After having an input with Derek at the beginning of Semester 1, my vision of digital tools in the classroom changed. I have always been aware that technology can enhance learning in the classroom, but this input really struck me as a developer to manipulate these tools and use them as much as possible to my advantage.
Derek showed the class a recent blog post he created based on the advantages and availability with digital tools and new ways to back up topics and learning using these. Every tool and link he showed us amazed me. One in particular was ‘OCEARCH’, a website created by scientists that allow the public to track and view sharks around the world and can follow their journey to different places. Ultimately allowing further questions to arise within the classroom to back up the learning; Why are these sharks travelling such large distances? What is there that attracts them? Where are they going?
These questions prompt the children into further learning and reasoning and allow them to learn completely new facts and ideals. This resource is perfect to engage the class into new findings.
Another resource was the use of ‘Globe Viewer’ and ‘Ancient Earth Globe’. These tools would be used in Geography to allow pupils to understand the concept of understanding the scale and gain a greater understanding of the shape of planet Earth and how the earth is continuously changing. Having the representation in 3D form allows the children to see the earth as not a smooth sphere, but as a rough, real world which may be something quite difficult to explain without the use of a visual 3D representation.
A Geographical link i found amusing was ‘The Wilderness Downtown’ link where you are able to type in your postcode, and a video is created where you are able to see developmental changes in society around your area you grew up in. This brings relevance and clear understanding to the learning and allows children to become engaged as it relates to them specifically. As the children are able to see the very streets of their childhood, it allows the feeling of their childhood, time and memory to be portrayed.
Through progression, the children’s next steps can involve logging into google and going onto maps. They can ‘create map’ based on any area they wish, this may be where they grew up. By visually seeing this map, pupils are able to pin specific places and memories to areas which they can go back to add on. This creates a sense of scale and brings geography into technology.
I feel technology and digital tools has the power to engage and involve pupils within their learning to an extra level. Digital resources can be used to enhance the learning and create depth into the topic. It can really push children into understanding the learning and can be edged beyond subject boundaries. These resources can be used to back up interdisciplinary learning between relevant subject and be used to explore what the naked eye can actually see.
