https://education.gov.scot/Documents/Technologies-es-os.pdf [Accessed 28th February 2018]

Telegraph (2014) Digital Learning: How Technology is Reshaping Teaching [Online] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed: 28th February 2018]

Telegraph (2015) Classroom Technology Barely Used By Half of Teachers [Online]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12013650/Classroom-technology-barely-used-by-half-of-teachers.html [Accessed: 28th February 2018]

Today’s lesson we focused on animations.  Upon further reading I discovered there are five main types of animation (Moving Image Education):

Cutout- this is one of the easiest and quickest forms of animation

Stop-motion – this includes but is in no way limited to, plasticine animation

Pixillation – Humans become the puppets

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

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

Whilst exploring various sources on animation something I found really interesting was on the Moving Image Education which discusses the almost endless opportunities when it comes to animations. As shown in one of their video examples leaves can be turned into dolphins, rice, paint, jewellery, pasta, ice, almost anything can be placed under the camera and the animated. Likewise, just about anything can be used as the background (Moving Image Education . I found this so exciting as children’s imaginations are often incredible and endless and so the following quote below came to mind which I absolutely love when it comes to children and their creativity. I particularly liked the idea of incorporating nature into their animations as this would then allow you as a teacher to cover so many topic areas and could lead to discussions about anything from seasons to the importance of wildlife conservation.

 

 

This not only allows children’s creativity to blossom it also makes this a more accessible activity as at the simplest level besides the iPad children could use many every day objects found around the classroom from a pencil and a piece of paper to ‘treasure pieces’ used in mathematics. This could also incorporate arts lessons as children could design and create their own props.

Before creating our own animation with props we were given time to explore puppet pals and create an animation cased upon a fairytale we had previously read. We were create a story with a beginning, middle and an end which included voice recording, movement and change in size of the characters. The app was simple and easy to use and if different packages were purchased it gave children the opportunity to take pictures and use the faces of themselves or friend to be the star of the story. After using this app this could be another great way to encourage and engage children who would usually struggle in engaging with story writing. As Beauchamp discusses (2012, p.55); “e-Inclusion aims to use digital technologies to minimise the problems that pupils with learning difficulties experience”. It also gives all pupils the chance to bring their stories to life and “through the use of ICT and technology it could allow pupils to accomplish something that could be difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”.(Beauchamp, 2012, p.54).

Once we had a chance to explore puppet pals we then discussed the IStopMotion app on the iPad. As a class we were provided with various props and there were no limitations as to what we were to create. We used paper and coloured pens to create the ‘sea’ and the ‘sky’ as a background as well as paper boats which we moved using the stop,start animation. We used bear figurines as the main characters in our animation and the photos below show a brief example of what we created during the time given.

This was a fun task and I was impressed with what we managed to create using simple objects which would be around in most classrooms. Below are outcomes we decided could be covered within this lesson in a classroom.

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

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

“I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts and I use what I learn to invent my own, sharing these with others in imaginative ways. LIT 0-09b / LIT 0-31a” (Education Scotland, 2004)

 

This has been one of my favourite resources we have looked at so far as the opportunities for children’s imaginations are almost endless and the pride children would feel having created the animation from start to finish would be great for their self confidence as well as the opportunity to cover so many areas of the curriculum.

 

References

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

Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 24 February 2018]

Moving Image Education website: Animation [Online] Available at: https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 24 February 2018]