Category Archives: Uncategorized

Overall Reflection

Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

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]

 

 

Week One Blog Post

Leave a comment

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].