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