Looking back on my time in this module I feel that I have gained some valuable skills. In my first blog post I mentioned how in taking this module I wished to find out more information on what technologies are available for use in the classroom. I feel that I have reached this aspiration as I now know about numerous technologies and have been able to come up with ways in which they could be used in an educational way such as Minecraft and familiarised myself with technologies which are used daily within classes to deliver class material such as Activinspire.

I also mentioned in my first blog post that I felt this module would help me feel more confident in incorporating digital technologies into my lesson plans. I feel that I have grown in confidence in this across my time taking this module as I have been given the opportunity to not only familiarise myself with the different technologies to build my confidence but also build my own lesson plans which use these.

I am also now aware of how important it is for teachers to feel confident in using digital technologies from reading the work of Beauchamp who highlights that “Although teachers may be worried by new technologies… we need to be sure that this is not transmitted to young children”. I am now aware that in having a limited confidence in technologies you may be placing barriers up for your pupils (Beauchamp, 2012).

From taking this module I am now aware of the importance which is placed on technologies in todays curriculum with it being a large part of meeting curricular outcomes. I am glad that this module has allowed me the ability to feel like I could deliver this aspect of the curriculum with confidence.

References

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

 

 

 

In today’s lesson we were learning about QR Codes and their uses within a classroom setting.

We began by discussing what QR Code were learning that they are an image code which can be programmed to contain images, text and web links.

We were set the task of creating a treasure hunt that could be used in an educational setting using QR codes.

Once I got together with my group the first thing that we did was share our ideas. It was suggested that we based our treasure hunt off a previous lesson which we had planned. This is when I raised the idea of basing it off a shopping task which involved using money and working out change. We all agreed that this was a good idea and problem solved as a group to figure out how we could turn this into a treasure hunt. In reflection I feel that this was an important part of our planning stage as everyone worked together well to figure out a solution. I feel that this is a vital skill to have as a teacher as not everything runs as smoothly as planned.

We came to the decision that our treasure hunt would start with the pupils having to find out the answer to a calculation using currency. The answer to this calculation would tell them the number of the room which they had to go to in order to find the next QR code which would reveal an item on the shopping list which they could cross off and the next calculation to find out the next room number. The pupils would have to record their findings along the way as at the end they would add up the total of all the amounts calculated.

We then had to decide what stage we would make our treasure hunt for so that we could make sure that the calculations and language were suited. We decided upon first level however, I feel that this task could easily be adapted for 2^nd level by using more complex calculations such as multiplication making it a perfect activity for a mixed ability or composite class.

We used an online QR Code generator to make our QR codes. This was easily accessible and straight forward to use. The only issue which we faced at this stage was that we could not add pictures. I feel that if I was to repeat this task again I would either printout picture to place alongside the QR codes in their positions or find another QR code generator that allows me to do this in order to add this element.

Our planned task covered outcomes in the curriculum such as:

• I can use money to pay for items and can work out how much change I should receive. MNU 1-09a

(Scottish Government, n.d.)

I believe that the QR code activity provides a great chance for children to learn in a more active way than sitting at a desk as pupils can go from one end of the building to the other to find the correct clues. This therefore helps in them meeting one of the eight wellbeing indicators of being active. (Scottish Government, 2017)

QR codes also provide a great opportunity for outdoor learning. A treasure hunt task could easily send children outdoors exploring the environment, adding this aspect could further develop a child’s excitement for the task and therefore providing opportunities for deeper understanding. This is also stated by Learning and Teaching Scotland who appreciate that outdoor learning opportunities are memorable and “provide relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways which are difficult to achieve indoors” (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2010).

It is for these reasons that I believe QR codes are a great addition to the classroom and would hope to have the opportunity to try out a QR code related task in my classroom one day.

 

References

Scottish Government (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence. [pdf] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed on 14th March 2019]

 

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

Scottish Government (2017) Getting It Right for Every Child. [online] available at: https://www.gov.scot/policies/girfec/wellbeing-indicators-shanarri/ [accessed on 14^th March 2019]

In today’s lesson we were looking into the benefits of games-based learning and how this can be incorporated into the classroom. Our focus was on the hugely popular game Minecraft.

Todays task was to use Minecraft as a stimulus to plan a lesson which would allow for learning across several aspects of the curriculum.

As a teacher I feel that it is important to make your lessons relevant and interesting for your pupils so that maximum attention and performance is achieved. I feel that the introduction of games-based learning can provided an opportunity for that as it is stated by Ofcom that around 90% of 8-11-year have access to gaming devices in the home (Ofcom, 2011). This tells us that it is a big part of todays society. Minecraft is just one of the games which proves very popular with all ages, with How to do Everything in Minecraft describing it as “a worldwide phenomenon” (How to do Everything in Minecraft, 2014).

We got together as a group and started discussing our ideas for the task. For those of us who were unfamiliar with Minecraft it was more difficult to envisage what is possible with the game. However, one of the benefits of working within a group was that some of the group were familiar with the game and were able to let us know whether our ideas would be able to become a reality. We were given an interdisciplinary planner and upon discussion we decided that our plan was to place the children into groups and give them a choice of landmarks. Once they had chosen one landmark from the given list they then would have to go online and do some research on the landmark to create a fact file. Once this was completed the children would then go on Minecraft and create their own version of the landmark. They children would then be paired up with another group to share their findings and creations.

In adding the fact file and presenting element alongside the use of Minecraft our idea was able to cover many curricular areas such as:

• Numeracy and mathematics in that the children would be looking at symmetry in some circumstances to try and replicate how the building looks.
• Languages in that the children would be creating a fact file, making notes from relevant information and presenting to their peers
• Expressive arts in that the children would be using their creative skills to plan and make their own copy of the landmark
• Social studies in that the children would be researching the history of their chosen landmark.

This results in covering many curricular outcomes such as:

• I have the opportunity to choose and explore and extended range of edit and technologies to create images and objects. EXA 2-02a
• I can select ideas and relevant information and organise them in appropriate ways for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience. Lit 2-06a

(Scottish Government, n.d.)

In exploring the game, it was easy to see ways in which children could become distracted by other aspects of the game that would be off task for example in the chat aspect of the game. It is stated by Beauchamp that “achieving educational objectives through the use of the game was more dependent upon a teacher’s knowledge of the curriculum than it was with their ability of the game” (Beauchamp, 2012). However, in this circumstance I believe that knowledge of the game would be equally as important so that they are easily aware of what is on task and what isn’t.

From participating in this task today I can confidently state that I agree with Bray who states that “games should not just be used as rewards or for entertainment but as a whole new approach to learning” (Bray, 2012). I agree with this due to seeing how Minecraft opened the opportunity for interdisciplinary learning.

References

Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online] https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed 7th March 2019]

Scottish Government (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence. [pdf] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed on 7th March 2019]

 

MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft

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

Ofcom (2011) Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes [pdf] Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/55479/children_and_parents.pdf [accessed on 8th March 2019]

 

 

 

On the 19^th of February, we had a lesson in animation and how it could be used within the classroom. Firstly, we had to educate ourselves with the different types of animation which exist. We looked over the ‘Moving Image Education’ website which enabled us to find out that animation can be split into 5 categories:

• Cut out
• Stop-motion
• Pixilation
• Drawn
• Computer

(Moving image Education, nd)

I feel that it was important for me to do this research as it allowed me to find out both the pros and cons of each type. This means that I could apply the best suited animation task in a classroom setting as this could vary depending on circumstances such as time frame, stage and resources available.

I then had to familiarise myself with different animation apps that are available. I first looked at an app called Puppet Pals. I played around with this app for a while and soon realised that although it was straight forward to use, it was very restricted in the content that you could create. I therefore think that this app may not be the best for use in the classroom as it would be limited in the learning outcomes which could be covered in terms of presenting prior knowledge and the children may become frustrated as they may struggle with what is available to them in making their vision a reality.

I then explored another app called iStop Motion. I joined with another member of my class as we embarked on our task of creating a short animation using a bendy figure, in order to familiarise ourselves with how the app works. To begin with we watched a tutorial on how to get started and from then on, the app was straight forward to use. However, the creation of the animation was not without its struggles. One issue we faced was ensuring that the background was in proportion to the bendy figures. In order to fix this issue for the following week we decided that we would prepare all our backgrounds by hand prior to coming to class.

I feel that as a teacher it is important to familiarise yourself with the technologies you are using as it will allow you the confidence necessary to deliver this to a class to the best of your ability, which will therefore give the pupils the best chance at success. This is further backed by Beauchamp who states that “Although teachers may be worried by new technologies… we need to be sure that this is not transmitted to young children” (Beauchamp, 2012).

 

I feel this also means that as teachers we cannot let our worries of new technologies limit the learning within our classroom. Animation can provide a basis for deeper understanding as it can increase the visual representation which an individual has, it can be used to visualise different processes and provide an element of interactivity (Jarvis, 2015).

At the end of this week’s class we were made aware of our task for the following week, to make our own animation, so that we could plan and therefore make best use of our time. My partner and I decided to go with the stimulus of an historical event. Upon further research we then decided that our animation was going to tell the story of the moon landing as we felt this was something that could be easily completed within the time frame which we would have. Once this had been decided we then needed to decide on what type of animation we were going to use. It is stated by Moving Image Education that “Cut out animation is one of the quickest and easiest ways of creating animation” (Moving Image Education, n.d.). From finding this information we decided that this would be the best option for us. It also meant that we could draw out our character and backgrounds as we liked, so there were very minimal creative restrictions.

One benefit to working in a group was that we had varied skills between us. I was able to organise a list and plan of the things that we needed, and my partner was able to use her artistic skills to make these a reality.

When arriving to class the following Tuesday we were ready to start creating our animation straight away. We quickly started setting out our backgrounds and placing the characters in the correct place. We soon realised that we had to use blue tack to stick down the corners of our cut outs to endure that they laid flat, therefore improving the look of our final product.

One challenge which we faced was ensuring that the cameras angle and height was the same throughout. We had to keep comparing the previous picture to the one after and re take numerous shots. Upon reflection if this issue I feel that if I was to lead a task like this in the classroom, I would ensure that the pupils had tripods.

From participating in this task, I can easily pick out several aspects of the curriculum which an activity like this would cover throughout both the planning and implementing stage. For example.

• When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can exchange information, experiences, explanations, ideas and opinions, and clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more. LIT 1-09a
• I am learning to use my notes and other types of writing to help me understand information and ideas, explore problems, generate and develop ideas or create new text. LIT 1-25a
• Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts. TCH 1-02a

(Scottish Government, n.d.)

Due to this, I feel that this would be a great task to set a class. Now that I have participated in these inputs, I believe that I would feel confident in implementing this in a classroom setting.

References

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

Moving Image Education website. [Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed: 21st February 2019]

Moving Image Education website. [Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation/cutout [accessed on 19th February 2019]

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

Scottish Government (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence. [pdf] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed on 28th February 2019]

 

 

In today session we were set the task of using iMovie to make our own films which convey the important message of how to stay safe online. To begin with we got into groups and decided that we had to plan before going ahead and using the app. I feel that for this task it was very beneficial for us to work in groups as we were able to share our ideas and our range of skills. Prior to this task I had no previous experience of using iMovie however, there were members of my group who had, and they were able to use their prior knowledge to guide us in how the app works and what options the app had for creating. This saved us a lot of time as if I was working on my own, I would’ve had to spend a lot of time checking out the features of the app before planning as well as watching tutorials for information. In giving a similar task to pupils they would be able to do the same, gaining skills from listening to and explaining to others. The Scottish Government have stated that “Digital technologies appear to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings.” (Scottish Government, 2015). I feel this incorporates the idea that digital technologies open the opportunity for a great amount of discussion between individuals allowing them to meet curriculum targets such as:

• When I engage with others, I know when and how to listen, when to talk, how much to say, when to ask questions and how to respond with respect. LIT 1-02a
• When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can exchange information, experiences, explanations, ideas and opinions, and clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more. LIT 1-09a

(Scottish Government, n.d.)

When I met with my group, we all shared our ideas and decided on what we wished our movie to cover. We decided that we wanted to make our short movie relatable and interesting for the pupils watching so we decided to base it around a popular video game Fortnite and how the children can enjoy themselves playing but also keep themselves safe. I believe that this was a good decision because as a teacher it is essential to keep your pupils engaged as best as possible so that the information is memorable and so information isn’t lost meaning that the children have a greater understanding.

We then decided upon the points we wanted to get across. We decided that we wanted our movie to cover the topics of adding friends in the game, chatting to others online, ensuring that personal information isn’t available for others to see, ensuring that you only add friends that you know and showing how to block people. I feel that this planning time was important as it allowed us to have a clear train of thought to follow and therefore saved us time when it came to turn our ideas into a movie.

Internet safety is a topic which is important for children to be educated on. Although technologies offer lots of exciting opportunities it is important that we allow these to be a safe place for children to explore. It is stated by Beauchamp that “e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them” (Beauchamp, 2012). I agree with this statement in that it is important that when educating children about being safe online we do not frighten them away, as technologies have a lot to offer. I feel that as a group we did a good job in ensuring that we presented our information in a way that does so.

References:

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the primary school: from Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson

Scottish Government (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence. [pdf] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed on 14th February 2019]

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 on 14th February 2019]