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]
