Overall Reflection

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Final Reflection

This is my last digital technologies blog post, I cannot believe how fast this module has went by! I definitely have so much more knowledge on digital technologies and how I can use them in the classroom, but I have also learned a lot about the Curriculum for Excellence in general. In my very first blog post I said how I wanted to increase my understanding of technologies and be able to use them effectively in the classroom and I do feel as though I’ve achieved this. This module has not only allowed me to familiarise and learn about apps, software’s, games and different technologies but I have been able to plan lessons and connect everything I’ve learned to the Curriculum for Excellence. I have learned how I can effectively use games like Minecraft in the classroom. I have also learned how I can make eBooks more interactive through using Book Creator and I have learned the effectiveness of getting children to create movies, animations and coding activities as these are able to engage them and enhance their learning.

I feel a lot more confident using software like ActiveInspire to present lessons and I feel as though I am able to include digital technologies in multiple lesson plans. Prior to doing this module I had a very traditional way of looking at teaching, but this module has proved to me that digital technologies can be used to enhance lessons, make them more fun and engaging. Before taking this module, I didn’t realise how ICT should be incorporated throughout the curriculum and shouldn’t just be treated as a separate subject of ‘ICT’. ICT is something that contributes to all areas of learning and isn’t considered to be a separate experience (Beauchamp, 2012). Through doing extensive reading for this module I learned how this generation of children process information completely differently as they are digitally native, they like to have instant information and enjoy digital learning as it comes naturally to them (Prensky 2001).

I now understand the importance of teachers having significant knowledge of different digital technologies, so they are able to confidently teach and use digital technologies in the classroom. I feel a lot more confident in using digital technologies after doing this module. I also understand how technology changes all the time and I will constantly have to build my ICT skills even when I have my own class as it is important teachers are able to keep up with the generation their teaching.

I am really glad I decided to do this module as it has allowed me to build on my own ICT skills and I now fully understand the importance of digital technologies in the classroom. My knowledge of apps, websites and different software’s has increased so much since the start of this module and I can’t wait to continue to develop my knowledge of digital teaching resources in my own time. This module will help me as a teacher as I have developed many new skills and been made aware of many resources that I will be able to use while I’m out teaching. As a teacher I will now definitely always try and incorporate ICT and the use of digital technologies into my everyday lessons as I now understand just how important it is in children’s learning.

REFERENCES

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

Marc Prensky (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. [pdf] Available:  https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf [Accessed 26 March 2019].

Images from Pixaby

Outdoor Learning and Using QR Codes

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Tuesday 12 March 2019

Today in our session we looked at the advantages of outdoor learning and how we could use QR codes to create a fun lesson. QR codes are like bar codes, you can scan them by using an app or if you have an iPhone the camera can actually detect the code and redirect you. QR stands for ‘Quick Response’, and once you scan a QR code within seconds it redirects you to text, a website, an audio recording, a phone number, an email, address, a location or  a calendar event.

Outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime according to Education Scotland (2010). Children will likely remember a learning experience that is out with their usual environment, the outdoors allows for so many possibilities as there is such a vast amount of space and materials. The outdoors provides children with more exciting, motivating, relevant and easily accessible activities (Education Scotland, 2010). Outdoor learning activities definitely would enhance learning and engage a handful of children. Outdoor learning activities allow children to develop communication skills, problem solving skills and team working skills (Education Scotland, 2010). Using QR codes outside would be a really fun idea as children could work collaboratively to follow the clues from each QR code. You are able to do a sort of treasure hunt activity with QR codes, using them outdoors would be really memorable and engage children in their learning. Outdoor learning is great because it can allow certain pupils to demonstrate certain skills that they maybe couldn’t showcase in the classroom, this would increase their self-esteem and also some children might gain a new perspective on another pupil (Education Scotland, 2010).

QR codes promote student engagement as the children are motivated to get to the next QR code as often there is promise of a reward (Professional Learning Board, 2013). QR codes are a really great resource for teachers as they have complete control of what information is displayed once the QR code is scanned and they can create a really fun lesson which is completely customised towards their class and their learning outcomes. Using ICT has a positive effect on attainment (Beauchamp, 2012). QR codes stand out to me as if you do something like a QR hunt children aren’t just sitting in the one place using digital technologies but they’re having the opportunity to move around and explore different areas of the school or the outdoors. Using QR codes outside can be especially effective as it can fit in with health and wellbeing, science and probably many more curricular areas.

Our task was to create a classroom activity using QR codes. In a group we picked to do our activity at level 1 and we ensured the level of sums and language we used was appropriate to this level. We wanted to base this task off of previous learning and so we decided to focus again on money in the context of a supermarket, just like we did for Programmable Toys and Multimodality. We wanted to create an activity which would be interactive and allow children to work collaboratively. We then sat together and figured out how we would create a task like this using QR codes, this was good as we worked really well as a team to solve a problem and team building skills and problem-solving skills will be really important skills for me to use as a teacher.

We decided we would make the QR hunt start buy giving the children a sum. The answer to the sum would be the number of rooms they had to go to in order to find the next QR code. The next QR code would give them the next item on the shopping list which they would be able to score off their list.

They would also have another sum which would lead them to the next room and so on. As the hunt went on, the children would have to write the price of each item next to it and add it up to make find the total of their shopping at the end. We could’ve done this task for second level learning if we made the sums more advanced by using multiplication or even division.

We used the website ‘QRStuff.com’ to create our QR codes. The QR codes were easy to create and really simple. We pasted each QR code onto a word document and printed them out.

Creating the sums for each QR code, connecting each clue and putting up the QR codes however was very time consuming and reflecting on this it took us quite a long time to create the activity and it turned out to be really very short. If I was doing this activity with a class, I would need to ensure it lasted a good amount of time even if that meant it took a little longer to plan.

While the QR code generator was simple to use it had limited features and we couldn’t add pictures to the text link which we really wanted to do. If we had some more time, we could’ve printed out pictures of each item and placed them with the QR codes as I feel visuals would help in making the activity more fun and relevant to real life.

 

Our task could follow this outcome from the curriculum for excellence:

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 enjoyed creating a QR code activity. Until this session I had no idea there were even sites available that allowed you to create your own QR codes. Using QR codes to create a treasure hunt whether its inside a building or outdoors is great because it gets children moving around and experiencing learning in different environments. Using QR codes would defiantly enhance learning as it is so interactive and allows the children to experience a different type of learning while also incorporating the use of digital technologies.

The only issue I have with this QR code activity is that it took so long to create and ended up being a relatively short task, if I were to use this in a classroom I would need to make it so it lasted a reasonable amount of time. If you have the time to plan a lesson with QR codes then it can be a really useful and fun activity to do with a class, hopefully I will be able to use QR codes and create a similar activity for a class of my own.

REFERENCES

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

Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. [pdf] Available:  http://moodle1819.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/39956/mod_resource/content/3/cfeoutdoorlearningfinal_tcm4-596061%20copy.pdf [Accessed 19 March 2019]

Professional Learning Board (2013) How can I use QR codes to Enhance Learning in the Classroom? [Online] Available: https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/how-can-i-use-qr-codes-to-enhance-learning-in-the-classroom/ [Accessed 19 March 2019]

Scottish Government (n.d). Curriculum for Excellence. [pdf] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 19 March 2019]

 

 

Games-Based Learning

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Tuesday 5 March 2019

We are on week 9 of the module and I can’t believe how fast time has gone. In the nine weeks of doing the module I have learned so much about the importance of digital technologies in the classroom. My knowledge about how to use technology and how to integrate it throughout learning has improved greatly and I feel a lot more confident in using digital technologies as a learning tool.

This week we looked at using games-based learning and how it can be used within the classroom. We focused on looking at the computer game ‘Minecraft’. “Minecraft is a worldwide phenomenon. Since it was first released back in 2011, it’s been taken to the hearts of thousands and thousands of gamers.”  (How to do Everything in Minecraft, 2014, p.3). Today’s generation of children spend so much of their free time playing games on their computers, phones, tablets or games consoles, it has actually been reported that 86% of 5-7-year-old children and 90% of 8-11-year old children use game devices regularly (Ofcom, 2001). With games playing such a huge role in children’s lives today I think it’s a great idea to use them in the classroom as it is certainly something that will engage a lot of children and allow them to demonstrate their knowledge of games while also following learning outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence.

The popularity of using games as a learning tool has sparked the growth of the ‘Edutainment’ industry. This industry looks at designing games specifically to aid learning and to develop skills (Groff et al, 2010).  In today’s session we were looking at using Minecraft ‘Education Edition’. I had never used Minecraft before this session, so I learned a lot about this game. The education addition was really good as it had healthy food options, elements of the periodic table, a map which you could use when teaching coordinates in numeracy and it also allowed students to join the same world so they can work together in the game. Getting students to work together in the game could be a really good thing but I think many children could also be distracted by the idea of meeting their friends on the game and so the rules would need to be made clear before using the game. I loved how you could find elements and react them together to make a compound, this would be great when looking at the periodic table in a science lesson. I did however think the controls were quite confusing, I figured out the space bar moved your character up, shift was down, and W was forward but before using Minecraft in the classroom I would want to ensure I fully understood all the controls and features so I could provide the best lesson I could.

It is essential teachers understand the game so they can use it in such a way that it promotes learning. “Not only do (teachers) have to become familiar with the games, they also have to ensure that they make clear the way in which they want the game to be used” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.9). If teachers do not properly understand how a game works, it is likely it won’t be that effective as a learning tool as teachers need to have a clear understanding of the game in order to see how they can use it effectively as a learning tool. Bray (2012) states games-based learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching. Teachers should consider and analyse if the game provides relevant content which they are able to connect to an area of learning, they should ensure it is appropriate and is of the right age rating – it shouldn’t depict something like violence. Teachers also have the responsibility to assess whether a game is too complex or too simple, the game has to challenge them in some way but not too much. A game should have good graphics but also shouldn’t be too distracting because the children can’t lose focus on the learning at hand (Ladey, 2010).

Beauchamp, (2012) states these skills could be developed by using games in the classroom:

  • Strategic thinking
  • Planning
  • Communication
  • Application of number
  • Negotiating skills
  • Group decision-making
  • Data Handling skills

A lot of games could also help children with reading as their having to read instructions and so I would say games can develop skills in literacy too. Games can be a really good way of allowing children to learn in groups and so can benefit their communication skills and team working skills.

I think ICT games would enhance children’s learning, it’s claimed that games are more motivational, engaging and more challenging than formal teaching methods, they also provide a more authentic teaching experience (Ulicsak et al, 2011). Many children would enjoy using games as children will remember more and learn more if they’re enjoying their lesson. Children may however get carried away with a game and might not focus on learning so much but that is why it is so important for the teacher to make the learning clear and keep the class on task. Games like the ‘Planet Coaster’ could be good if you’re looking at speed in science or maths as you can build a rollercoaster and then it tells you how fast it goes, the g-force levels and if it could be built in a real theme park  or if it’s too dangerous which is great as it makes real life connections.

Our task in today’s session was to create an interdisciplinary plan for using Minecraft Education Edition in the classroom. We created our plan in groups and started off by making a mind map in which we essentially analysed Minecraft. We looked at where in the curriculum it would fit, what skills could be developed, the principles it allows to be developed and how effective it would be as a learning tool. We then made another mind map which explained our lesson idea.

We decided that for our lesson we would put children in groups and give them a historical or famous landmark. The group would have to use computers or iPads to research their landmark, they can look at pictures and find out some information about the landmark and create a short fact file. They would then have the opportunity to use Minecraft to build their given landmark. We thought it would fit into the following curricular areas:

  • Expressive Arts
  • Languages
  • Numeracy/Mathematics
  • Social Studies

The children would then have the opportunity to show another group what they built and tell them about their building, like when it was built, where is it, who built it etc. The children might be able to learn more by doing this ‘show and tell’ / ‘teacher to pupil’ method as it allows them to not only learn in depth about the landmark their given, but they can also learn about another landmark.

I think that using games in the classroom would enhance learning and engage a lot of children, however it is important for teachers to have knowledge of the game and ensure effective learning can come from playing it. Games need to be used throughout the curriculum as an approach to learning and shouldn’t only be brought out as rewards according to Bray (2012).

I have learned a lot about Minecraft Education Edition as before the session I had never used Minecraft at all. I got to explore this game and learn how to work some of the features, but I still think I need to become more familiar with the game before using it with a class. I can see real benefits of using games-based learning and think Minecraft Education Edition could be a really useful thing to use as its engaging and also covers multiple Curricular Areas. I really enjoyed making an interdisciplinary plan as it really got me thinking about all the features I saw in Minecraft and allowed me to directly compare it to the Curriculum. Games-based learning would really engage children and enhance their learning in many ways as long as the learning is made clear. I think games should be normalised more and used more often as learning tools and not just as rewards.

REFERENCES

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

Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [pdf] Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education  [Accessed: 8 March 2019]

Groff, J., Howells C and Cranmer, S. (2010) The Impact of Games in the Classroom: Evidence from Schools in Scotland. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/GAMES%20BASED%20LEARNING%205TH%20MARCH/Console_Games_report.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2019]

Ladey, P. (2010) Games Based Learning Analysis and Planning Tool. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/GAMES%20BASED%20LEARNING%205TH%20MARCH/Games_Based_Learning_Analysis_and_Planning_Tool_0.9.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2019]

Ulicsak, M. and Williamson, B. (2011) Computer Games and Learning: a handbook. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/GAMES%20BASED%20LEARNING%205TH%20MARCH/Computer_games_and_learning.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2019]

 

Animation

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Tuesday 19th and 26th February 2019

These past two weeks we have been looking at animation and how it can be used effectively in the classroom. During the first week of looking at animation we were familiarising ourselves with the applications ‘puppet pals’ and ‘iStopMotion’ which are both apps used to make short animations on the iPad.

Animations are often many images put together to make something appear to be moving (Jarvis, 2015). Generally, there are five particular types of animation, according to Moving Image Education. Cut-out animations are often the simplest and involve cut up images and pieces of paper which you move slightly each frame, so it appears to be moving. Stop-motion animations are also very popular, with this you could use objects like Lego men or plasticine and move them each frame. There is also pixilation, drawn and computer animation, but it’s more likely that you would use the first two in a Primary School setting.

I started off by looking at animation through using the app ‘Puppet Pals’. I generally disliked this app as you had access to very limited features, and it made you pay for the majority of the characters and backgrounds. It is however easy to work and with access to all the features the app offers I think it could be really quite good to use with children.

We then began to explore iStopMotion, I worked with a friend and we used bendy men figures to create a short animation. This really allowed us to get used to the app and explore all its features. Before using iStopMotion to create animations I didn’t understand how much work went into making short animations. Through practicing and making my own animation I realised just how much you have to move each part of the character in order to make it look as real and as professional as possible, its not just a case of moving it twice then you’re done. We had to move each body part of the bendy men a little each time to achieve a good-looking animation.

tester

We were then given time to plan for the next week, our task was to create an animation in groups which did one of the following: recreates a historical event, represents a geographical process, recreates a real-life scenario or explains a mathematical principle. My group decided to re-create a historical event, which was the moon landing. We created a storyboard then decided which type of animation we would create.

My group decided we would create a ‘cut-out’ animation. Cut-Out animation is the easiest technique to start on and would be really good to use in the classroom (Moving Image Education). This involved us drawing each element from our storyboard and cutting them out individually. We drew and coloured the backgrounds, people and objects. For our space background we used glue on stars which I really liked. We made our animation by moving each individual cut-out and taking a picture on iStopMotion after every movement. We also added music to enhance to the overall effect of the animation. Our animation worked out well and showcased the moon landing in a really fun way.

If we showed our animation to a class of children, it could enhance their learning as it could promote them to ask questions. If the children were shown a more professional animation it might also allow them to have a better understanding of something as they are able to get a visual picture of an event or maths problem. Bertrancourt (2005) suggests three ways which animation is used to enhance learning:

  • To enhance learners’ visual representations
  • Illustrate processes
  • Provide interactive element.

(Jarvis, 2015, p.89).

Moon Landing

I really enjoyed using iStopMotion as it put together the animation really smoothly and you could change the framerate to make it faster or slower at any point. I also liked how you were able to add sound to your animation within the app. An aspect we found challenging was keeping the iPad in the same place. Obviously in a more professional setting the camera would be set-in place with a tripod or some sort of stand, but we didn’t have this. We had to hold the camera and reposition it as well as we could before taking a picture of the next frame. It was generally easy to use, and I think a class of children would really enjoy having the opportunity to do this task.

ICT is something that contributes to all areas of learning and isn’t considered to be a separate experience (Beauchamp, 2012). Getting children to create an animation like this allows them to demonstrate their ICT skills while also benefiting their learning in other curricular areas. I think that children would really enjoy a task like this, and it would make many of them engaged in their learning as they’d get to create something, they would be learning but in a fun way. Creating an animation would also promote collaborative learning as it is a task, they’d likely do this in groups. Children could create animations on anything from literacy to science. I think they’d have so much fun recreating something like a natural disaster after learning about it and then getting them to re-create what they have learned about could show learning consolidation.

“Successful utilisation of digital technology depends not just upon sufficient access to equipment tools and resources but also on the availability of sufficient training, knowledge and support networks for teachers” (Scottish Government, 2016). Digital technologies and the use of ICT in the classroom is so important as for this generation everything is digitalised. I have talked about this heavily throughout each week. Teachers should have access to the appropriate training and tools which can ensure they understand how to work a varied amount of technologies as teachers can’t teach a class using ICT if they don’t have an understanding themselves.

During these last two sessions looking at animation my understanding of how animations work has increased significantly through getting to create my own animation. I have a lot more appreciation for the work that is put into animations and also now understand how beneficial watching or creating an animation can have on teaching and learning. Showing animations or getting children to create animations can be really effective and can enhance learning as they can allow children to have a more interactive lesson and can help consolidate learning through visuals and illustrations. I hadn’t used iStopMotion until these recent sessions and I now feel comfortable working the app. Using iStopMotion has helped develop my ICT skills and I feel a lot more confident creating animations. I think using iStopMotion in a classroom setting would really enhance learning in multiple different curricular areas.

REFERENCES

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

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

Moving Image Education website: [Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [Accessed 27 February 2019]

The Scottish Government. (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching: CHILDREN, EDUCATION AND SKILLS. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/ANIMATION%2019TH%20AND%2026TH%20FEB/Digital%20Literacy%20Impact%20Review%20.pdf [Accessed 28 February]

Movie Making

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Tuesday 12 February 2019

In today’s session we had to create a movie on the app iMovie which was linked to internet safety. We connected our movie to Internet Safety because it is very relevant in schools today as so many children have access to the internet, in fact 73% of UK households have internet access according to (Beauchamp, 2012). There is such a vast amount of information available online that children can access quickly so it is important they know how to use the internet safely and know when they need to tell an adult.

Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in the month of February which is another reason it was appropriate to make a movie regarding internet safety. Safer Internet Day is great because it highlights the positive uses of the internet and doesn’t focus fully on the negatives. It looks at how to stay safe online and what is good about the internet. “At the heart of all our work is the belief that when used properly the internet is a wonderfully positive tool for children and young people” (Childnet International, 2019). I agree with this and think Internet is such a great place for the children to learn. It is so easy to watch an engaging informational video on Youtube and you can learn almost anything from facts about space to how to play the guitar.

Our movie was looking at keeping safe while playing the game Fortnite. We picked to do our movie on this as it is huge right now and all the children love it, so we knew they’d be engaged and more importantly we knew it would be an important area to cover seeing as though it is so popular. Throughout our movie we have used positive language and reminded the children at the end that Fortnite is a really fun game, but they have to use it properly.  We kept in mind while making our movie that e-safety was about educating them and not restricting them (Beauchamp, 2012). It was important for us to educate them on how to stay safe on Fortnite instead of saying ‘DO NOT play this game’.

I had a look at the ‘ThinkuKnow’ website while looking at other resources which could be used to teach children about Internet Safety. I accessed this website through the ‘Children’s Workforce’ portal and also through the ‘Child ages 4-7 and ages 8-10’. The Children’s Workforce part of their site was great as it gave you access to their resource library and offered guidance. The children’s sections of the site that I looked at were formatted completely differently, they had a game for ages 8-10 which would give you questions about what the character should post online. In this game the children had to say whether the character should and shouldn’t post online and this part of the website also had an advice section. This website brought education about the Internet together in a really fun way with games, and also provided advice and support for any children who had a ‘funny feeling’ about something they seen online, and I really liked this resource and think it would be really effective to use with children.

We made a quick plan of what we could cover in our movie and as I mentioned we used Fortnite as the focus of our movie. We decided to focus on how the avatars provide little information about the player and how you should only add people you know, we also covered how to block someone and how you shouldn’t use parent’s money to purchase game extras.

I had previously used iMovie before, so I had basic knowledge of how the app worked, I knew how to insert clips and audio. I like iMovie because it is very simple and easy to use unlike some other video editing apps. I did develop new skills using iMovie while doing this task as I learned you could change the transitions in between clips, and it didn’t have to just be a simple jump cut.

There are multiple things I enjoyed about iMovie such as its simplicity, how you could separate the audio from a clip and how you could change the pitch of your clips to make them fast or slow. I don’t like how there isn’t a huge variation of font and you could only place the text in the centre or at the corners of your video which sometimes didn’t look good on clips.

I think our movie turned out well, it covered aspects of how to stay safe when playing Fortnite while also having engaging music and visuals. I do however think there are some parts of our movie that move on too fast and its hard to read the text. There is also a particular clip that is too slow. Generally, I think our movie would be engaging in the classroom as we have shown the game and the characters in our movie which children will see and instantly get engaged. I believe our movie is a good way of educating children about Internet Safety as its presented in a fun and familiar way.

It would be useful to use iMovie with the kids and actually get them to create their own movies. As a lesson it would be good to look at literacy and storytelling. The children could write short stories in a separate lesson and then get into groups and combine their stories to plan for a movie. Children who perhaps don’t like literacy and writing would be engaged in this as they might be inspired and excited to turn their ideas into a movie and so it gets these children writing. There is actually evidence that using digital technologies can support educational attainment in literacy (Scottish Government, 2016).

A lesson like this for level one could fall under the following experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence:

  • 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)

 

  • I can write independently using my knowledge of letter patterns and spelling rules and use resources to help me spell tricky or unfamiliar words. (LIT 1-21a)

 

I think the children would really enjoy making movies of their stories and it would encourage them to not only be creative but allow them to use digital technologies in the classroom. Getting the children to use iMovie would also allow them to work collaboratively and I think they would be really engaged and enjoy this task. I do think like with most digital technologies, the rules and the learning should be very clear, so the children do not get distracted or miss use the technologies.

Overall, I think today’s session helped me to get a deeper understanding of iMovie and how it can be used in the classroom. I was also able to look at Internet Safety and how you can use technology to educate the children on how to positively use the internet. I feel as though iMovie would be great to use in the classroom as it is engaging and allows the children to be creative while supporting learning in another curricular area.

online safety with fortnite

REFERENCES

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

Childnet International. (2019) Safer Internet Day. [Online] Available: https://www.childnet.com/resources/safer-internet-day [Accessed 16 February 2019]

Education Scotland. (2019) Experiences and outcomes. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes#arts [Accessed 16 February 2019]

Scottish Government. (2016) Enhancing Learning and Teaching through the use of Digital technology: A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. [pdf] Available: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/publication/2016/09/enhancing-learning-teaching-through-use-digital-technology/documents/00505855-pdf/00505855-pdf/govscot:document/?inline=true/ [Accessed 15 February 2019]

ThinkUKnow. (2019) Welcome to Thinkuknow. [Online] Available: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ [Accessed 17 February 2019]

 

 

eBooks

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Tuesday 5 February 2019

This week we were looking at creating eBooks using the IPad application Book Creator.

An eBook is a digital version of a paper book, eBooks can be accessed through a kindle, a computer, phone or IPad. EBooks aren’t like traditional books and aren’t simply just words and some graphics. EBooks can include music, video clips, links to articles and interactive elements such as games.

There has been evidence that most children are more engaged and find interactive eBooks fun (Reading Rockets, 2013). EBooks offer a different reading experience than traditional books as the children can become more involved in the story and therefore understand it a lot better than they might if they were just reading a paper copy that isn’t interactive at all. Using iPads for eBooks is a good thing as generally iPads engage teachers and students. Children believe that using iPads should be normal within a classroom and shouldn’t just be brought out at golden time as a reward, so using iPads for eBooks is another way of integrating the use of technology into the classroom (Children’s Parliament Consultation, 2016). Pupils often like using the iPad as it is an item they enjoy using at home and learning in this way is something they’re used to (Burden et al, 2012). I agree with this and think using the iPad is great when teaching, but children have to be clear on the uses of the iPad, so they don’t get distracted from their learning.

EBooks are good as they are portable, and children can read on them anywhere. EBooks often remember what page you last read so you can just jump back in, whether with a traditional book, some children tend to forget what page they last read and don’t continue the book from the correct page (Jarvis, 2015).  EBooks can be useful in the classroom but there’s evidence children need support from an adult for progress to be made, especially with younger children in regard to their phonological awareness and word writing (Beauchamp, 2012). I agree that lessons with eBooks should still be supported by a teacher as children can often get distracted and caught up with all the other interactive features that they might forget about the storyline and their learning. It is important that the device doesn’t take over and the teacher keeps them on track with the learning.

It could also be a good idea to not only read eBooks with a class but allow them to make their own eBooks on the Book Creator app. As a lesson it could be fun to read a traditional book and then let the children make a continuation of the story or make a new story using the same characters. Allowing children to finish the story can help a teacher to see to what extent the children understood the story. I think the children would really enjoy doing this as in groups they would get to record their voices and make sounds, and this allows them to have some creative freedom. “Class teachers feel the functionality of these devices better supports students of all abilities” (Burden et al, 2012) allowing children to make their own eBook can engage children who might struggle with reading and writing as they can use a digital format which they are probably used to using and might enjoy more. I think eBooks can really enhance learning and make something like Literacy very interesting, but with the iPad there is always a danger that the children get distracted with the digital features and forget to focus on their learning within other curricular areas.

 

If this were a lesson it could fall under Literacy, Digital Technologies and Expressive Arts within the Curriculum for Excellence. I feel as though this would be a great lesson to carry out within first level under the following experiences and outcomes:

 

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

 

 

Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts.

TCH 1-02a

 

 

I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience.

LIT 1-20a / LIT 2-20a

 

Within today’s session we created our own eBooks based off of a traditional book. We used the application for iPad called ‘Book Creator’.

I actually had to miss this session and so I went over the PowerPoint at home and made some notes. I then looked at some Book Creator tutorials and downloaded the app on my iPad and carried out the task at home.

I made an eBook version of a children’s story called ‘The Teddy Show’. This story is about a teddy who enters a talent show doing an act as a magician and it is very much an early level read.

I found Book Creator very easy to use, and I understood how it worked after only watching a very basic tutorial video. I thought I would have difficulties making my eBook since I didn’t attend the session but I was really surprised at how fast I came to terms with all of the features. I inserted photos of the book and edited each page with text, added some shapes, questions and I also added the sounds of people cheering and some music.

I had no idea there was an app which allowed you to edit books and make them multi-modal and interactive this way and I really enjoyed using it. I liked how you could not only insert text, but you could change the colour and font too. I found it very straightforward to use once I played around with it for around 5 minutes and think that it would be a really easy app for children to use too.

While doing this task I noticed how my skills within digital technologies have improved since the first session as I was a lot faster with the iPad and understood some of Book Creators features as they were similar to other apps like Scratch Jr which we used in our coding session.  Much like Scratch Jr, I really liked that there was a feature where you could draw your own shapes or objects and I think that’s something children could have a lot of fun with when creating an eBook of their own but it could also distract them from creating and writing their story as some children could get caught up wanting to draw everything and forget about the learning.

I was impressed with the end product of my eBook and how professional it looked. I really liked how Book Creator let you flip through the pages as if it were a paper book and I liked how the book could also be read out to you by the app.

TEDDY STORIES

Overall, I think reading an eBook with your class, or getting pupils to create their own eBook would enhance the teaching and learning as it allows the children to learn from a curricular area such as literacy while also getting to use technologies which should be integrated and used in the classroom as much as possible. A lot more children would be engaged this way and it can also mean children have the opportunity to work collaboratively. There is a risk that some children could get distracted but as long as the teacher makes the iPad use and the learning clear I think using eBooks in the classroom is a great idea and I would love to do it with a class.

REFERENCES

Week 5 (5th Feb)

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

Burden, K et al. (2012) iPad Scotland Evaluation. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/EBOOKS%205TH%20FEB/Scotland-iPad-Evaluation.pdf [Accessed 10 February 2019]

Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children. [pdf] Available: https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed 10 February 2019]

Education Scotland (2019) Experiences and outcomes. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes#arts [Accessed 9 February 2019]

Jarvis, M., (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom. Routledge.

Reading Rockets. (2013) How to Read an E-Book with Your Child. [Online] Available: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/how-read-e-book-your-child [Accessed 9 February 2019]

Coding

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Tuesday 29th January 2019

We are on week 4 now and this session we looked at coding using the app ScratchJr.

I am finally getting the hang of using the blog. I found out last week how to add categories to my blog which you can see at the left-hand side of the screen.

I was excited for this input as we briefly looked at coding with the programmable BeeBot toys, which I really enjoyed using. ScratchJr is another aspect of technology which can enhance learning due its interactive and hands on nature. “Technology can be a powerful and engaging tool to enrich learning” (Scottish Government, 2016). ScratchJr is the perfect tool that can allow children to work through their experiences and outcomes while also giving them the chance to use technology and make their learning more fun.

ScratchJr is an app which allows the teacher, or the pupil to create stories. The characters and objects in the stories can be coded to move, speak, pause and change in size. It is also possible to draw your own items or people and you can change the background of each page. ScratchJr allows children to be creative while also challenging them to think about movement and the workings of the app.

Teaching coding has many advantages. Coding allows children to make their own story and be creative while also engaging them in problem solving (Bers, 2012). Bers also says children should code as it allows them to develop their sequencing skills along with their algorithmic thinking.

Children are living in a technology orientated world, so much is done digitally, most people have some sort of smart phone or computer. Children need to have basic knowledge on the workings of technology to navigate their future through a world where technology is used so often. Coding is important for this generation to learn as it is a skill which can provide an understanding of the workings of technology rather than just an understanding of how to use the technology. “Ensuring that the next generation of digital natives will not just be able to consume digital content but create it” (Curtis, 2013). Coding allows children to create their own digital content and can be very important in the long run as it allows children to develop certain ways of thinking that can be useful later on in life.

In today’s session we had to use ScratchJr on the IPads to create an interactive story which could be used to promote literacy. Our stories were to be linked to certain experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum of Excellence. As ScratchJr is an application on that can be accessed online or on an IPad it followed a technology outcome:

  • I can explore, play and communicate using digital technologies safely and securely. (TCH 0-03a)

It also followed two literacy outcomes as this was the focus of the lesson, these were:

  • I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts, sharing my thoughts in different ways (LIT 0-01c)
  • I enjoy exploring and choosing stories and other texts to watch, read or listen to and can share my likes and dislikes (LIT 0-01b)

My story focused on Early Years learning and therefore I kept my story very basic while still ensuring it was interactive and followed my chosen learning outcomes.

My story was about Scratch the cat who needs help to find his pet frog. I made it interactive by asking the children to look for the pet frog and ‘point him out’. I also asked questions like ‘what do you think?’ to make them more engaged in the story and allowing them to share their thoughts while following the criteria of my learning experiences.

I really enjoyed using ScratchJr as it was fairly straightforward once you were able to grasp the basics. It did take me some time to get used to, especially figuring out the timing of the objects. Initially I was very confused, but I begin to get faster and started using more complex features, such as drawing my own items like the palm trees.

I could have created a better story but I was under a lot of pressure as it took me a while to understand how to use the application. I didn’t like how the project could only be 4 slides long. For teaching purposes, I would’ve liked to develop my story further and I actually ran out of time to finish my story. When I realised, I was running out of room to develop my story, I decided to take a new approach and allow the children to finish my story. They could write, discuss or perhaps even continue it in ScratchJr on a new project. I ended my story with the characters coming to a castle and asking, “Do you think a Princess lives in there?” which the children could expand on.

I do believe in order to make good content using ScratchJr I would need to practice more as I still haven’t figured out all the features. I also feel it was a very time-consuming activity but perhaps I just need more practice. I did however learn the basics and was able to create something. I think this would be very useful as an interactive tool in my classroom as it can be totally customised and features multimodal aspects which we looked at last week.

I think ScratchJr would be a great tool for children to use to develop their basic coding skills as it certainly challenged me and allowed me to be creative which are important skills to be developed.

Children should understand coding as not having these skills could set them back when they leave school, it essentially could leave them behind the rest of society (Naughton, 2013).

I will continue to practice using ScratchJr so I am able to effectively create engaging lessons and so I can advise children how to use the application in order to develop their coding skills. ScrathcJr is a technology that can teach coding skills while also enhancing and making a lesson more challenging and fun hence why I think it should be used more often in schools.

 

REFERENCES

Bers, M. (2017) Why Kids Should Code. [Online] Available: https://now.tufts.edu/articles/manifesto-kids-code [Accessed 1 February 2019]

Curtis, S. (2013) Teaching our Children to Code: a quiet revolution. [pdf] Available: http://moodle1819.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/39846/mod_resource/content/1/Teaching%20our%20children%20to%20code%20a%20quiet%20revolution%20-%20Telegraph.pdf [Accessed 1 February 2019]

Naughton, J. (2012) Why all our kids should be taught how to code. [pdf] Available: http://moodle1819.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/39847/mod_resource/content/2/Why%20all%20our%20kids%20should%20be%20taught%20how%20to%20code%20%20Education%20%20The%20Observer.pdf [Accessed 1 February 2019]

Scottish Government. (2016) Digital technology at the heart of learning. [Online] Available: https://www.gov.scot/news/digital-technology-at-the-heart-of-learning/ [Accessed 3 February 2019]

 

 

Multimodality

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Tuesday 22nd January 2019

We are on week 3 of Digital Technologies and in today’s session we looked the advantages of using multimodal presentations to enhance teaching and learning. During the literacy for understanding module we looked at multimodal texts, so todays session was not entirely new but I was able to build on my previous knowledge of multimodality.

A multimodal text is a way of presenting information through ICT which combines two or more semiotic systems. The five semiotic systems include:

  • Linguistic
  • Visual
  • Audio
  • Gestural
  • Spatial

Using Multimodal texts can “make work more interesting or motivating” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.8). I agree with this as while I was on placement, I saw many children becoming more engaged when their lessons were presented to them in a way which was multimodal. This could be as simple as pictures and sounds included within a PowerPoint presentation. Using multimodal presentations can also highlight the relevance of work to pupils and can allow them to have a better understanding of their work through the use of visuals and sounds (Beauchamp, 2012).

Multimodal texts can be created in many different ways. A popular way of presenting multimodal texts in learning is by using interactive whiteboards (IWB). Interactive whiteboards are available in most Primary Schools in Scotland. I noticed on my placement that children seem to really like using them. Interactive whiteboards allow hands on learning and get the pupils more involved in their learning. A study done showed that pupils who used the IWB in class had more positive grades, motivation, concertation in school and satisfaction with their learning (Karsenti, 2016).

Personally, I think that interactive whiteboards make lessons more fun as they’re very interactive. Children do become more engaged when they are given the opportunity to use the IWB, whether it’s to write up their spelling words or simply match a picture to an answer. There can however be issues with the IWB as sometimes the projectors aren’t aligned well with the screen and the touch from the pen might not be accurate requiring the board to be re-calibrated. IWBs can however be used without any interactivity as these features might not work in a certain lesson and the IWB might just be used to project information (Deubel, 2010).

Today we focused on making a learning experience that could be used on an IWB. We made our interactive games on the computer programme ‘ActiveInspire’. If you’re unsure what ActiveInspire is, it is “a collaborative lesson delivery software for interactive displays” (Promethean World, 2018, n.p). Our task was to work in pairs to create an ActiveInspire slide which followed particular experience(s) and outcome(s).

In my pair we decided to build on the idea of the board we made for the Programmable Toys. We followed the same CfE experience and outcome as last week’s session, this was:

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

We based our learning experience around the theme of a Supermarket, just like we did with our Programmable Toys grid. Our learning experience was multimodal as we used the semiotic systems of linguistic, audio and visual. The learning experience is aimed towards level 1 and focuses on number, money and measure within the Curriculum.

In the learning experience the child is given a shopping list and they have to pull the items from the shelves into the shopping trolley. While this doesn’t require a lot of thinking it allows the children to have some fun and engage with the game while also making it more relevant to real life.

The children then have to figure out what coins they would use to pay for their shopping. This requires more thinking as they are presented with a selection of coins and they have to decide which coins they would use to get to their total. When placing the coins in the slide we inserted them so there are multiple coin combinations that can make the total. This is good as different children might get their total using different coins, and this can help develop their understanding of money and using different coins.

Before today’s session I had no previous experience of using ActiveInspire. I have learned a lot today and I think ActiveInspire is a great tool to use in the classroom to enhance learning. I really enjoyed using it as I thought it was relatively straightforward to use. I liked how there were tools such as a ruler and a protractor which could be extremely useful in a maths lesson. They also had a resource library that had a selection of images like money or things like animals which can make creating a lesson a lot quicker.

I definitely need some more practice with ActiveInspire. Although I was able to become familiar with it in the session, I was very slow. I found it easy to change the background and add text, knowing how to use these basic features proved to be very useful. It took me a lot of playing around to figure out how to duplicate a slide, but I did find it eventually. The version I had downloaded however did not appear to be the full version as we were missing key elements such as the ‘shape’ tool and we did not have full access to the materials in the ‘resource manager’. I probably will use ActiveInspire in my classroom as I think it is a great resource that can help bring learning to life and some children might be more engaged in learning if it is interactive like this. “Touch displays can become a social learning tool encouraging hands-on experiences, thereby helping children to learn by doing.” (Prandstatter, 2014, n.p).

I feel as though I have learned a lot about ActiveInspire and how it works but there’s definitely room for improvement. I plan to continue to practice using the software so when I’m a qualified teacher I’m able to make the most of this resource.

Personally, I believe the use of technology to show a multimodal presentation does enhance learning. The interactive whiteboards especially are a great tool to use in the classroom as they are captivating, personalised, engaging and motivating which has a really positive effect on pupils learning. Using IWBs children are more likely to enjoy the activity and learn more than if they were just writing from a textbook, hence why multimodal presentations and interactive tools should be used in the classroom.

REFRENCES

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

Karsenti, T. (2016) The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB): Uses, Bene­ts, and Challenges. A survey of 11,683 students and 1,131 teachers. [pdf] Available: http://iwb.crifpe.ca/files/Rapport.pdf [Accessed 24 January 2019].

Patricia Deubel. (2010) Interactive Whiteboards: Truths and Consequences. [Online] Available: https://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/08/04/Interactive-Whiteboards-Truths-and-Consequences.aspx?Page=4# [Accessed: 27 January 2019]

Prandstatter, J. (2014) Interactive Displays in Early Years Classes. [Online] Available: http://connectlearningtoday.com/interactive-displays-early-years-classes/ [Accessed 26 January 2019]

Promethean World. (2018) [Online] Available: https://www.prometheanworld.com/gb/products/lesson-delivery-software/activinspire/ [Accessed 25 January 2019].

 

Programmable Toys

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Tuesday 15th January 2019

This week in digital technologies we were looking at using programmable toys to enhance learning. In particular we were working with the programmable toys called ‘Bee-Bots’. Our task was to create a grid which covered a particular curricular area (such as numeracy or literacy). We had to design the learning experience around some experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). We also had to have a particular level in mind at which our grids were aimed at, although Bee-Bot is most commonly used at early and first level.

There are multiple reasons why programmable toys should be used within the classroom setting. Alison Lydon used Bee-Bots in her nursery class and gave very positive reviews on how the children were concentrated and engaged while also having great fun (Lydon, 2008). Hopefully if I were to use them within my classroom, I would see the same reaction.

Programmable Toys like Bee-Bot allow the children to have hands on learning. They are able to touch and move the Bee-Bot, pressing buttons and receiving feedback through the direction it moves and sounds it makes. The learner is in control when using Bee-Bot. It is not a task where they are following instructions but a task where they are giving them to the Bee-Bot to get a desired outcome. Using Bee-Bot grid games like we created also allows a fun challenge for learners and can help to develop learners problem-solving skills.

Programmable toys are good way to develop understanding of certain topics or curricular areas, while also reflecting today’s contemporary world (Janka, 2008).

In our session today when using Bee-Bot I noticed something I believed might confuse learners. Say you give Bee-Bot a wrong instruction and you want to change the direction he moves, you’d assume you just click the correct button and it will move that way instantly, wrong. You have to click the ‘clear’ button or else it will start the previous sequence and simply add the new instruction to the end. This could be a flaw as if a child was to make a mistake, they would have to enter all their previous instructions again (Janka, 2008). I agree with this, it can be confusing at first and result in some time being wasted if a long sequence is needing re-entered.

I worked in a group of three (myself and two other students), and we mutually agreed to focus on number, money and measure as our curricular area (particularly number and money). We also decided to aim this towards first level learning. We designed are Bee-Bot grid in the theme of a Supermarket. The children would be given shopping lists with various items and prices listed on them. They would have to program Bee-Bot to collect the food items and as they go along work out how much everything costs in total.  At the end of the learning experience they would have to pick the basket with the correct total on it and are challenged to work out their change from a pound coin. This learning experience followed our chosen experiences and outcomes from the Curriculum for Excellence which were:

  • I can use money to pay for items and can work out how much change I can receive. (MNU 1-09a)
  • I understand the instructions of a visual programming language and can predict the outcome of a program written using the language. (TCH 1-14a)

We made our grid by measuring out a grid with 16 squares that were 15cm by 15cm. We drew a start square for the Bee-Bot on the bottom left. We drew and coloured our items of food on a separate piece of paper and blue tacked them on so they can be moved around for different game variations. We added ‘shopping baskets’ which were 3D as we made them out of card, these had various total costs on them and a card asking how much change they’d receive.

I’d say we were successful in creating our Bee-Bot grid as it allowed the experiences and outcomes to be fulfilled while also being colourful, appealing and fun. If I was to change anything, I’d perhaps create more shopping lists and food items so there was a wider variation of the learning experience. I would have also have liked to replace some of the unhealthier food with healthier food and perhaps link this to a health and wellbeing experience and outcome. If I was to use this in my classroom in the future I would laminate the pieces of food and shopping lists to ensure they stay in a good condition so it could be reused often.

Personally, I really enjoyed using the Bee-Bots. I learned how to use them and found them fairly easy to get the hang of. I believe they are a great resource that can allow learning and also reflect the modern technologies of today.  It is really important I know how to use these programmable toys, as in today’s society it is highly beneficial for children to know basic programming skills like this as they are moving forward into a technology orientated world.

“Successful utilisation of digital technology depends not just upon sufficient access to equipment, tools and resources, but also on the availability of sufficient training, and knowledge and support networks for teachers. Providing teachers with this support will allow them to understand the benefits and applications of digital technologies and enable them to use digital technologies effectively.” (Education Scotland, 2012, n.p).

Bee-Bot can enhance a lesson, making it more interactive and fun while also benefiting the children’s learning and giving them the opportunity to use digital technologies.

 

REFERENCES

Education Scotland (2012) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching. [Online] Available: https://www.gov.scot/publications/literature-review-impact-digital-technology-learning-teaching/ [Accessed: 19 January 2019].

Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How? [pdf] http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Accessed: 18 January 2019].

Lydon, A. (2007) Let’s Go With Bee-Bot: Using your Bee-Bot across the curriculum. [pdf] Available: file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Uni%20Work%20BA1/Digital%20Technologies/PROGRAMMABLE%20TOYS%2015TH%20JAN/ICTopus%20-%20Sharing%20Good%20Practice%20-%20Robots%20in%20Early%20Education%20%20.pdf[Accessed: 19 January 2019].

Week One Blog Post

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Tuesday 8th January 2019

My name Emily and I’m studying Primary Education here at UWS. I chose Digital Technologies as my optional module as I wanted to build on my ICT skills. At school I did higher admin and really enjoyed it. Administration allowed me to gain experience using computer software’s such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, however I never got to use applications such as IMovie or Book Creator. I’m looking forward to this module as I will be able to become familiar with various technologies that I can use in my classroom as a qualified teacher.

I personally value the use of digital technologies in Primary School. It is important children are able to experience and use current technologies. In today’s society technology is used in work and life in general. The use of technologies such as laptops in the classroom may benefit children who come from a poorer background and do not have these technologies at home. Using digital technologies in school can contribute to closing the attainment gap regarding poverty as all the children have the same opportunities to use digital technologies (Scottish Government, 2016). I agree with the Scottish Government in this instance. If children do not have experience using digital technologies at all they are less likely to have the same opportunities when leaving school and perhaps will find it harder to get a job. So by using digital technologies in the classroom it ensures children get equal opportunities using technology and I think this is a factor that might help close the attainment gap regarding poverty.

During my placement I saw many children who became more engaged with their learning when they had the opportunities to use iPads or laptops. This is also why I believe the use digital technologies in the classroom is important, as using them might engage learners who wouldn’t normally be as engaged. Digital technologies can allow interactions and awards, which children like, as they are growing up playing games on devices such as the iPad. Hence why I believe using digital technologies to support children’s learning is essential, as this is the way they process information and learn.

Students today process information differently as they are a generation that has grown up constantly using digital technologies. For teachers who are ‘Digital Immigrants’ and haven’t grown up with technology it is important they can use digital technologies in their classroom to support the learning for these ‘Digital Natives’. The ‘Digital Natives’ can’t learn with just textbooks and writing, they need the use of digital technologies as they process information in this format (Prensky, 2001). Therefore, I believe it’s important that teachers today can use digital technologies in their classroom so that their students are able to learn in a way that they are used to and enjoy.

By the end of this module, I hope to have increased my understanding of the range of digital technologies available and I’m able to effectively use them in a classroom setting. I did not do the reading before the session which put me at a disadvantage as I was unable to fully involve myself in discussions. For the rest of this module I aim to be more organised and do the pre-session reading so I can get the most out of the workshop.

In my opinion, digital technologies are the future, and teachers need to understand how to use these technologies in order to effectively teach the new generations that have grown up with them. I am very excited to start this module and increase my knowledge of ICT and new technologies.

 

REFERENCES

Marc Prensky (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. [pdf] Available: https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf  [Accessed 10 January 2019].

Scottish Government (2016) Enhancing Teaching and Learning through the use of Digital Technologies: A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. [Online] Available: https://www.gov.scot/publications/enhancing-learning-teaching-through-use-digital-technology/ [Accessed 8 January 2019].

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