Elise Martin UWS

Through participating in the Digital Technologies module, I have learned so much more than I had previously thought and I have had a very positive and enjoyable experience. It has highlighted to me how influential technology is in our daily lives and how this can be brought into a classroom setting.

At the start of the module, we were asked to evaluate how we felt about technology and I cannot believe how much my technology skills have developed through such a short period of time. This module has allowed me to deepen my understanding of technology in the 21st century and to analyse how technology can be integrated into lessons throughout all areas of the curriculum.Throughout this module, we have been given many different ideas and tips of ways in which technology can be used in lessons which have all been very helpful and interesting.

Through further reading for this module, I was able to see how strongly many theorists and educators feel about technology being embedded within the curriculum. I believe that I now have the same opinion on technology following this module. I can now see how important technology is with regards to education and I believe the two go hand in hand.

I believe that I will take everything that I have learned throughout this module with me into my teaching practice and it has allowed me to become more comfortable with technology and fully grasp endless ways that technology can be used in the classroom.

Thank you.

For the final session of Digital Technologies, we were learning and discussing the use of QR codes and ways to increase outdoor learning.

Learning and Teaching Scotland states that “outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors.” This statement teaches us that outdoor learning is very important as it allows learners to achieve and develop skills that could not be obtained within a classroom environment.

“The core values of Curriculum for Excellence resonate with long-standing key concepts of outdoor learning. Challenge, enjoyment, relevance, depth, development of the whole person and an adventurous approach to learning are at the core of outdoor pedagogy…” Education Scotland (2010). Outdoor learning is key to the curriculum as without this it would be difficult to achieve all of the key concepts of learning. It also allows young people to be active outdoors and learn to be safe in the outdoor environment. Outdoor learning can be used across all areas of the curriculum and allows children to gain an in-depth knowledge of the curricular area that they are studying.

After discussing outdoor learning, we moved on to discuss the SHANARRI wheel which also links to outdoor learning, and is as follows:

• Safe
• Healthy
• Active
• Nurture
• Achieving
• Responsible
• Respect
• Included

When discussing the SHANARRI wheel, my partner and I agreed that outdoor learning links with respect in the sense that when young people are outdoors they must respect the environment. They must also respect property, animals and, people. It is important to introduce children to the ways in which they could influence the surroundings while they are participating in outdoor learning.

Following this, we moved on to the practical side of today’s session. We were examining the application Pic Collage and we were asked to create a collage based on a particular theme. We then moved on to discuss the use of QR codes and the ways that this resource could be used in a classroom setting. We were also shown how to create our own QR codes. Afterwards, we went outside as a QR code activity had been set up for us to take part in. This involved finding the QR codes placed outside and scanning them with our iPads. We then had to answer the question correctly that corresponded to the specific QR code which we had scanned. Following this, we had to select a letter from the question and once we had scanned all of the QR codes and answered all of the questions a word could be made. While taking part in this activity, another member of our group was taking pictures on a second iPad for us to use in a Pic Collage.

After returning from our outdoor activity, we were asked to create our own lesson using QR codes. My partner and I decided that the subject of our lesson would be mini beasts. We created several questions that corresponded to a specific QR code and the questions must be answered correctly to reveal the secret word at the end of the task. The experiences and outcomes that we listed for this activity are as follows:

• I have observed living things in the environment over time and am becoming aware of how they depend on each other. SCN 0-01a.
• I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts. TCH 0-01a.
• In movement, games, and using technology I can use simple directions and describe positions. MTH 0-17a.

In conclusion, today’s input has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the benefits of outdoor learning and how important it is within the Curriculum for Excellence. It has also allowed me to learn about QR codes and see how they can be tailored to any area within the curriculum. I look forward to taking the knowledge that I have learned through today’s session into my teaching practice.

References

Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

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

During today’s input, we were continuing to discuss games-based learning, however, this time with Minecraft as a stimulus for learning.

A study by Ofcom (2011) highlights that 86% of five to seven year olds and eight to eleven year olds use gaming devices frequently. This conveys how influential gaming is to the next generation of young people and how it can impact on their daily lives. The gaming world is expanding at a vast past and in order to keep up with this demand, schools must try to incorporate gaming into the curriculum. Gaming allows lessons to be interactive and creates a positive environment within the classroom.

Bray (2012) states that in a classroom setting, games should not just be used as rewards or for entertainment but as a whole new approach to learning. This statement is important in justifying that gaming should be integrated into lessons and not only for enjoyment. Gaming should be used in the classroom as it can be introduced into various topics and throughout different areas of the curriculum. Bray (2012) continues to support games-based learning as he states that Games-based Learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching. This suggests that games-based learning has a great potential to impact on learners and this is a resource that could allow young people to engage in learning and to create positive experiences.

Some people may state that there is a lot of worry and confusion with regards to teachers using games-based learning within their lessons. This may be due to them not having a full experience of games-based learning or simply because they are unsure of how to use it. However, Beauchamp (2012, p.10) states that “…achieving particular educational objectives through the use of the game was more dependent upon a teacher’s knowledge of the curriculum with which they were working than it was on their ability with the game.” This is vital as it effectively highlights that the teachers knowledge of games-based learning does not need to be perfect in order for the learners to benefit from using games-based learning within the classroom.

Students from a local primary school joined us in today’s session to help us gain a better understanding of the game Minecraft. In their school, they had been working on and creating their own worlds within Minecraft and they were very pleased to show us what they had been creating. It was very fascinating to see all of the different things that could be achieved through the game and how all of the pupils could interact using the game. During the session, us as the student teachers were able to have a try at navigating through Minecraft with the help of the primary students. This was a fantastic experience as all of the pupils were very eager to help us and they were extremely understanding of our abilities. I was a little apprehensive at first as I had never experienced Minecraft before, however, the pupils were very helpful in guiding me. It was clear that the primary school students were enjoying this experience as much as we did as they could be the teachers rather than the pupils. Towards the end of the session, I was able to create my own house which consisted of two levels. This was a particularly good achievement for me after never having experienced the game before. Several of the experiences and outcomes that are aimed at today’s session are as follows:

• I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models. TCH 2-09a
• I can convey information, describe events, explain processes or combine ideas in different ways. LIT 2-28a

Overall, today’s session was extremely beneficial and enjoyable for me. I learned a lot from today’s session and I plan to embed games-based learning into my teaching as I am now a lot more comfortable with how to integrate the resource into lessons. I believe that the primary school students also benefitted from today’s session and it was clear that they felt a sense of achievement when the session was complete. Games-based learning is a fantastic resource that should be used in the classroom to allow learners to be creative and interactive. This resource creates endless opportunities and I look forward to using it throughout my teaching practice.

References

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

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

 

The focus of today’s session was the use of games based learning within the classroom.

The Higher Education Academy website states that “digital Games-based Learning is the integration of gaming into learning experiences to increase engagement and motivation.”

Firstly, in today’s session we were asked to make a mind map about why games based learning is an effective tool to use in education. Some of the examples that myself and my group included in this was that games based learning is engaging and highly motivational and that it grabs the leaners attention.

The Higher Education Academy website also states that “theorists Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky have argued that play is a crucial component of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood. ” This confirms that young learners must experience play in order to enhance their cognitive development. It also highlights that it is vital for us as educators to include games based learning within our classrooms to ensure that pupils are able to develop most effectively.

However, although games based learning can be beneficial in classrooms there may be some potential challenges as explained by Learning and Teaching Scotland:

• ›Identifying a suitable game / part of a game
• ›Integrating the game – time/structure of the day
• ›Teacher confidence/skills
• ›Assessment – nature of traditional assessments – conducive to assessing digital technology
• ›Resources/budget

 

Today’s session was to include an experience of playing and gaining knowledge from the Wii game Mario Kart. However, due to technical issues this could not be carried out. Instead, we designed our own Mario karts and our own characters. This activity could be carried out with learners as part of an art lesson. It could also be carried out through a literacy lesson as the pupils would be able to write several sentences describing their kart and character. During today’s input, we were also asked to create a mind map with different curricular areas and below each one a list of lessons that could be carried out involving the Wii game Mario Kart. For example, below the curricular area of art we had a lesson which consisted of pupils designing their own race track and designing tickets and merchandise for anyone who was coming to view a Mario Kart race. We also thought of the pupils recreating the Mario Kart theme song as part of a music lesson. The experiences and outcomes for some of the different lessons that myself and my group listed in our mind map are as follows:

• I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to experiment with sounds, pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre and dynamics. EXA 2-17a
• Through observing and recording from my experiences across the curriculum, I can create images and objects which show my awareness and recognition of detail. EXA 2-04a

In conclusion, I feel that games based learning is a very important concept that should be used frequently in schools. It allows children to be expressive and creative. Games based learning allows children to improve their cognitive development through play. Children find these experiences motivational and it allows them to reinforce their knowledge of digital technology. Games based learning is a cross-curricular applicaton. Today’s session allowed me to understand how games based learning was embedded into lessons and I will now take this knowledge with me through my teaching career. As I already have first hand knowledge of games based learning, more specifically Mario Kart, I plan to inlcude this in my lessons in the future.

References

Higher Education Academy (2015) – Gamification and Games-Based Learning [Online] https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning [Accessed on 6th March 2018]

Learning, Teaching Scotland (2010) – FutureLab – The Impact of Console Games in the Classroom [Online] https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/FUTL25/FUTL25.pdf [Accessed on 6th March 2018)

 

In today’s session, we were discussing the use of mobile devices in the classroom. We were able to read some online sources with different viewpoints and opinions about enhancing learning through the use of mobile devices. We also explored the use of Easi-Speak microphones and how they can be integrated into lessons. Using the Easi-Speak microphones, we created a poetry task to be carried out during a literacy lesson.

While reading the online sources that were available to us I discovered a quote which was very astonishing, “over four in 10 households now have a tablet, meaning that children are becoming computer-literate before they’ve even started primary school”. This statement reveals that children are being influenced by technology from a very early age and are becoming familiar with the concepts of mobile devices. Thus, they are coming into the classroom having already gained an understanding of technology which aims to be continued throughout their school years. Digital technology should be firmly embedded into the classroom to provide learners with an understanding of how digital technology can be used in a variety of different ways and the ways in which it can be used for academic purposes.

My partner and I created an “I am Poem” from the perspective of a student teacher. Firstly, we wrote our poem onto the template that we had been given. We then used the Easi-Speak microphones to record ourselves reciting the poem which we decided would work best by reciting one line each. Following that, we uploaded the audio clips to the computer and transferred them onto a PowerPoint presentation. We wrote the poem onto the presentation along with the audio clips and pictures which corresponded to the different lines of the poem. We believe that this task could be aimed at any level within the Curriculum for Excellence depending upon the subject of the poem. However, for early level we believe that the poem should already be given to them and they would be able to use the Easi-Speak microphones to recite the poem that they have been given. The experiences and outcomes that we highlighted for this task are as follows:

• Within real and imaginary situations, I share experiences and feelings, ideas and information in a way that communicates my message. LIT 0-26a
• By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in a logical sequence and use words which will be interesting and/or useful for others. LIT 1-26a
• By considering the type of text I am creating, I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in an appropriate way for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience. LIT 2-26a

Overall, I believe that the Easi-Speak microphones are extremely user friendly and are for all ages. They are a unique device which can be used throughout all areas of the curriculum and can be used in many different ways. I feel that mobile devices can create a positive impact on learners and that it allows them to be more independent with their work. Digital technology is vital as young people are experiencing technology from a young age and this should be continued in their school lives. I plan to carry today’s session with me in my teaching practice and I certainly plan to use Easi-Speak microphones and other mobile devices with my future classes.

References

Curtis, S. (2014) – Digital Learning: how technology is reshaping teaching [Online] – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed: 27th February 2018]