Although the initial plan of engaging with Nintendo games throughout this lesson did not follow through, our session was still fully oriented around games-based learning and the benefits of teaching in this style for both pupils and teachers. Digital Games-based Learning is described as being, “the integration of gaming into learning experiences to increase engagement and motivation” (Higher Education Academy website). This particular lesson began with us being asked to create a mind-map in groups based on our initial understanding of the benefits of games-based learning. After discussing the topic further, we were to go back and add any further knowledge we had gained to compare. We also learned how games-based learning can cover the SHANARI outcomes: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected and included.

Due to this lesson, I learned that games-based learning increases motivation in pupils, grabs their attention, improves their ability to recall the information they were taught in this way and reinforces knowledge for pupils in a stress-free and pleasurable manner. I learned that games-based learning can be used as a stimulus and used as a beginning point for other activities or it can be used to teach content and be used to illustrate content and materials. It has the potential to also be used to teach social skills improving their understanding of how best to communicate with their peers under certain circumstances or it can be used to allow pupils to create games of their very own.

I agree with the statements that games-based learning is stress-free and pleasurable for the learners and that it increases motivation. I agree with these as when we were asked to create our own Mario Kart character, I was apprehensive at the beginning due to drawing not being a strong skill of mine, however when I recognised that it was all for fun, I felt relaxed and was able to see the enjoyment in the task.

Not only did we learn about the benefits of combining games with learning, we were also informed of the potential challenges we may face as student teachers. One of the main hurdles faced by teachers is deciding on a game that is suitable and fits in with the class aims. We were informed of ways of evaluating whether the games is appropriate: is it likely to engage pupils? Does it promote problem solving and collaborative learning? Can the game be used to develop specific curriculum content? Other challenges to consider are if the resources and budget you have as a teacher are going to be enough to integrate games into the classroom and if you will be able to assess your pupils appropriately using the game you are considering.

A final challenge faced is lack of confidence in teachers. Due to teachers being nervous about using games in the classroom, many pupils miss out on this beneficial opportunity. “Game-based learning has had a ‘difficult history’ with teachers who may have felt threatened by children becoming more expert in technology than they are” (Stephen Reid, Immersive Minds, cited on Future Scot online article). In order to avoid this potential complication, we were informed how to efficiently use games-based learning. “Theorists Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky have argued that play is a crucial component of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood” (Higher Education Academy website) Since reading this, as a student teacher, I am not willing to deprive my future pupils of the opportunities games-based learning brings, therefore I was very glad to be fully informed how best to use games-based learning to improve my confidence when doing so. We were taught this week to be clear about the learning intentions throughout, make distinct links to experiences and outcomes and use appropriate games and select parts of these games relevant to meeting the intended outcome. As role models, we must ensure that games-based learning has a positive impact on social skills, supports and enhances learning, develops skills and provides opportunities to apply these skills.

After learning about the benefits of games-based learning, we were to put our knowledge into practice and work in groups to create an interdisciplinary plan showing which curricular areas games-based tasks could be integrated with. Focusing on Mario Kart, we were able to cover the curricular areas of: literacy, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, technology and numeracy. However, we were not limited to these subjects alone and recognised that we had many ideas across the curriculum just for Mario Kart. This emphasised to us the vast potential lessons that can be created from games.

For literacy, we imagined that children could write a diary entry pretending they had been part of an audience watching a Mario Kart race. Throughout their piece of writing, their aims would be to include a specific number of adjectives and descripting words. This would cover the curriculum outcome: ‘I can spell the most commonly-used words, using my knowledge of letter patterns and spelling rules and use resources to help me spell tricky or unfamiliar words’ LIT 1-21a.

The Expressive Arts lesson we planned was for pupils to create their own cars using paint and decorating cardboard boxes. Once these have been completed, pupils could perform a drama pretending to be part of a real race. The curriculum outcome completed by this would be: ‘I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances.’ EXA 0-01a / EXA 1-01a / EXA 2-01a.

Our health and wellbeing lesson would follow on from this art lesson as the children could use the cars they had previously created to display their road safety knowledge showing when it is suitable to cross, speed, waiting at traffic lights and zebra crossings etc. We got this idea from the curriculum outcome: ‘I know and can demonstrate how to travel safely’ HWB 0-18a / HWB 1-18a / HWB 2-18a.

For a technology lesson, we came up with the idea of allowing pupils to create cars, tracks and a setting with drawings and other materials to use in their own iStop Motion animation. This would come under the curriculum outcome: ‘I can extend and enhance my design skills to solve problems and can construct models’ TCH 2-09a.

For numeracy our lesson plan was to give the children a set budget to use and decide what to buy such as which race car, which tools and what other equipment they may need. Curriculum outcome: ‘I can manage money, compare costs from different retailers, and determine what I can afford to buy.’ MNU 2-09a.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

In conclusion, this lesson made me much more aware of the endless possibilities games-based learning can bring to a classroom. It helped me realise I must be confident in this aspect of teaching to give my future pupils to opportunities they deserve. Thanks to this session, I now have a greater understanding of the benefits and possible lessons games can bring.

References:
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
Porter, B. (2004) Digi Tales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories. Bernajean Porter Publication.
Jones, R.H. and Hafner, C.A. (2012) Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction. Routledge.
Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf

This week’s lesson led us to question whether or not mobile devices should be used to aid education in primary classrooms. From this session, I began to recognise that varying primary schools believe differently with some finding technology beneficial and some disagreeing. To help answer the underlying question, I read multiple articles which informed me and developed my belief. After this, I personally experienced using mobile devices as a learner when I got the opportunity to use an Easi-Speak microphone with two partners to support the ‘I am’ poem we had written.

As a student teacher, I personally believe mobile devices should be used to aid education in primary schools when suitable and when it will benefit the learning of children. Prior to reading articles on the topic, my own knowledge alone led me to believe this as I understand technology to be exciting and engaging for pupils due to witnessing this in my last placement experience. Alongside technology is the modern way to teach with a variety of new ways to learn including interactivity, online websites and apps and the ability to search for information quickly and easily. Reading articles such as “Games Consoles Benefit Children’s Education” on Teaching Times enhanced my belief. This particular article informed me that research showed technology to play an important role in primary-aged children’s education. This developed my belief as I would not be willing to deprive a child of the opportunity to be educated on both how to learn with technology and how to use technology itself (Teaching Times, 2008). Following this, The Telegraph article “Digital learning: how technology is reshaping learning” further enhanced my opinion that mobile devices should be used while educating. It stated that children are becoming computer-literate before they have even reached primary school age. I believe this skill should continue to be enhanced in schools allowing them to both increase their knowledge and even provide their teacher with knowledge. Although this article positively stated that over four in ten households have a tablet, this means some children however do not experience this luxury. Safe environments such as school where technology can be used solely to benefit a child’s education give these children that opportunity. Not only does technology give the pupils advantages, it also benefits the teacher. The Telegraph article informed me that many teachers admitted that using attractive multi-modal and interactive lessons are the only way to get children to participate fully since exposure to technology from a young age has altered children’s abilities to engage in information (The Telegraph, 2014).

Prior to using the Easi-Speak microphones, my partners and I were given a template for how to write our poem, each line beginning with guidelines such as “I am…” and “I feel…” and our role was to fill in the blanks. Many other groups decided to base their poem on their own thoughts, feelings and experiences however my group and I allowed our imaginations to run and created our poem as if we were a lonely mermaid who longed to be human.

Once we were pleased with our creation, we began to record the three paragraphs of our poem, each saying one paragraph, using an Easi-Speak microphone and the help of video tutorials. Following this, we included our recordings into a multi modal power point we created which split each line of our poem into a slide with a suitable image.

As a learner, after a couple of practices, I found the Easi-Speak microphones relatively simple to use for recordings and for transferring your recordings onto a computer. My group and I enjoyed created a PowerPoint also which fitted in with theme of each poem line we had written. As a student teacher, I believe this would be a beneficial task and skill to pass on to children as it is simple and engaging and children would have a lot of fun listening back to their own voices and allowing their peers to listen too. I also now understand that the use of mobile devices and this lesson can be used across many subjects in the curriculum and fits into many outcomes:

I enjoy playing with and exploring technologies to discover what they can do and how they can help us. TCH 0-05a
“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 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

(Scottish Government, 2008)

To conclude, this session helped me be more aware of the importance of my role as a teacher to encourage children to use mobile devices to develop their education. Ray Barker, director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) stated that research had found “39% [of teachers] stated that children should not have access…to mobile phone.” (Teaching times, 2008). This made me aware of how many children are unable to involve technology in their learning due to their teacher’s beliefs and confidence levels. I am not willing to deprive my future pupils of these opportunities therefore I am glad to now be more aware of the benefits of technological devices, how to fit them in with the curriculum outcomes and I am now more confident in using them.

References:

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

Curtis, S (2014). Digital learning: how technology is reshaping teaching. The Telegraph [Online]. Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html.

Teaching Times. Games consoles benefit children’s education. Teaching Times [ Online]. Available: https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf

This lesson increased my knowledge on animations including what they are and the various types that exist as well as the benefits of using them in education. The lesson began with introducing us to tutorial videos to heighten our understanding then allowing us to explore the animation app Puppet Pals. This app allowed us to play around with voice recording, character movement, altering the size of characters and creating a story line with multiple backgrounds and themes including fairy tale princesses and dragons. Once comfortable with what was being asked of us, we progressed onto the app iStop Motion.

Animation is defined as involving “the stringing together of a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move” (Jarvis, 2015, p89). Moving Image Education believes there to be five chief types of animation: cutout, stop-motion, pixilation, drawn and computer. The app iStop Motion, as the name suggests, focused solely on improving our stop-motion abilities. This type of animation involves taking pictures of inanimate objects and slightly adjusting their position each picture resulting in the object appearing to move when the pictures are played back. Whilst considering the props we had on offer, my partner and I began discussing possible story lines for our animation. We included our own drawings, a toy man and toy cars. Our story displayed the event of a fire spreading in a house and showed the man running out of his house and hailing down our toy fire engine. The story began by setting the scene displaying our drawn house and road alone followed by a car driving past. This illusion was created by us moving the car very slightly each picture we took. We then began inserting the drawn images of fire which we altered each picture to create the impression that the fire was crackling. Next, the man was shown running out of the house as we moved his legs and lifted his arms in a panicked motion. Our short story ended with the fire engine pulling up to save the situation. Although we had more ideas that could have been put in to practice with less time restraints, we were overall impressed and content with the work we produced. As a student teacher, this helped me recognise the importance of allowing children enough time to complete tasks so that they get the greatest fulfilment possible.

I personally found iStop Motion very enjoyable as a learner and believe children would experience a mutual feeling. This app challenged my concentration and determination as staying focused throughout the piece of work was essential to ensure no mistakes were made and when the pictures were played back the animation appeared realistic and believable. The skills of concentration and motivation in children are important therefore this would be an effective task for them to participate in.

This week familiarised me to the many benefits that come with introducing animation in the classroom. I believe animation to be beneficial to young minds as it can improve their imagination and let their ideas come to life since animation breathes new life into something that wouldn’t normally move (Moving Image Education). Bertrancourt (2005) suggests three ways animation enriches learning: to enhance learner’s visual representations, to illustrate processes and to provide an interactive element (Jarvis, 2015, p92). This session also brought to my attention that using sound and video enhances the quality of information processing and therefore also learning resulting in animation allowing children to find it easier to understand and remember a lesson (Jarvis, 2015, p93).

Digital technologies and using animation as an alternative way to convey a story line can be used across many aspects of the curriculum. This particular lesson fitted in with the outcomes:

“I can explore and experiment with sketching, manually or digitally, to represent ideas in different learning contexts.” TCH 1-11a.
“I can convey information, describe events, explain processes or combine ideas in different ways.” LIT 2-28a.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

Overall, I found this class very beneficial in developing my own skills with animation and having an understanding of how it works and how it would bring advantages to a classroom. It was also beneficial in enhancing my confidence when presenting this type of lesson in future classroom environments. I will now understand how it is enhancing the learners’ experiences and how it can be used across the curriculum.

References:
Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf

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: 14.2.18]

Although the majority of prior lessons have emphasised the benefits of encouraging schools and pupils to use technology and online devices to enhance education, the dangers of children being online is also recognised. This week, we focused on a variety of ways of promoting e-safety as teachers to our future pupils. This lesson began with us as the pupils being educated through e-safety quizzes and videos and learning how to create movies with the use of iMovie, followed by us becoming the teachers and thinking how best to cover the dangers of being online and how to avoid them throughout our movie.

To begin, we were directed to an online safer internet quiz which questioned us on how we would react when faced with certain scenarios. The questions covered aspects such as peer pressure and speaking to strangers and provided us with multiple choice answers. After selecting the answer my class and I believed to be most suitable, the quiz informed us whether our choice was the safest option or not and provided us with a reason also. This type of questionnaire would be beneficial to do as a class with primary students to allow teachers to gain an understanding of how much online safety knowledge their class actually has. Following this, teachers can plan further internet safety lessons surrounding the aspects pupils seemed to struggle with such as showing them videos like the ‘thinkuknow’ safety video my class and I were given. It also lets pupils explain why they may have answered out of the multiple choice answers differently to each other which both widens their knowledge and allows them to teach their peers.

I believe that, as opposed to banning children from using online devices altogether to prevent any dangers, making them confident individuals in knowing how to cope with potential threats is much more beneficial. This is supported by the quote “…E-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58). I believe this due to it being clear that access to the internet is useful in both educational and enjoyment aspects of 21st century childhood. This is supported by the Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) stating that children see digital technology as useful for enhancing learning. This also informed me that digital technologies have the capabilities to make learning more enjoyable and appealing with the potential to make improved links between learning in the classroom and completing work at home. The Scottish Government (2015) states that there is conclusive evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can, where effectively used, raise the speed and depth of learning in science and mathematics for primary and secondary age learners and appears to be appropriate means to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills, especially in primary settings. “The most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.60). The Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) also expressed that children seemed to show an understanding of what dangers may come with using a device that allows you online. The children spoken to voiced a consistent message that they knew to inform an adult if faced with a challenging scenario putting their safety at risk. Although they described how they had gained this advice from adults such as parents, teachers and other external agencies who had spoken to them at school, there was still a sense that some children were also at risk of ‘brushing off’ the upsetting incidence in case reporting the matter led to adults controlling their online activity. To me, this displays that threats of banning their online activity puts children at further risk therefore schools should continue to focus on how to approach dangers and should not let them believe that if they are faced with these dangers they may be punished.

The online device we focused on during this lesson was the app ‘iMovie’. This app allows you to combine text, pictures, movies and music into a short movie. With help from multiple tutorial videos on offer, iMovie was quick and easy to use. Continuing the theme of internet safety, my group and I created a fictional story based on a teddy bear talking to a stranger online. Prior to beginning our movie, we completed a plan for what our overall story was going to be including our beginning, middle and end, who the main characters would be and what our setting would be like. In a classroom setting, I would also have encouraged children to start off with a plan to avoid restarting their movie each time they had a new idea. We then discussed roles within our group such as who would animate our characters, who would create our set, who would take the pictures and videos and who would put it altogether on the app. I would also encourage this in a classroom setting to ensure everyone was taking part and given an opportunity to input into the end product. Our story showed the stranger having access to all the teddy bear’s information such as where he lives, his age and his photos and having the ability to follow and contact him. Although it was clear the teddy bear’s privacy settings were not safe, he was clever for informing a parent when the stranger began asking to meet up and blocking the profile. The story concluded by stating that if teddy bear hadn’t made the correct decision of telling a parent instead of meeting up with the stranger, he could have been in a lot of danger. This was because although the stranger was posting photos of a unicorn, they were in fact a werewolf! Our overall message was that not everyone is who they say they are online which is why talking to people you don’t know is unsafe. Ending with a couple of overall safety facts and websites to visit for more information, this movie would be beneficial for children to watch as they could discuss the potential dangers bear may have faced had he met up with the ‘unicorn’.

The skill of movie making and digital technologies can be used in many subjects across the curriculum such as in literacy, technologies and health and well being. The following specific curriculum outcomes focus on children at all levels understanding how to be safe online:

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 can explore online communities demonstrating an understanding of responsible digital behaviour and I’m aware of how to keep myself safe and secure. – TCH 2-03a

(Scottish Government, 2008)

To conclude, not only did this lesson improve my knowledge of internet safety, it also developed my understanding of the importance of teaching it and a variety of ways of getting the message across to pupils such as with quizzes and videos. After this session, I was also aware of the app iMovie and the benefits of using it in a classroom. With a variety of tutorial videos and plans children can follow, displaying their ideas in a movie format for a change would be simple and easy. In future classroom environments I will now feel more confident in educating pupils on the risks of the internet and will be conscious to not turn it into a lecture. I now recognise that it is important to teach them how to act if they are confronted with scenarios as opposed to encouraging them to avoid the possibility altogether.

References:
Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children.
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf

Within this week’s lesson, I gained a wider knowledge of the advantages of using eBooks by being given the opportunity to create one individually then one with a group. The Oxford Dictionary defines eBooks as “an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device” (Bbc.co.uk, 2018). Using the app ‘Book Creator’, a group of peers and I produced an eBrochure focusing on the University of the West of Scotland then I individually modified a children’s story into a lesson. At the beginning of the session, we were asked to write our current understanding of the uses and benefits of eBooks so we could later reflect on how much knowledge we had gained.

‘Book Creator’ is a useful tool for crafting multi-modal pieces such as picture and comic books, journals, textbooks and many more. Supported by tutorial videos, Book Creator is simple and easy to use allowing you to add pictures, text and audio recordings. Firstly, I was introduced to this app when I was asked to create a brochure with a group highlighting the main features of our University campus. We were able to include pictures and videos we had taken ourselves of the University by uploading them to the app then writing a short piece of text alongside it. My group and I chose to focus on aspects of the University such as the library, the lecture theatres, the student union and the sport opportunities. Unfortunately, my group and I felt our finished work was rushed due to time restraints. This helped me identify the importance of allowing children reasonable time limits for each task in future class settings to ensure they are reaching their potential. Despite this, we were able to complete the work and gain enough understanding of eBooks and Book Creator to complete the following task. I then used the same app to summarise the children’s story ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees turning it into a potential literacy lesson for children. This book conveys the importance of accepting individual’s differences, giving everybody equal opportunities and being kind always through the character of a giraffe who longs to fit in by dancing with the other animals however doubts his abilities until he is encouraged by a friend. For the front cover of this eBook, I was able to choose a shape out of a variety of options to appear frequently in attempt to create a giraffe-themed page.

Throughout the eBook, I had the tools to alter text fonts, sizes, colours and effects to highlight specific words or phrases. In addition, I was able to add pictures I had taken of the book to inform the reader what part of the story I was discussing. Finally, on one page I chose to include an audio recording of me reading selected text from the story to aid the reader’s learning. I also had the potential to include many other features in my eBook such as my own writing using the pen tool.

Ebooks could be used in all areas across the curriculum however this particular lesson would focus on the curriculum outcomes:
Using what I know about the features of different types of texts, I can find, select, sort and use information for a specific purpose. – LIT 1-14a
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.

(Scottish Government, 2008)

With reference to the eBook lesson I created, I would be able to give it to children as a task after they had read the book to ensure they fully understood the main messages of the story and were able to identify literacy techniques used throughout. It would be a simple and easy way of identifying which parts of the story need further discussion and would aid me to alter future lessons around these challenging areas. Tasks like this one I created helps children to read between the lines of books and think more in depth about what they are reading.

Due to this session, I discovered the many benefits that come with encouraging and using eBooks in the classroom. Allowing children to read on a device they associate with fun and games, such as iPads and tablets, results in tasks appearing more enjoyable as opposed to a chore. Also, modernising a classic past-time like reading creates a more relatable and up-to-date hobby for younger generations. Another benefit is that having such a large variety of books on one app on one portable device also leads to children having the option to read whenever and wherever they choose with ease. This creates the idea that reading is a choice in free time and does not only have to occur when they are instructed to in a class. Following this, books can come in countless numbers on your device making choosing a book at the touch of your finger significantly easier than visiting your nearest library or re-reading the same books from your limited options. This will give children the opportunity to enhance their literacy skills by being introduced to new words, characters, ideas and storylines. In addition, online books have the potential to be multi-modal involving both text and audio. Ebooks may come with the option of having a voice-over that speaks as you read making challenged readers more engaged and relaxed increasing enjoyment.

Today’s lesson gave me an overall understanding of how to use eBooks and how they would be helpful in future classroom environments. The tutorials on hand for apps such a Book Creator make them stress-free to understand for adults and children. I am happy I now have the capability to introduce lessons using this tool and support children while doing so.

References:

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

Curriculum for Excellence.

Bbc.co.uk. (2018). BBC – WebWise – What is an e-book?. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-e-books

Scottish Government (2008) The Curriculum for Excellence [Online] http://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/all-experiences-and-outcomes.pdf