Todays Digital Technologies lesson focused on the benefits and impact of iMovies in the classroom. The lesson focused on the ways iMovie could be used to promote internet safety. We begun by taking part in a class quiz on internet safety before learning some information on internet safety. Finally, for our assessment task we created our own short films using iMovie that promotes internet safety.
Our assessment task today was centred on the theme of promoting internet safety. My group discussed the many ways we could promote internet safety while highlighting the danger of the internet. Eventually we settled on the idea that our movie, entitled “BEar Safe”, would focus on the issue of people hiding their identity online and that you never know who you might be chatting to online. After this we wrote a quick plan for our movie (see featured image) then divided our group into those who would edit the movie and those who would set up Instagram accounts and set the scenes. In the short iMovie the main character Bear can be seen displaying his personal details on his public Instagram page for example his age, where he lives and his school location. As a result, anyone online can access this information and easily find Bear. As the film progresses we see Bear receive a friend request from Unicorn, a stranger who Bear has never met, and they begin to chat online. The chat soon results in Unicorn asking Bear to meet with Bea becoming sceptical and telling his mother who advises Bear to delete Unicorn and make his account private. The movie ends with the reveal that the Unicorn is in fact a terrifying werewolf who has been posting fake pictures to chat to Bear. I feel our movie gave the important message of internet safety while warning viewers to be mindful of who they are speaking to online and that if they have any worries they should speak to a parent or teacher. I also feel our movie, which won “Best Original Script” at our class Oscars Awards, is relevant to today as it uses popular social media website Instagram to highlight how easily a stranger can access your personal details online.
As a learner, I found the iMovie app fairly difficult to use, the editing process was time consuming however shooting the movie was relatively easy. Despite the process being time consuming myself and my group enjoyed the movie making process. We enjoyed working together as a team to shoot the scenes of the film and edit to create the finalised project.
As a student teacher I feel the iMovie app would be an educational and engaging tool to use in the classroom, specifically as an aid to promoting internet safety amongst young learners. The children could work in groups to create their own short films that showcase the dangers of internet safety as not only would this allow them to have fun and experiment with technology, but it would also inform them of the dangers they are filming. Beauchamp (2012, p.58) discussed internet safety “the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.”. In other words, rather than discourage children from using social media and technology we should educate them on the potential dangers they could face. The NSPCC supported this view by stating in their ‘your children’s online world’ guide for parents, “try to strike the right balance between keeping an eye on your child and giving them the independence and freedom to explore” (NSPCC 2015, p.6). They advised parents and careers in their leaflets to take an interest in what their child does online and establish regular conversations with your child about what they do online. In turn your child will be more educated on the dangers of the internet while feeling comfortable to share any concerns they may have.
Additionally, A lesson like the one we took part in today could potentially combine multiple curriculum outcomes such as Technology, Literacy and Health and Wellbeing:
“I understand positive things about friendships and relationships but when something worries or upsets me I know who I should talk to.” HWB 0-44b / HWB 1-44b
“As I listen or watch, I can identify and discuss the purpose, key words and main ideas of the text, and use this information for a specific purpose.” LIT 1-04a
“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
Overall, todays lesson highlighted to me the many ways I might teach a lesson on internet safety besides giving a talk to the class. By using technology resources such as iMovies the children can interact with the lesson and display their ideas on how to stay safe online while absorbing the crucial information they need to stay safe online. As a student teacher I am now confident that I can teach a lesson on internet safety while combining multiple curriculum outcomes and most importantly making it informative an engaging for the children.
References:
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
NSPCC (2015) Your child’s online world: A guide for parents. England.
