Today within the last class of Digital Technologies we focused on the use of QR codes, as well as the app Pic Collage.  Everything we done was focused around outdoors, this gave me great lesson ideas for the future that will enhance outdoor learning.  I learned about the wide range of benefits outdoor learning has, before we went outside to complete our own treasure hunt that had been set up for us using the QR Reader app.  After this, I was then able to use this app to make my own which could be used for a mathematics lesson.

During today’s class I learned about the advantages outdoor learning has, such as how it provides inclusion. This is because some children are often disregarded in the classroom by other children as their skills and interests may be different to theirs, however, outdoor learning can increase feeling of self-worth as children often become more confident when doing something they are enjoying.  Due to this, they are more likely to be closer with their class peers.  This is backed up by (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2010) “…the outdoor environment encourages staff and students to see each other in a different light, building positive relationships and improving self-awareness and understanding of others.”  Outdoor learning also allows children to develop safety skills, this giving them the freedom to understand what risks are, this helping them in all aspects of their life.  It also promotes healthy lifestyles as a lot of physical activity can be done outdoors that may not be possible indoors, such as hill walking (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2010).  Learning outdoors also allows children to think critically, this is because they are able to recognise how different curricular areas can be placed outside.  Due to all of the advantages stated above, children’s communication, problem solving skills and confidence working with others is therefore improved.

I fully agree that outdoor learning provides all these advantages, as when we went outdoors today to participate in a treasure hunt, I felt so motivated and ready to complete it; this making me aware just how much children must love taking part in things outside!  There had been a treasure hunt set up for us to complete in groups using the QR Reader App based around Scotland, there were different questions asked such as “How many islands are in Scotland?” to which we had to select the right answer which gave us a letter.  After finding all the sheets of paper around the outside of the university with the codes to scan and get the question from, all the correct answers ended up making the word ‘haggis’ and at the end we had to scan it to make sure we were correct.  I thoroughly enjoyed participating in this activity and I’m also very excited to see how much enjoyment children get out of lessons like this!  Whilst outside we also took pictures on an iPad, and when we were back inside we created a collage on the app Pic Collage.  I have used this app before and think it would be great for children to use as you can add text, stickers, backgrounds and other features with the pictures.  I believe that children would love taking pictures outside, of things such as insects, and then when back indoors making a collage of everything they have explored.  Many lessons within the curriculum could be incorporated into Pic Collage, such as taking children out to take pictures of all the shapes they see, they could then add a collage of all the pictures and add text beside the pictures naming the shape.  This lesson would cover this curricular outcome –  I have explored simple 3D objects and 2D shapes and can identify, name and describe their features using appropriate vocabulary. – MTH 1-16a

In pairs we also discussed how the different aspects within the SHANARRI Wellbeing Wheel can be related to outdoors which are – safe, healthy, active, nurture, achieving, responsible, respect and included (Scottish Government, 2017).  Mine and my partners focus was on respect and we discussed how being outdoors enables children to understand to respect the environment, for example, not littering or walking over flower beds.  During my years at school I only went outdoors during spring and summer, however, when I am a teacher I hope to take children outside to learn in all different weathers.  I feel very strongly about this as I don’t believe it’s beneficial or healthy that children need to stay indoors all week at school.  I know after today how little time it takes to put a lesson together for going outdoors, as I created five numeracy questions on the QR reader app aimed at children in primary one/two which could be made into a treasure hunt outside.  For example, question one asked, what is 8 take away 3?, from this they would select the correct answer which would give them a letter.  After all five questions, they would then have five letters which they would need to put together to make the word ‘maths’.  This activity only took me around fifteen minutes to make and would take about half an hour/forty-five minutes to carry out, therefore even one lesson like this per week would increase children’s enjoyment when learning!  Curriculum for Excellence experience and outcomes that this lesson would fit into are:

I can share ideas with others to develop ways of estimating the answer to a calculation or problem, work out the actual answer, then check my solution by comparing it with the estimate. MNU 1-01a

I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division when solving problems, making best use of the mental strategies and written skills I have developed. MNU 1-03

Overall, due to today’s class I now fully appreciate and understand how important outdoor learning is, due to number of benefits it provides children with.  After every class of Digital Technologies I am constantly thinking about the lessons that I could carry out in the future relating to what I have been focusing on, and today is no exception!  The QR Reader and Pic Collage app are great to really grab children’s interests while they are learning.

I’m grateful for all this module has taught me and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning something new in every single class.  I have come a very long way from the first class where I wasn’t even confident using an Apple iMac, whereas now I have learned about a wide range of things ranging from coding, to eBooks, programmable toys and much more!  At the end of today’s class it was highlighted to me how much I have progressed due to this module as I completed the sheet that I had filled in at the very start of the module in January.  In January I rated how unconfident I was with most aspects of technology, however, today I rated that I was confident in everything that we had explored.  At the start of the module I couldn’t fully grasp how different areas of the Curriculum could fit in well with and benefit from the use of technology, however after working with different things such as Bee-bots I now know how fun it is to use them to create mathematics lessons.  Also, apps such as Book Creator are great for literacy lessons, which can be used by children to summarise a story.  Due to my increased knowledge I now feel as though I will be confident when teaching with technology in the future, therefore, I got exactly what I wanted out of this module.

References:

Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf [Accessed 20 March 2018]

Scottish Government (2017) Wellbeing [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/wellbeing [Accessed 20 March 2018]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

References:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After learning about the wide range of benefits Game-based Learning has and how many lessons within the curriculum it fits in, I think that it is essential I am confident in carrying it out to children in future years.  During classes like this my confidence increases as I get to think of lesson plans and also get to enjoy carrying out activities such as creating our own characters, this making me aware that children will too!  I now recognise how important it is that I try my best to keep up to date with the latest games that have been released as I know how quickly children learn to play them, therefore in the future I will hopefully always be aware what games are best to use in certain lessons.  I feel as though this is important so that children’s learning in school is connected with their home life, as they will most likely not enjoy playing games in school that they played years ago at home!

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

References:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

References:

Children’s Parliament (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children [Online] Available: http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed: 27 February 2018]

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

I am poem