Reflective Blog – Week 11

April 8, 2018 by User deactivated | 0 comments

Our final lesson in Digital Technologies focused on QR Codes in Outdoor Learning. I found this lesson very enjoyable and thought it was a great way to teach us how we can use QR Codes to enhance outdoor learning.

We were given the opportunity to explore the Pic Collage app and the QR Reader app to become more familiar with resources that we can use in our future outdoor learning lessons.

What I have learned from this week in Digital Technologies is that outdoor learning is something that can be remembered by pupils for a lifetime. It provides relevance and depth to the curriculum that can only be achieved outdoors by integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2011).

The outdoors is somewhere where children enjoy being, they are citizens of their localities who make contributions to their communities whether they are playing sport, interacting with others or simply spending time with friends (Beauchamp,2012,p.126). It is a well-known fact that children like to be outside, therefore, if their lessons are taken outdoors it will be memorable and exciting for them.

I have learned that it is important for teachers to not only familiarise themselves with outdoor learning but to embrace it. Outdoor learning has many advantages, the outdoor environment provides the pupils with activities that are motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible from a range of educational stages starting from pre-school years through to college (Education Scotland, 2010).

Outdoor learning can also benefit pupils in other ways, such as:

· Developing critical thinking skills – it can help children to make links between other curricular areas.

· Personal development – learning skills in areas such as communication, problem solving, and working with others.

· Promotes Healthy lifestyles – it can lead to lifelong recreation, such as hill walking, cycling, skiing, or sailing.

· Personal safety – it can provide opportunities for children to develop skills to assess and manage risks.

· Inclusion for all – it can provide opportunities for children to use a range of skills and abilities not always visible in the classroom. This can fundamentally change their own and other people’s perceptions and increase feeling of self-worth.

In terms of outdoor pedagogy, the long-standing key concepts of outdoor learning, which resonates with the values of Curriculum for Excellence, is at its core. These key concepts of outdoor learning are: challenge, enjoyment, relevance, depth, development of the whole person and an adventurous approach to learning (Education Scotland, 2010).

In addition to this, outdoor learning also links to other subjects such as: Health and Wellbeing, Science and Social studies. In terms of health and wellbeing, we focused on the “SHANARRI Wellbeing Wheel” which provides key points that outdoor learning contributes to. These points are:

· Safe

· Healthy

· Active

· Nurture

· Achieving

· Responsible

· Respect

· Included

Knowing that outdoor learning can benefit so many different aspects to a child’s wellbeing makes me realise how important it is to include this type of learning in my future lessons. I want my pupils to feel healthy and happy when learning and I am confident that the use of outdoor learning will do that.

After learning about the benefits of outdoor learning we were informed about our task using the QR Reader app. In groups, we worked in groups to crack a code, locate the six hidden clues that were hidden outside, collect one letter from each location and then we used the six letters to discover the secret code. I really enjoyed this challenge and thought it was a great way to explore the app. Following on from this activity, we used the app to create our own activity. My groups activity focused on learning different colours in Spanish. We realised that this app can be in a cross-curricula approach. We also used the “Pic Collage” app to make a collage out of the pictures that were taken during the task.

Below is a Curriculum for Excellence experience and outcome that is appropriate for this area of the curriculum.

“I explore and experiment with the features and functions of computer technology and I can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts” (TCH 1-04a / TCH 2-04a).

This Expression and Outcome is focused on the use of technology, the iPads, that was used throughout the activity.

In conclusion, this final lesson was a great send off to the amazing experience I have had in Digital Technologies. It showed me another way to make my future lessons exciting for the pupils while making sure they explore yet another use of technology. The activity with the QR Reader app was an excellent way to quiz pupils on any topic you have covered in class and it also allows them to develop various skills, such as team work skills, that will benefit them in the future. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and interesting lesson and it has given me some great ideas for my future career as a primary teacher.