This week’s digital technologies workshop was focused on the use of animation within education and its benefits to the learning development of the child.
Bertrancourt (2005) states that “three ways in which animation can be used to enhance learning: 1. To enhance learners’ visual representations. 2. To illustrate processes. 3. To provide an interactive element.”
As stated by Moving Image Education there are five main types of animation: 1. Cutout – quickest and easiest
2. Stop-motion – example is plasticine models
3.Pixillation – 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).
Beauchamp (2012, p.54) states that “through the use of ICT and technology it could allow pupils to accomplish something that could be difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way”. This powerful use of digital technology a pupil with Additional Support Needs are able to excel throughout their education and portray their learning and understanding of what they have been learning in a modern way.
During today’s session, we explored just some of the many apps on the iPad such as Puppet Pals and iStopMotion to create a story which included a beginning, middle and an end. By doing this we had to take many still images which would be linked together, creating an animation and bringing still objects to life. Our animations also included audio recordings, plasticine models, cutouts and a background which enabled our story to have a setting. My partner and I created a park scene background using pens and paper. We also created plasticine models of three aliens who we named as ‘the blob family’. In our story, the blob’s visited planet earth and were playing ball in the park, when suddenly an apple fell from the tree and hit Mr Blob’s head. We cut out comic strip expressions such as “Ouch!” to illustrate how our plasticine model was feeling when the apple hit their head. We took a series of images of the story which enabled us to illustrate what happened.
For our animation we linked it to the curriculum for excellence experience’s and outcomes:
“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” (Education Scotland 2004).
This outcome expresses the fact that a child can use the Ipad apps to explore and support their animation and technology skills and enable them to create different stories to enhance their learning and develop their technology skills in a different way.
I would definitely use animation in the classroom when I become a teacher, as I found it extremely interesting to see how creative our stories could get and it could benefit a child’s understanding of how some of their favourite films and cartoons are created. To be introduced to these apps at an early stage was beneficial to me as a prospering teacher as I feel that if a teacher is confident in their ability to teach a lesson using different methods of technology then it will encourage the child to be the same: ‘Although teachers may be worried by new technologies. We need to be sure that this is not transmitted to young children or that other obstacles are not put in the way of their natural curiosity and willingness to explore new technologies’ (Beauchamp 2015).
REFERENCES
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
Education Scotland (2004) – Curriculum for Excellence; Experiences and Outcomes [Online] https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on 21 February 2018]Moving Image Education website:[Online] https://movingimageeducation.org/create-films/animation [ACCESSED: 20.02.18]
