Todays class was looking at the coding programme Scratch Jr. So what is coding?

” When you learn to code you can make things happen on your computer. You can make anything you want with a code. It could be a game, some pictures or a film” (BBC, 2019, n.p.)

The opportunities available for children using coding is endless, it allows children to create something from…scratch!! This enables the child to be creative in many senses of the word and allows the child to feel they have created something worthwhile and may help them feel valued. The push for coding to be introduced is huge and here is a reason why-

“The biggest justification for change is not economic but moral. It is that if we don’t act now we will be short-changing our children. They live in a world that is shaped by physics, chemistry, biology and history, and so we – rightly – want them to understand these things. But their world will be also shaped and configured by networked computing and if they don’t have a deeper understanding of this stuff then they will effectively be intellectually crippled.” (Naughton, 2012).

The Scratch Jr programme allows the children to interact and engage with the programme, this could allow children to work together and learn from each other. The learning theory of scaffolding could be gained using this programme.

Having arrived late to class (due to the weather I promise!) I felt somewhat lost when starting the activity. I quickly realised that Scratch Jr was not as cute and easy as the name made it appear! I have to admit that I did not access the programme prior to class, due to my unwell children and exhausted self… and this had a clear impact on my ability to dive in and get started.

 

After a lot of tinkering and trying to workout what button did what, I began to (slowly) get an understanding of the aim and possibilities of the programme. I decided to make my Scratch Jr activity based on phonics. I also chose to incorporate the phonics song to embed the childrens knowledge and also be recapping on prior learning. My activity allowed the children to interact and have a response from the technology, which I feel has a great impact on their concentration and willing involvement in the activity. 

The experiences and outcomes that I think this activity would cover are:

• TCH 0-01a “I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts”.
• LIT 0-01a / LIT 0-11a /LIT 0-20a “I enjoy exploring and playing with the patterns and sounds of language and can use what I learn.” (Education Scotland, (n.d.)

Coding has been introduced in primary schools, and as early as primary 1. In 2014, Education secretary Michael Gove said: “For the first time children will be learning to programme computers. It will raise standards across the board – and allow our children to compete in the global race.” (Curtis, 2003). The findings in this writing suggests that the benefits of teaching children coding can, and will, prepare children for the advances in the future and give them the tools to be able to succeed in a technologically based horizon.

I feel that I would need to spend a lot of time investigating the possibilities of Scratch Jr and learn how to use it efficiently, as it did not come easy to me. I think that this activity would need patience and lots of encouragement to stay on task, as there are various things that can go wrong…which might make children loose concentration…This, however, emphasises the importance of teachers having the adequate training and knowledge to be able to guide pupils and teach them how to use tools such as Scratch Jr to assist in learning and fun in the classroom!

 

References

• Curtis, S. (2003) Teaching Our Children to Code: A Quiet Revolution. The Telegraph. [Online] 4 November. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10410036/Teaching-our-children-to-code-a-quiet-revolution.html [Accessed: 1 February 2019].
• BBC, 2019, n.p. [Online] Available: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/zykx6sg [Accessed: 1 February 2019].
• Education Scotland. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed: 10 January 2019]

In todays session we learned about multi modality. This is a means of communication which uses 2 or more of the semiotic systems, which are as follows:

• Linguistic
• Visual
• Audio
• Gestural
• Spatial

“The multimodal capability of ICT is another reason to use it, as it allows teachers to present an idea in a variety of different ways to help pupils understand it. It can also make work more interesting or motivating.” (Beauchamp, G. 2012).

Having seen ActivInspire being used in the classroom whilst on placement, I was somewhat familiar with the software. This was a different story when I had to access it myself!! I found it to be quite intimidating, as their are many different icons and options available, knowing where to actually start was a problem! I found this to be quite stressful at first, I could feel myself getting frustrated due to my lack of knowledge and ability to even navigate around the software!

This made me reflect on the impact this is bound to have had on teachers in the past and possibly presently. It is important that teachers and student teachers are given the appropriate training to be able to use technologies/software in the most effective way possible, to enhance However, after playing around with the software, it was clear that there are many dimensions to it and its capability to assist and enhance areas of the curriculum are limitless.

I decided to link my slide on ActivInspire with the activity I designed alongside the programmable toy Bee-Bot. Having chosen Health and Wellbeing as my topic for last weeks activity, I thought it would be worthwhile using this as an introduction to getting the children used to the vocabulary used in describing some feelings and emotions. In my slide I used the torch tool to enable me to hide the whole page (I did this as I thought it could help keep children focused on one emotion/feeling at a time). The children could put the torch over parts of the face depicting the emotion and focus on certain features-eyes, mouth, eyebrows. This could give hints as to what the feeling is and could be spoken about further in relation to why the person may feel this way or even just getting the children to use descriptive words. It also allows the children to see the word printed alongside the emotive face, making links and exploring their possible meanings.

The experiences and outcomes that could be developed doing this would be similar to those with the Bee-Bot activity:-

• I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them. (HWB 0-01a / HWB 1-01a)
• I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts. (TCH 0-01a)
• I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts. (TCH 1-01a)

This weeks class has made me truly reflect on the need for me to work on my ability to navigate my way around ActivInspire and try to take advantage of all the possibilities that it has to offer. I am going to spend some time watching YouTube videos and tutorials in the hope that it assists me in feeling more confident using the software.

 

References

• Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: from Pedagpogy to Practice. Pearson.
• Education Scotland. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed: 10 January 2019]

“If we plan to enrich preschool learning by the use of digital technologies, we may consider programmable toys also from another point of view. Digital technologies spread into many kindergartens nowadays and there is a widespread belief among educators and parents that children will require technological competencies to succeed in the workplace” (Janka, P. 2008).

This weeks class involved the introduction of the programmable toy Bee-Bot, which is a foreign object to me! Having done some reading previous to coming to class, and also quizzing my son about it! I had some knowledge of its positive attributes and enhancement capabilities in the classroom and early years setting.

It is clear that the Bee-Bot can aid many activities for young children. It can be an introduction to technology and help children to learn about control and demands. The use of possible unknown language such as: forward, left, right, back- also contributes to their language knowledge.   The Bee-Bot appears to be a very versatile and engaging piece of technology, and having the opportunity to design my own mat and activity was very exciting. The trouble I had however, was trying to choose just one! Which further proves the Bee-Bots never-ending list of possibilities across the curriculum.

“One big bonus is that no number recognition is needed. Younger children, who did not know their numbers were able to use the Bee-Bot.” (Lydon, A. 2008).

This shows that this device can be used for children with different abilities, and allows inclusion for all young people interacting with it. I feel this is vital in an activity, having witnessed whilst on my placement the vast range of abilities in the classroom.

I decided to focus my activity on health and wellbeing. This area seems to be always at the basis of all of my thoughts, as I feel very strongly about how important this is for young children. It is vital for children to be able to recognise their own feelings/emotions, as well as being able to identify them in other people. I choose to use the emoji face as a representation of the emotion/feeling, I did this because I think most children would recognise these icons and identify them well. In my activity I would make sure the children understand what emotion/feeling the icon depicts and talk about the language surrounding them. I could ask the children to describe to me what feeling the icon is portraying, and why they possibly feel this way.

I feel that this could be used and executed in many ways, I could also have images of people the children could talk to if they feel a certain way, or places the children could go to depending on their feelings. For example: Talking to a teacher, a caregiver, a friend, a sibling. Or going to the medical room or approaching someone they trust if they feel unwell or unsafe. I could create a scenario and ask the children how it would make them/others feel, for example, if someone was unkind to them in the playground or didn’t share, etc.

I also think this activity could work alongside other areas of the curriculum: in a reading session to identify how characters in a story were feeling and why, or to get an understanding of the pupils feelings towards a certain area of the curriculum. This activity could also be useful for children who are non-verbal to communicate their feelings and needs, it also could take the pressure away from talking out loud. It doesn’t need to be used as a group activity, one to one with a child who you feel may be experiencing any issues could maybe feel at ease using this as a means of expression.

 

 

I feel that the experiences and outcomes gained from this activity would be the following:

• I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them. (HWB 0-01a / HWB 1-01a)

 

• I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts. (TCH 0-01a)

 

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

(Education Scotland. (n.d.)

There are many positives about the use of technologies in the classroom, however, I feel that the teacher must have the confidence and knowledge to be able to use the device effectively and to its full potential. I have visions of myself in a teaching role, with a pupil portraying more confidence and knowledge than I do about an area digitally enabled. This is why i have choose this option, I want to be confident and able to teach well and effectively, offering boundless opportunities to children across all ability levels and areas of the curriculum.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience planning and designing this activity with the Bee-Bot, with the childrens possible learning experiences at the foremost of my thoughts. I feel that the Bee-Bot is an excellent way to introduce young children to programmable toys and to enhance various areas of the curriculum. I think that it has the capabilities to turn a maybe unfavoured activity into an exciting and interactive one, giving children the experience of communicating and engaging as an inclusive learning opportunity.

 

References:

• Education Scotland. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed: 10 January 2019]
• Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How?[Online] Available: http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf[Accessed: 10 January 2019]
• Lydon, A. ( 2007) Let’s Go With Bee-Bot: Using your Bee-Bot across the curriculum. TTS Group Ltd.

 

 

Good afternoon!

My name is Amy Redmond and I need help…with digital technologies! Having struggled with some computer-based aspects of the course so far (sometimes even logging onto the macs!), I feel it has cemented my wise choice in undertaking this module.

As I am an ahem… “mature” student, the advances in technology since I was a pupil at school is astounding. From a single computer shared by a whole classroom, to myself being on placement and witnessing the use of smart boards, iPads and laptops being used in a single lesson! Prensky (2001) states in that-

“Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach”

Prensky further states that Digital immigrants are the people who are not brought up or born in the digital age, and Digital Natives being the current or forthcoming students with technological lingo and continually surrounded by all aspects digital. I am quite sure that I can class myself as a “Digital Immigrant” to some extent, and I would like to change this in the hope to be able to communicate and teach the children of the future effectively. The importance and value of digital technologies was observed on several occasions, and I appreciated its enhancement in lessons, particularly to some pupils with lower abilities. This made it even clearer that I must “upgrade” my own learning and be able to assist children in the best way possible. I also acknowledge that improving my technological skills will assist me in my own academic journey to becoming a teacher.

It is evident that the Scottish Government has taken the view that the implementation of digital technologies within the classroom is paramount, in particular with the hope to raise attainment and achieve equity.

“Digital technology can make a substantial contribution to this improvement agenda by enriching education across all areas of the Curriculum for Excellence.” (Scottish Government, 2016).

It further goes on to detail how it can enrich learning and teaching and help provide valuable tools for our children’s educational outcomes, if used in the most appropriate way.

I am looking forward to using the beebots in next week’s class, I have already asked my 6-year-old son if he has used them at school, he informed me that “a Beebot is something that you need to control with buttons to get it about”. I must admit that I was quite overwhelmed with all of the information from the first instalment of digital technologies, but I am very excited to try different programs and aids to enhance the pupil’s education that I hope to be a part of in the future.

 References:

• Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.
• Scottish Government. (2016). A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. [Online].  Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/enhancing-learning-tearning-through-use-digital-technology/pages/2/. [Accessed: 05 January 2019].