During my first class of Digital Technologies, we found out the definition of Digital Technology and the benefits it has for children in our education system. I will go on to discuss these benefits within my blog and explain what I learned and reflected on in my first session.

Digital technology is defined as a term used to describe those digital applications, services and resources which are used to find, analyse, create, communicate and to use information in a digital context.  According to the Scottish Government (2016), there are four objectives to be successful in digital technology, teaching and assessment which are: developing  the skills of our educators in the appropriate and effective use of digital technology to support learning and teaching; improve access to digital technology for all learners; ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of the curriculum and assessment delivery and to empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.  I have learned that digital technology has many benefits that bring positive impacts to a child’s learning which has a massive impact on education. There has been indicative evidence which shows that digital technologies can help close the attainment gap in education (Scottish Government 2016).  It can also  help children with Additional Support Needs and it can help maintain interest in various subjects. For example if a child is under achieving in a particular subject , the use of technology can improve their skills in that subject which increases their confidence. In addition to this, it can create  digital skills that prepare children for the transition into  employment.  Many jobs now require the use of digital technology, so it is vital that they have these skills which will create more career opportunities for them. It also gives them the opportunity to be creative in a way that could not happen without it (Beauchamp, 2012). There are also benefits for teachers, parents and carers too. Teachers can have access to a range of career-long learning experiences. They can share those experiences, information with other teachers  and there are opportunities there to support the professional development of teachers. I think it is great that teachers and children can have access to various areas of digital technology. It is also useful for carers/parents as it allows them to be able to communicate easily with their child’s school to keep up to date with their learning.  In addition to this, I explored Glow and found out that it has many beneficial and useful applications such as Yammer, Glow TV and Glow Meet. We can share experiences and speak with each other from the comfort of our homes. I feel that this will be beneficial throughout my degree at University and also my teaching career.  Moreover,  I also reflected on what I am competent and confident in with regards to digital technology. I realised that I  know a lot of the basics such as MS Word and Excel, however I found out that I do not know anything about programming or coding and the devices used for them. However, I am keen to develop these areas and learn more about them, as I think it would be great resources for the classroom.

Overall, I have learned that digital technology has many benefits, not only for children but for teachers, parents and carers too. It plays an important role in society and by having digital technology in schools it prepares children for their future career. On reflection, I realised that although I know the basics about digital technology, there are still so many applications and programmes out there that I have never experienced before. Glow is also another tool that has many uses for everyone , which I was not aware of.  However, throughout this module I hope to increase that knowledge and hope to use it further in my career.

References

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

Scottish Government (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available :   http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505855.pdf [Accessed: 9th January 2018]