Final Blog

This is my final blog of Digital technologies and I don’t know whether to jump with happiness at the fact these blogs or over or be upset on the fact that I will not be able to go to the class that I thoroughly enjoyed.

“There can be infinite uses of the computer and of new age technology, but if teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails.” – Nancy Kassebaum

(Gupta, 2015)

This quote is one that has motivated me to deliver the best I can in this module as with technology rapidly growing and taking over and being implemented in many sectors it is important that I grow ad develop with these times.

This module has truly opened my eyes to the uses of digital technology and the vast amount of ways it can be used.  This is one class that I can see me referring to a lot in my future career especially with there being more of a focus on it throughout the curriculum for excellence.

Although I have still struggled with writing the blogs, I can see the purpose of them as it truly has allowed me to reflect on what I have done in the class and t6he progression of learning that has taken place.

“Blogs offer many benefits for education:

  • Promotes autonomous learning by providing opportunities for students to take more control of their learning
  • Motivates students to become better readers and writers.
  • Promotes discussion among students.
  • Encourages the use of the Internet and the Web among students (and teachers)”

(Mora, 2013)

Therefore, without this I may not have noticed the full extent of my development.

Not only could I see the benefits of developing different skills for students, but I was also gaining and developing my skills from this module.  I was working on my presentation skills as at the end of every class we had to show our peers our work so I was also having to develop my communication skills in order to fully explain what our activity was about so that others could gain and learn from our experiences.  This module also gave me an insight into lesson planning as I was continuously having to refer to the curriculum and link experiences and outcomes to the activity I was creating.  Therefore, not only was I gaining knowledge I was also working on my time management skills and planning as I had to ensure I completed the task at hand in the correct amount of time.  This was an area I slightly struggled with in some sessions as the amount of time it took to create something sometimes was not worth it for the amount of time it took to actually carry out the activity.  Therefore, this is something I can continue to develop on and be cautious about when it comes to planning lessons.  I was developing my creativity as every week I had to come up with new ideas to suit the learning criteria.  My skills in digital technologies were also continuously developing as Before going into this class I thought I was familiar with digital technology and the uses, but I very quickly realised I was wrong and knew only a minute fraction of the possibilities when using it so therefore I learnt something new every time I went to the class.  I also worked on my perseverance and not giving up the minute something doesn’t go to plan or I do not understand something.  A prime example of this was in the first part of the animation session.  I was completely disheartened and disengaged with the session as I could not get to grips with it.  However, I persevered and didn’t give up and by the end of the second part of the animation session I loved it and I easily say that it was my favourite session along with QR codes.

This module as been a fun and enjoyable one and I really felt I have learnt a lot that I will use in a classroom setting.  Due to the fact also that this class was very creative and hands on I really felt I have retained a lot of information as this is a way of learning I really enjoy and am most comfortable in rather than writing notes.  If there was a module like this for my second year, I would jump at the chance of completing it.

References

  • Gupta, P. (2015). 20 Popular Technology in Education Quotes. [online] EdTechReview. Available at: http://edtechreview.in/news/2112-technology-in-education-quotes [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].
  • Mora, S. (2013). Benefits of blogs in education – Education Blogs. [online] Desarrolloweb.dlsi.ua.es. Available at: http://desarrolloweb.dlsi.ua.es/blogs/benefits-of-blogs [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].

Outdoor Learning – QR Codes – 12/03/19

Today was our final session in Digital Technologies and I was quite excited about this lesson as QR codes is something I have never used before and I was interested to find out more about them and what they actually do as I have only really seen then in advertisements or passed them but never really paid an interest to them.  Although we were not able to put this activity outside due to the weather conditions and the fear of the QR codes blowing away, in the right conditions this could be extremely beneficial in getting children outdoors and actively learning.

“Outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors.” (Education.gov.scot, 2010)

Therefore, if I was to do this activity again, I would ensure it was outside to be able to capture these learning benefits and take the students learning to the next level.  Outdoor learning also has many advantages and allows development such as developing critical thinking, personal development, promoting a healthy lifestyle, personal safety and is inclusive.  Critical thinking is developed as children may start to see the links between different curricular areas and be able to point out the transferable skills that they can use in this activity.  There will be personal development as the students will also be learning and developing skills as they would be collaboratively working with others therefore their communication and problem-solving skills will also improve.  It promotes a healthy lifestyle as students would be outside walking or running about therefore using energy and being active.  It develops personal safety as students start to become more independent and realising when there are risks to what they are doing or around them.  It promotes inclusivity as it allows different skills to be used and shown that are not always available to use or promote in a classroom setting.

QR codes (quick response codes) are two-dimensional or 2D bar codes, often used to provide access to information through electronic devices such as mobile phones.  A QR Code is an ‘image-based hypertext link’ that can hold information and links that give access to many things such as text, websites, images and recordings.  With QR scanners being implemented within technological devices, the relevance of using these is becoming more and more prominent, for example, a QR scanner being imbedded in ‘Snapchat’ which is an application used on technological devices to communicate.  With the new digital generations entering their school life it is important as developing student teachers that we move with these times and generations.

For our activity, we used maths as the curriculum area that we focused on.  We based this around first level.  The activity was all about working with pennies.  The students would scan the QR code where they would be given a sum using pennies and the answer to the sum would tell them what room to go to next.  For example, 12p add 10p would give 22p, therefore the students would have to go to room 22 to find the next clue.  At this room, another QR code and sum would be given.  To make this more interesting, we included a shopping list so when they scanned the QR code, not only were they given a sum but also an item off their shopping list could be checked out and then recorded next to it what room they got it in and the cost which would be the answer to the sum.  Once all the QR codes are found, students would have to add up the cost of the items to get the total amount of their shopping list.

I also found that this activity would be quite easy to develop for higher levels as instead of it being one apple it could be three which would mean the students would be working on their multiplication skills also.

Experiences and outcomes, we met were:

  • 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 can use money to pay for items and can work out how much change I should receive. (MNU 1-09a)

(Education.gov.scot, n.d.)

After trying and testing our own model we swapped with another group.  It took them around 10-15 minutes to complete which for our groups first attempt at making something like this, I would say it worked well.  The feedback we got from the group was also that it was fun and enjoyable and they could clearly see how children of first level would benefit from and enjoy this activity.  Here is the answers from the group who carried out or task.

I really enjoyed this session and found my group worked really well together in delving into QR codes.  With none of us having any background knowledge on this area I would say we done really well.  It is a common opinion that the use of digital technology is sitting in front of a computer screen, so this session was good as it showed a completely different side from this and the opportunities that go along with it.  However, if I was to do this again, I would still try and make better use of my time whether that be by making the activity longer or shortening the amount of time I spent on the make up of it.  But I do think if I was to keep this activity for this amount of time that it would still be good and beneficial to the children as they would be working on their mathematics skills and also their collaborative working skills and their communication skills as they would be working in groups and therefore would have to communicate their thoughts and answers with their team.

References

  • Education.gov.scot. (n.d.). Curriculum For Excellence. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].
  • Education.gov.scot. (2010). Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-through-outdoor-learning.pdf [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].

 

Games based learning – Mine craft – 05/03/19

With gaming being a part of majority of young people’s lives on a day to day basis, it would be silly not to play on these interests as teaching and learning method.

“Ofcom Report (2011) states that gaming is hugely popular in the UK with almost 86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children using gaming devices regularly.”(Microsoft, 2001)

When playing games in school, it is often looked at as being a reward so by incorporating this into lessons, children may not look at is as work but rather would be more engaged and retain what they have learnt better.

“Bray (2012) states that in a classroom setting, games should not just be used as rewards or for entertainment but as a whole new approach to learning.”

(Slideshare.net, 2012)

Game based learning is not only fun and different from your usual type of learning but also allows different skills to be worked on.

Beauchamp (2012) states that the type of skills that could be developed by ICT games are:

  • Strategic Thinking
  • Planning
  • Communication
  • Application of numbers
  • Negotiating Skills
  • Group decision-making
  • Data Handling Skills.

(Beauchamp, 2012, p.10)

I was looking forward to this session and how it would unfold as it was something that I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of.  It is an important and exciting aspect that as a teacher, in a society where digital technology and learning through this is apparent in everyday life, it is important that we engage and continue to develop and learn whilst moving along with the times and the new and upcoming technology to be able to fully enhance and capture the students attention and learning.

In this session we explored Minecraft and ways in which it could be used as a stimulus for learning.  Having little cousins who play Minecraft, I watched them play and seen some of the different things that you can do on it.  However, I have never played it before, and this was the same for others in my group, so we decided to watch some YouTube clips on how to play it in order to gain some more knowledge before coming up with our idea.  We also decided to download the version of the game we were using and have a little play with it so we could really get an understanding of it.

Our idea allowed many different curricular areas to be involved, so much so that we felt that we could actually use this as a topic to study in class.  We incorporated area such as expressive arts, languages, numeracy/mathematics, social studies and technologies.  We aimed this activity at second level.

Our idea was to make the make the Minecraft activity based on architecture and building.  The children would research important landmarks and buildings and decide on one they wanted to use.  For example, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh Castle etc.  They would have to research about this building or landmark for example where it came from and a bit about the place where it is situated.  They would then put this information into a fact file which links to literacy and digital technologies as the fact file would be typed up.  Also, in this fact file the would have to include what shapes the building has and is made up of.  Therefore, bringing in the maths curriculum. Once the fact file is complete, the children would then recreate their chosen building or landmarks using Minecraft.

The curriculum experiences and outcomes we met were:

  • I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in an appropriate way for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience. (LIT 2-06a)
    • We met this experience as the children would be creating a fact file to present the information.  They would also be researching their chosen landmark and presenting their work t peers.
  • I have the opportunity to choose and explore an extended range of media and technologies to create images and objects, comparing and combining them for specific tasks. (EXA 2-02a)
    • This was met as children would sketch and plan what their landmark or building will look like.  They would also be learning about different architectures and their features.
  • I have worked with others to explore, and present our findings on, how mathematics impacts on the world and the important part it has played in advances and inventions. (MTH 2-12a)
    • This is met as the children would be identifying structures of buildings and what shapes are used and whether symmetry is used.
  • I can discuss issues of the diversity of cultures, values and customs in our society. (SOC 2-16c)
    • This is met as they would be exploring different cultures and places and producing a detailed report on these findings.

We took into consideration the four capacities of the curriculum which are being a confident individual, successful learner, responsible citizen and an effective contributor.  Here are the four capacities and how we wanted to meet them:

Confident Individual

  • To develop and communicate their own beliefs and views of the world.
  • To achieve success in different areas of the activity.

Successful Learner

  • To think creatively and independently.
  • To lean independently and as part of a group.

Responsible Citizen

  • To develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it.
  • To have an understanding of different beliefs and cultures.

Effective Contributor

  • To work collaboratively.
  • To take to initiative and lead if needed.
  • To be creative and develop ideas.
  • To solve problems.

I enjoyed this lesson and can clearly see the benefits of game-based learning as there is so many links in the curriculum and paths you can go down with it.  However, I do think if using this in a classroom there has to be targets and goals set with clear objectives to ensure that the students do stay focused on the task at hand and remember that although it is fun, it is also a learning experience.  If I was to Minecraft as a learning experience, I would have to learn more about it and how to use it so that I can teach and support the students the best I can.

References

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

Microsoft (2001). Computer Games Chapter 1 –. [online] Slideshare.net. Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education/6-Computer_Games_Chapter_1_Why [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Slideshare.net. (2012). Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [online] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Www2.gov.scot. (2010). Curriculum for Excellence: Building the Curriculum 3: A Framework for Learning and Teaching: Key Ideas and Priorities. [online] Available at: https://www2.gov.scot/Publications/2010/06/02152520/1 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Animation (Part 2) – 26/02/19

Going into this session I was apprehensive and wasn’t looking forward to the class.  I was worried in case again I felt like my time was for nothing.  However, things changed.

My partner and I brought all the equipment that we needed and our copy of the story board, so we knew what we were doing.  Before we started our story board, we watched YouTube clips on different ways that other had done this sort of animation before to gain ideas on the way we wanted to portray this.  Having agreed on the design, before starting today we both spoke about the idea that we were going with and ensured we both know exactly what the plan was.  However, we are always told when working in a teaching environment, have a backup plan and a plan for that backup plan.  The equipment that we used was simply paper and colouring pens.  Cutting the objects out of paper and colouring in the objects the colours are supposed to be.  As we had already gathered our information it meant that we didn’t need to spend time gathering information and could get on with it.    I think this also helped with my understanding of animation because I knew what the plan was and I knew what hadn’t worked for me the week before, so I knew not to make those same mistakes again.  We made speech bubbles of information around the objects.  We shared the work equally meaning we weren’t as stressed because we worked well collaboratively and communicated with each other effectively.  Also, because there was only two of us it meant that we knew the jobs we had to do had to be done as planned and we couldn’t rely on someone else to do it.  I feel groups of 2-3 people in a classroom setting would challenge the pupils to work their hardest and put it the most effort that they can.  This would also mean there would be less time for them to get distracted which would mean they would gain a lot from this learning experience.  I really enjoy the fact that we did make everything that we used.  It allowed us to be creative and show an artistic side that can’t always be shown.  However, this did mean that all of our work was in 2D form so this is maybe something, if I was to do this activity again that I would develop and change to 3D form.

We targeted this at children in first level.  The curriculum experiences and outcomes we met were:

  • I have contributed to discussions of current scientific news items to help develop my awareness of science. (SCN 1-20a)
  • Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts. (TCH 1-02a)
  • I can create and present work using the visual elements of line, shape, form, colour, tone, pattern and texture. (EXA 1-03)

(Education.gov.scot, n.d.)

Our activity received good feedback from both our peers and our lecturer we did find that our activity needed longer time to finish having all the knowledge in it than expected.  Therefore, this required a lot of photos having to be taken which was quite time consuming so again we did struggle ensuring that we were only moving the object the tiniest bit, but we had definitetly developed.

I think it this task could be great for the children to complete as a learning experience as they can then see the final results of what their hard work created.

Bertrancourt (2005) suggests three ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning:

  • To enhance learners’ visual representations.
  • To illustrate processes.
  • To provide an interactive element.

(Jarvis, 2015, p92)

When completing the task, it was clear that when using it in the classroom it would allow children to develop some important skills.  Their communication skills would be developed as for some children, it may be easier to make and show someone their ideas, concepts and storyline rather than writing it down.  Therefore, it is allowing children to play to their strengths in the hope that they gain a better understanding and retention of information.  The children would also be working on the collaborative working skills as you would probably do this activity in pairs or groups so you would have to work well together, share and communicate your ideas and work to get the best outcome and get the most from the learning experience.  They would be working on their presentation skills as they would be showing their creation to others and would need to make sure it was interesting and engaging for the other pupils.  This would hopefully also allow their confidence to improve also.  It would give pupils the opportunity to work on their creativity skills as they would have to plan and implement the whole thing.  It would hopefully give some pupils a push put of their comfort zone that they may need in order to move onto the next developmental stage of learning.

My opinion on animation has changed completely.  I thoroughly enjoyed this session and seeing the final outcome.  I enjoyed the fact I brushed up on my own knowledge, worked on my creative skills and also learnt more on this program.  I think because there was a purpose to what we were doing this week it really gave me that drive to forget the week before and push on.  Having reflected on this week’s session, this is something I would use as a learning experience with a purpose to ensure all attention and focus was used.

Here is my final animation.

References

  • Education.gov.scot. (n.d.). Curriculum For Excellence. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 22 Jan. 2019].
  • ›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 26 Feb. 2019]

Animation (Part 1) – 19/02/19

This session was all about familiarising ourselves with animation programs, exploring the positives and limitations when using it and finding what worked best for us.  The animation programs that we explored were Puppet Pals and iStop Motion.  I worked collaboratively with my partner to map out and create a learning experience using the animation programs.

Animation gives the illusion of movement when in fact it is many still images played back to back in a sequence, and then sped up.  Animation consists of five main types according to Moving Image Education:

  1. Cutout – quickest and easiest
  2. Stop-motion – example is plasticine models
  3. Pixilation – humans become the puppets
  4. Drawn – example is the classical Disney animation
  5. Computer – also known as CGI and found in games and movies.

(Moving Image Education)

In my activity when using Puppet Pals, I tried to focus it on meeting the literacy needs of children who may need additional support.  So,  for this, I recreated the story of Cinderella but in an animated way.  I found the skills and knowledge I had learnt in the multimodal session would benefit the purpose of this session and create a bigger learning experience for me as I would be learning to use these transferable skills in other settings.   I incorporated the linguistic, visual and audio semiotic systems.  I also tried to include the spatial and gestural system throughout some of the story to convey what was going on between the characters.  If a child had issues with their sight, the linguistic and audio semiotic systems ensured that they were not at a disadvantage because they could listen to the story and understand what was going on and the feelings in the moment by the soundtrack in the background.  If a child had a hearing impairment, the visual and spatial semiotic system made it easier for them to be able to have an understanding of what was going on.  To create this, we had to move each character in one space a time and so on, we then sped it up to the speed that suited what was going on in the image at that point the best.

The curriculum experience and outcome I focused on in this activity was

  • ‘I enjoy exploring and choosing stories and other texts to watch, read or listen to, and can share my likes and dislikes.’ (LIT 0-01b / LIT 0-11b)

(Education.gov.scot, n.d.)

Having completed the task and explored Puppet Pals, we moved onto our iStopMotion clip.   For this we used two bendy figure and intended for them too look as if they were doing a fitness routine.  I struggled more with this program than what I did Puppet Pals.  When taking the photographs on the IPad I kept finding that we were moving the objects too much, so the final clip was not as well executed as hoped for.

Having reflected upon the use of Puppet Pals and iStopMotion clips, I was not overly impressed by the program.  This could have been down to the fact the time it took to make both of these was far longer than the time they clip ended up being.  Therefore, if I was to use this in a classroom setting, I do not feel I would be managing my time well.  This program just didn’t capture my attention and interest the way that other sessions had.  However, it could be a task for the children to complete so that they can then see the final results of what their hard work created.  However, my opinion on this may change next week and I intend to go in with an open mind.

For this, me and my partner decided to make a story board so that we knew exactly what we were doing and what supplies we would have to bring with us.  We also researched about volcanoes and what information we wanted to include in our animation.  I felt this was a good idea as it meant everything was structured and we would be ready just to come in and get started.  We decided to represent a geographical process of a volcano eruption and how it happens.  We went down this route as throughout this module i’ve played to my strengths of working with curriculum areas that I have more of an understanding of or have recently studied so I knew what sort of paths to follow, however science has never been my forte so I thought this would be a good topic as it would push me out of my comfort zone and also help my own knowledge improve.

 

References

  • Education.gov.scot. (n.d.). Curriculum For Excellence. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 19 Feb. 2019].

Movie Making – Internet Safety 12/02/19

During this session, we looked at internet safety and how movie making could be an influential way to teach people about the importance of ensuring they are being safe when on the internet and ways in which they can do this.  Although there are many benefits to digital technology and the internet, there are also some negative factors and it is important that when growing up in a society were technology is part of our everyday lives, that these negatives are also portrayed but rather than being looked at as a negative and to avoid, looked at as how can this be stopped from affecting you and be turned into a positive learning experience.

Internet safety is a very important aspect in schools with staff training even being implemented to ensure the children are gaining the best possible knowledge on the subject that they can.

At the start of the lesson, we watched some clips from last year’s class to give us some ideas and possible routes that we could go down.  Having looked at them, although they clearly convey the message across, our group decided we wanted to take a more modern approach and use something that majority of children will either be able to relate to or have some understanding of.  Also, with a game that has caused controversy over whether children should be playing it or not, we thought it would be good to show children how to stay safe when using it so that although the controversy may still be there, children have an understanding of how to be safer when using it.

We chose to base our internet safety video around the game ‘Fortnite’.  Fortnite is one of the most popular online games.

“In the aforementioned interview with Engadget, Tim Sweeney has revealed that Fortnite recently hit 250 million registered players in March 2019.”  (Loveridge and James, 2019)

Fortnite is an online game against 99 other players who fight each other until only one is left. Around the map there are hidden weapons and houses and buildings to search.  You can also build things to protect yourself from others using materials that you’ve gathered.  The game lasts around 20 minutes in total if you survive till the end and as the finishing time gets closer, the map and where you can go gets smaller forcing players to fight to protect themselves.  The game is very bright and colourful and is based on cartoon-like characters.  You can also buy costumes for you character to wear and get them to do special dances, ‘The Floss’ being one of them, which nearly all children are doing.  Due to the this, not only has it become a hit when playing it but also to watch others play it on the likes of YouTube.

Having said all the appealing aspects of the game, I also must point out the parts of the game that are causing controversy and that require knowledge of internet safety which is what we based our movie on.  We started of the movie by showing the ways in which internet safety is disregarded and then asked what they would change about this and then contrasted it to the way the game should be played in order to keep you safe.

The key points we tried to convey were:

  1. Only accept people’s friend request that you know because as the game is online, you don’t fully know who you are talking to.
  2. Ensuring that your username is unusual and only given to people you are close with.
  3. Making your password unique and a secret.  If people apart from parents were to find out your password this would mean they would have access to all your information and could hack your profile.
  4. If something doesn’t feel right when talking to someone, learn how to block someone and ALWAYS tell an adult.
  5. Don’t ever pay or buy things without parents’ permission.
  6. Have fun but play safe.
We aimed this at children of first level.  The experiences and outcomes we met and what we hoped the children would achieve were:
  • 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)
  • Using digital technologies responsibly I can access, retrieve and use information to support, enrich or extend learning in different contexts. (TCH 1-02a)

(Education.gov.scot, n.d.)

This could further be progressed onto the children making their own iMovie videos.  iMovie allows lessons to be more exciting and brought to life.  You can include pictures, videos and sound.  This allows you to express yourself and gain knowledge in a different way rather than just watching powerpoints or hearing someone talk.

I really enjoyed this session and seeing the finishing product gave the group a sense of accomplishment.  As internet safety is such an important thing, it was interesting to create new ways in which you can convey the importance of this to children.  I was apprehensive about this session at first when hearing it was an ‘iMovie’, I first thought that I would have to be videoed and be in the movie but after hearing the briefing I was a lot more relaxed about the session which allowed me to open up and be creative.

References

  • Education.gov.scot. (n.d.). Curriculum For Excellence. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 12 Feb. 2019].
  • Loveridge, S. and James, F. (2019). How many people play Fortnite? Is it really as many as people say?. [online] gamesradar. Available at: https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/how-many-people-play-fortnite/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].
  • NSPCC Learning. (2019). E-safety for schools | NSPCC Learning. [online] Available at: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/e-safety-for-schools/ [Accessed 13 Feb. 2019].
  • Parents, W. and Williams, R. (2018). What is Fortnite? An explainer for parents. [online] inews.co.uk. Available at: https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/what-is-fornite-explainer-for-parents/ [Accessed 13 Feb. 2019].
  • Parent Zone. (n.d.). Fortnite: everything you need to know about the popular game. [online] Available at: https://parentzone.org.uk/article/fortnite-everything-you-need-know-about-online-game [Accessed 12 Feb. 2019].

Multimodality – 22/01/19

In today’s session we looked at multimodality, in particular, ActivInspire, on which we created our own multimodal presentation.  I was unable to stay in class the full time so I only really captured the knowledge we learnt rather than the task that followed.  However, I did ask others in my class after the session if i could see the work that the produced so that I did not miss out completely.

Multimodality is a very important aspect for both the learner and the teacher.  For a text to be classed as multimodal, two or more semiotic systems must be combined.  There are five semiotic systems in total.  These are:

  1. Linguistic
  2. Visual
  3. Audio
  4. Gestural
  5. Spatial

Multimodality therefore allows text and communication to be about more than just a language.

“The multimodality of technology is another reason to use it, as it allows teachers to present an idea in a variety of different ways to help pupils understand it.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.8)

Multimodal learning gives the teacher and learner the opportunity to shake things up to change the delivery of things but also allows a deeper understanding of the learning that is taking place.  Multimodality is also an inclusive way of learning because there are five semiotic systems, it means that if one doesn’t meet a child’s needs then there are other ways in which this can be done.  Therefore, by doing this it is ensuring that the children’s strengths are being used to their ability.

ActivInspire is allows collaborative and dynamic lessons to be given.  It also gives the opportunity for lessons to be brought to life and be interactive.  It can be used on the promethean boards and as these are becoming more and more common in the classroom, I felt this would be a good insight and give me an idea of different ways it can be used.  ActivInspire has many different tools that can be used to create the most out of the lessons.

(Tn01917024.schoolwires.net, n.d.)

Learning about multimodality has really opened up my eyes and made me think about ways in which I present things and the importance that the delivery has on the learner.  As there are so many tools and ways to use it, I do think that this could cause some confusion and struggle when using this product to its full capacity.  Therefore, before using this I will ensure I do prior learning and research in order to gain the most out of this experience.  Although I did learn about ActivInspire in this session, I felt that I learnt more about myself and reflected upon my presentational skills and using multimodal techniques in them.

References

  • Beauchamp, G. (2012). ICT in the primary school.
  • Education.gov.scot. (n.d.). Curriculum For Excellence. [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 22 Jan. 2019].
  • Tn01917024.schoolwires.net. (n.d.). An Introduction to ActivInspire (Studio). [online] Available at: https://tn01917024.schoolwires.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=198&dataid=479&FileName=Introduction%20to%20ActivInspire.pdf [Accessed 22 Jan. 2019].
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