30/01/19
Hi,
this week I feel I am really beginning to develop an understanding of why and how todays teachers should teach. Marc Prensky describes our youth of today as “Digital Natives” and my own generation and of course generations before as the “digital immigrants” I can see why this has become problematic for our educational system. I grew up with a little of the new digital technologies (tv, and basic ping pong games) but most of my experience has come in adult life. This later experience is still tarnished by my own learning at school; step-by-step instructions, lectures and rote. I am also one of those people who can not resist the phone call to see if the recipient received the email I sent. My own children and their peers have been born into the established digital world and are used to the instantaneity of text messages, online social networking and downloaded music and information. They often will not and do not interact particularly well with the comparison of constant relayed spoken instructions, information and repetitive learning. Therefor it is extremely important that I embrace the digital world of learning and teaching if I am to be a good educator for todays children. “ our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (Marc Prensky 2001) It is imperative to be an effective teacher nowadays we have to learn to appreciate the new skills that our digital generation have acquired and believe in the power of pupils learning successfully through technologies such as iPads, tv, apps, and computer games. We also need to accept that it is ok for learning to be fun!
How we teach our children about computers has been widely perceived to be useless for some time. It has been said that we started off in the right direction with programmable toys but over the last two decades of ICT in education has had lack of teacher learning and participation which led to a shift of teachers training children how to use softwear rather than how the computers work which has less benefit in their future digitally lead world. (John Naughton, 2012).
It is for this reason that the Scottish Goverment in 2016 developed a new strategy for digital teaching and learning. The Curriculum for Excellence implements and recognizes ICT as an integral part of children’s learning across all subjects at all levels. Sadly it was found that many teachers were still not confident or even convinced of using it within many subjects. It was also found that many schools did not have the resources to fully participate in a full and productive implementation of digital teaching and learning. (A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland 2016)
The four essential and interrelated objectives of the strategy are:
- Develop the skills of our educators
- Improve access
- Enhance curriculum and assessment delivery
- Empower leaders
To further our learning of how well technology can work in teaching our children we were set the task of using an app called Scatch Junior. The app is installed on the iPad and is used to introduce programming language to young children (5 and up). It can be used across subjects such as maths, science, english and music. The children can construct interactive stories and games by choosing backgrounds and characters from simple menus and piecing together units of instructions to make them move, jump and even speak or sing. I created a maths game. The child has to help fairy Fiona find her way to the castle by completing patterns of flowers and toad stools.
Using Scratch junior was a sharp learning curve for me in that not only did it test my digital ability but it demonstrated how effective this type learning can be. The children can explore and experiment with the technology developing their creative thinking, problem solving, reasoning skills and work collaboratively with their peers and each of these skills are featured in the experiences and outcomes in each level of the curriculum for excellence across many subject areas. I decided the experiences and outcomes for my project would be early level and include:
- TCH 0-01a digital literacy, I can explore digital technologies and us what I learn to solve problems and share ides and thoughts.
- TCH 0-14a computing science, I can understand that sequences of instructions are used to control computing technology.
- TCH 0-15a computing science, I can develope a sequence of instructions and run them using programmable devices or equivalent.
- TCH 0-04a computing science, I enjoy exploring and using technologies to communicate with others within and beyond my place of learning.
- TCH 0-09a / TCH 1-09a computing science, I am developing problem-solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable, I can work individually or collaboratively to design and implement a gametoys.
- MTH 0-13a maths, I have spotted and explored patterns in my own and the wider environment and can copy and continue these and create my own patterns.
Logging off until next week…
References
Naughton, J. (2012) Why all our kids should be taught how to code. The Guardian. [Online] 31st March, non paginated. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/mar/31/why-kids-should-be-taught-code [Accessed: 3rd April 2019]
Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital immigrants from On the Horizon MCB university press, vol 9, no.5, October 2001
The Scratch Website:
