Elise Martin UWS

The topic of today’s session was using and learning about the iStop Motion application on the iPads. We also discussed the importance of embedding animation into education.

Beauchamp (2012, p.54) states that ICT allows pupils to ”achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way.” This statement highlights that ICT contributes to helping learners throughout all areas of the curriculum. It supports them with their learning while giving them a positive and enjoyable experience.

Bertrancourt (2005) suggests three ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning:

1.To enhance learners’ visual representations.

2.To illustrate processes.

3.To provide an interactive element.

Moving Image Education states that, “animation breathes new life into something that wouldn’t normally move.” This coveys a powerful message of the importance of animation within classrooms. It suggests that animation can portray different messages and educate children through the use of technology.

When creating iStop Motion animations, Moving Image Education states that there are 5 main types of animation, these are as follows;

1. Cutout
2. Stop Motion – For example, plasticine
3. Pixillation – Where humans become puppets
4. Drawn – For example, classic disney
5. Computer

My partner and I created an iStop Motion scene using a school and a park background. The story consisted of a young girl who had recently moved to the school and she was being treated disrespectfully by another student at the school. The message that we were putting across through the iStop Motion scene was to treat others with respect and to be kind. We decided that this lesson would be aimed at the first level of Curriculum for Excellence. The experience and outcome that we suggested for this lesson are as follows:

• “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”

 

To review, I believe that animation is a powerful form of digital technology and that it should be used more often throughout the classroom. I feel that I have learned a great deal from today’s input and I will carry the knowledge with me throughout my teaching practice. Animation is a fantastic way to engage children as they can create their own stories and scenes using iStop Motion and many other applications. It can allow children to become more creative and work with others to create new and exciting things.

References

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

›Moving Image Education website: [Online] Available from: https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation[Accessed 20 February 2018].

 

In today’s session, we discussed the use of iMovie, the importance of e-Safety and we created an iMovie around the subject of internet safety.

 

As explained by Beauchamp (2012), “most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, but they are likely to reflect official policies and perhaps not the reality of pupils’ lives…”. This statement suggests that many schools are not tailoring their policies around the lives of their current students and more around the government policies. This means that children are being educated more heavily on the sites that they should not be visiting rather than the benefits and dangers of the Internet.

During today’s session, we looked at many of the different social platforms that we as educators are able to use. We can also pass this information on to our future pupils and this will allow us to educate them about staying safe online. We discussed how different situations should be dealt with regards to Internet safety. Children should always seek advice or guidance from a parent or guardian if any problems occur online. Beauchamp (2012) supports this by stating “the most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong.”.

The iMovie that myself and my group created was based around the story of Snow White. We created an iMovie trailer in which Snow White believes she is talking to Prince Charming through text messages but it turns out to be the Evil Queen. We are trying to portray that you should never give anyone your details if you have never met them before. The iMovie describes some of the dangers of the Internet and gives an insight into what could happen if you are not safe online.

I have recommended that this task would be aimed at the first level within the Curriculum for Excellence and the experiences and outcomes that I have highlighted are as follows:

• I can extend my knowledge of how to use digital technology to communicate with others and I am aware of ways to keep safe and secure.  TCH 1-03a.

• I have the opportunity to choose and explore a range of media and technologies to create images and objects, discovering their effects and suitability for specific tasks. EXA 1-02a

To summarise, I believe that today’s session has given me an amazing opportunity and it has allowed me to deepen my understanding of iMovie. It has also allowed me to gain more knowledge around the topic of Internet safety. I feel that iMovie is something that should be used in all schools as it is something that could be created by the teacher to inform the learners or something that the learners could create to share with their peers. iMovie is a fantastic resource to convey a specific message and to educate the children on a particular topic.

References 

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

 

During this week’s session, we used the Book Creator app on the iPad to create a summary of a well-known book. We also discussed the advantages of using e-Books in a classroom setting.

As defined in the Oxford Dictionary, an e-Book is “an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device.”

The principles and practices of literacy and English, created by Education Scotland, highlight that the most useful way of communicating a lesson in literacy and English is by providing “frequent opportunities to communicate in a wide range of contexts” (Education Scotland, n.d., a). A multimodal text contains two or more semiotic systems, these include, visual, gestural, audio, spatial and linguistic. Multimodal texts are beneficial to all learners and make it easier for everyone to participate in lessons. They can also be used throughout the curriculum.

(Education Scotland, n.d., b) states that ICT in school helps to raise attainment and achievement, closing the gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged and thus, providing them with the skills for the digitally advancing world that awaits them. This statement highlights that ICT enables young learners to reach their full potential through enjoyable experiences while gaining and developing different skills.

E-Books can be extremely effective in a classroom for many reasons. They are an enjoyable resource for learners and they are especially effective within a literacy lesson. They can also be used to push learners who are struggling with reading. Through the use of Book Creator, learners are able to grasp a deeper understanding of the story which will continue to help them with their reading practice. E-books are portable which can also promote outdoor learning and activities. They can also help to give learners a better understanding of our digital age and allow them to become more comfortable with technology.

During today’s lesson, we were asked to create a teaching aid that was based on a particular story. I created a teaching tool based on “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson. My e-Book features several semiotic systems making it a multimodal resource. It contains parts of the story read aloud by myself and questions based on that particular part of the story. At the end of the e-Book, the learners will be asked to describe their favourite part of the story. I believe that this lesson would be aimed at early level within the Curriculum for Excellence and the experiences and outcomes that I have highlighted for this lesson are as follows:

• I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts, sharing my thoughts in different ways.   LIT 0-19a

• I can use digital technologies to explore how to search and find information.     TCH 0-02a

To summarise, I will carry today’s experience with me throughout my teaching practice as I believe that it will be very important to use within a classroom setting. E-

Books are an effective resource that can be used to allow all learners to reach their full potential within many different curricular areas. This resource also allows for a lot of choice and freedom within the classroom as there is no limit to what you can create. I feel that learners can make this a memorable experience for themselves which in turn will allow them to be highly engaged in these activities.

 

References

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books

Education Scotland (n.d., a) Curriculum for Excellence: literacy and English, principles and practice [Online]. Available from: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/literacy-english-pp.pdf [Accessed: 6 February 2018].

Education Scotland (n.d., b) Technologies in Curriculum for Excellence [Online]. Available from: https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/learning-in-scotland/curriculum-areas/Technologies%20in%20Curriculum%20for%20Excellence [Accessed: 6 February 2018].

 

This week in digital technologies, we were exploring the benefits of using coding in the classroom. To do this, we looked at the computer coding game Scratch Jr. and we used this to create our own interactive game.

Coding is an important part of learning in today’s society as it is a vital part of literacy and some people believe that coding is the new literacy. Coding develops different skills and strategies, for example,  designing projects, problem solving and communicating ideas.

Scratch Jr. is a coding game that allows young children from the ages of 5 and upwards to design their own interactive games and stories.

According to The Lead Project (2014), “As young people create Scratch projects, they are not just learning how to write computer programs. They are learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world.” While young people are creating using Scratch Jr. they are working together and learning new skills that they will use later in life and throughout their careers. The Lead Project (2014) also goes on to describe that Scratch can be embedded into many different areas across the curriculum.

The lesson that I created today using Scratch Jr. was an interactive story using adjectives. The lesson involved a treasure hunt to collect adjectives along the way. As the story progresses it gets more challenging and at the end, the children are asked if they can write down any more adjectives that they know. The lesson is enjoyable and interactive and it will challenge the learners to think for themselves while getting to experience Scratch Jr. I believe that this lesson would be aimed at the first level within the Curriculum for Excellence and the experiences and outcomes that I have recommended for this lesson are as follows:

 

 

References 

The Lead Project (2014) Super Scratch Programming Adventure: Learn to Program by Making Cool Games! No Starch Press.

 

 

 

During today’s class, we explored ActivInspire and multimodality. We addressed the definition of multimodality and the benefits of using multimodal presentations within the classroom. We also looked at ActivInspire and created a lesson using this.

Multimodality is the use of two or more semiotic systems to present information. There are five semiotic systems, they are as follows:

• Audio
• Visual
• Spatial
• Linguistic
• Gestural

According to Beauchamp, “The multimodality of technology 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.”(Beauchamp, 2012, p.8) Through the use of multimodal presentations children become more engaged and are eager to learn. It gives children a visual representation of lessons and also allows them to be active while taking part. ActivInspire and different multimodal resources are very important within the classroom as they allow all students to participate. We also discussed that using a yellow background with blue writing in the comic sans font is an effective way to put across a lesson to those children with dyslexic tendencies

As part of today’s lesson, we were instructed to create an ActivInspire lesson. My partner and I decided to design a numeracy lesson based on the Egyptian topic. We created a lesson involving different hieroglyphics and we made a key in which a number was equal to a specific hieroglyphic. The lesson consisted of different maths sums to complete and the children would have to look back and understand the key in order to complete the sums. The lesson progresses on to harder sums like multiplication to challenge the children. My partner and I decided that this would be classified as a first level of Curriculum for Excellence lesson. The experiences and outcomes that we decided best suited the lesson are as follows:

 

• When a picture or symbol is used to replace a number in a number statement, I can find its value using my knowledge of number facts and explain my thinking to others. MTH 1-15b

During today’s session, we were exploring BeeBot with regards to numeracy. We have previously looked into the use of BeeBot within a classroom setting with regards to literacy and this prior learning helped to guide us during today’s session. We also studied the benefits of using BeeBot. In addition to this, we created a BeeBot map and we were assessed on this.

According to Janka, “The curriculum introduces programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.” (Janka, 2008, p.2) This presents the idea that programmable toys are beneficial to children in their learning. It allows children to be engaged with their learning while being productive. Young people are also more interactive and creative which are valuable skills for the world of work.

It is also highlighted that, “[Floor robots in the classroom] help with the development of skills such as a logical sequencing, measuring, comparing lengths, space orientation, and expressing concepts in words.” (National centre for Technology in Education, 2012, p.1) Programmable toys are of great importance within numeracy and all areas of the curriculum as they allow children to be in control of their learning and to make the experience enjoyable for them.

Myself and my peer decided to create a ‘snakes and ladders’ map for our assessment this week. We were able to design the map to address several levels and abilities. For early years, the map is simply a game of snakes and ladders involving the BeeBot. Whereas, for first level learners the map allows them to see a visual representation of the numbers, the name of the numbers and the amount represented by circles in this instance and they must roll the dice to move the BeeBot around the map. For second level, the young learners will have to work out addition or multiplication sums to navigate the BeeBot around the map.

We were asked to allocate our creation to match certain experiences and outcomes of the Curriculum for Excellence and we chose the following:

“In movement, games, and using technology I can use simple directions and describe positions.” -MTH 0-17a

“I am developing problem-solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable toys.” -TCH 0-09a

Today’s session allowed me to become more comfortable usingBeebot and to understand the background and benefits of programmable toys.

References

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How [Online]. Available from: http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Accessed: 16 January 2018] NCTE (National centre for Technology in Education) (2012)

NCTE (National centre for Technology in Education) (2012) NCTE Floor Robots – Focus on Literacy & Numeracy. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ncte.ie/media/NCTE_Floor_robots_focus_on_literacy_numeracy_primary_12-06.pdf [Accessed: 16 January 2018].

Today’s class was an introduction to the digital technologies module. We discussed the definition of digital technology and what will be covered throughout the module, we reflected upon our own skills with regards to technology and explored Glow.

Firstly, we reflected upon our own technology and digital skills whereby we marked down how confident we felt within different areas of technology. By marking a one, that indicated that the area within technology was a particular strength. However, when marking a five it indicated that the area of technology was an area for development. This allowed us to highlight our strengths and weaknesses with regards to technology.

We looked at and discussed “Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of digital technology” in depth to evaluate the importance of digital technology within education. It explained many key messages that described how vital digital technology is within the curriculum. The document highlighted that the Scottish Government is devoted to embedding digital technology into the curriculum and for young people to receive the full benefit of technology. It also shows that digital technology has been proven to raise children’s attainment and enhance learning and teaching for them.

Finally, we navigated our way around Glow in order to become more familiar with some of the features that are available. We added tiles to our own personal launch pads that will be useful to us as student teachers and as we progress after university.

To conclude, today’s input was very useful and informative. It gave us a clear insight into the digital technologies module and allowed us to analyse our own digital skills. It also gave us the opportunity to have a look at an academic source to evaluate how important digital technology is within the Scottish curriculum and navigate around Glow. I believe that this module will be enjoyable and beneficial to me and allow me to develop my digital skills.

References

Scottish Government (2016) Enhancing learning and teaching through the use of digital technology. [Online]. Available from: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/391375/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%20Strategy%20.pdf