Today was the first day of the Digital Technology module. When I saw that this module was available to me, I jumped at the opportunity. This is because, when I myself was at primary school as a child there was very little digital technology and I am interested to know where digital technology can be used in a school environment.
At this stage in my BA Honours degree I currently feel that children probably know more than me regarding digital technology and this was reflected upon when I was out on my first school placement. I was completely taken a back to see how much of the school day the children use digital technology and also that it was second nature to them.
I think this a wonderful idea as the children of today will continue to use technology throughout their education, moving with the times. This then means that they will be more than prepared for the outside world when it comes to gaining employment in the future, according to Beauchamp (2012).
In the lecture today we were told that the Scottish Government have invested a vast amount of time and money into IT, this can be seen in ‘The National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy (2016)’. The strategy will be funded over the next 3-5 years and will focus on children aged 3-18 years old, Scottish Government (2016). Which again I feel is going to be very beneficial to Scotland in the future as the country will have well educated young adults with adaptable skills in IT.
In the document the government have broken down how the departments involved can contribute and enhance the quality of digital technologies not only for children but for educators, parents and carers. Included in the document is information about the role of the Government, the role of local authorities, the role of the establishment and what they can all to ensure pupils have the relevant level of IT skills.
Examples of this could be that schools are encouraged to involve children, parents and carers in areas of development in order to encourage anytime/anywhere learning. They are advised to take onboard new ideas and utilise staff/parents alike, which hand in hand works with the role of the Government who will now take onboard tried and test ideas which encourages partnerships (Scottish Government, 2016).
At the end of the lecture, I did wonder if I will ever know all there is to know about digital technology and the answer is possibly not. However, I had a conversation with my lecturer about was it acceptable to use a child’s knowledge during a lesson and this was fedback to me as defiantly yes. To involve a child in a lesson not only means that the information is coming from a reliable source (as the child will have embeded knowledge). This also means that the child will have a great sense of achievement, communication and leadership, which will encourage them to help others. In result of this, confidence and self esteem are present in the child which is of great value to children today.
If I can achieve this then I will know that I am doing my job correctly “the role of the teacher as scaffolder, mentor and facilitator will always remain vital,” according to Beauchamp (2012, p.142).
In conclusion, the first lecture went very well. I now know about Government strategies that are in place to support and enhance digital technology within education. I know there will be support for me as a student and as an educator. Therefor, there should be no need to worry about my knowledge and skills as there are procedures in place to improve and support. I carried out further reading and look forward to continuing with this, as it will help me to understand why digital technology is so important in education today.
References
- Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School. [Online] Available: dawsonera.com/readonline/9781408251379 [Accessed: 13 January 2018].
- Scottish Government. (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505855.pdf [Accessed: 11 January 2018].
