Rachael Murphy UWS ITE ePDP

Before I started the “Digital Technologies” module I was quite sceptical on the idea of using technology in my future career as a teacher.  This wasn’t an area that I felt very confident in and this worried me because as a teacher I want to be the best teacher I can be and be confident in all areas of the curriculum.  So, with that said, I thought I would challenge myself and I chose to study the module.

After learning about all the different types of technology that can be used in a primary class and how they link to many different areas of the curriculum, I am so glad I chose this option module and I am very proud of how far I have come.  Not only have I broadened my knowledge of digital technology, I would say that I am confident in it and I can’t wait to be able to share my knowledge with my students.

It was very interesting to see that more and more people are realising the importance of using technology in the classroom and that using some technological devices, that were originally thought of as entertainment, can engage and motivate pupils during their lessons, which benefits their education overall.

Every lesson in this module never failed to excite, interest and teach me and I always left feeling educationally fulfilled.

Thank you.

My second lesson in Digital Technologies was a very enjoyable and interesting one.  Our class got the chance to work with the programmable toy, “Bee-Bot”.  We worked in groups to create an activity to use with the Bee- Bots which would help sharpen children’s numeracy skills.  A picture of our activity has been posted at the end of the blog.  I learned that using the Bee-Bots made children more excited about what they were learning and, therefore, more engaged.  Also, as a class we learned that using this programmable toy allows the children to develop a good sense of direction, problem solving skills and communication skills.

The lesson started with a bit of history of the role of the robot, which gave me an insight into what I was actually learning about.  The role of the robot in education dates back to the 1960s when Seymour Papert created the programming language called Logo.  The Logo “turtle” (arrow) provided children with an opportunity to learn complex programming as they controlled the movement of the arrow to draw lines on the screen.

After covering some history, we were given the chance to explore Logo online and then use the Bee-Bot app on the iPads.  I really enjoyed getting to use the app because it helped me understand the purpose of the Bee-Bots and made me realise what kind of skills I had to use to complete the game, which meant I understood what kind of skills children would develop including sense of direction, problem solving skills and communication skills.

The reason that the curriculum introduced programmable toys was because they are good examples for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.  It has also been said that, in terms of mathematical development, children should develop the ability to describe a simple journey and be able to work the programmable toy so that it moves in the way it is instructed to.  This allows the child to develop positional language and estimation (Janka, 2008, p.2). 

I also read “Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How?” by “Pekarova Janka” which gave me more information about why using programmable toys, like “Bee-Bots” will benefit the children’s education.  According to Pekarova Janka, digital technology devices provide interactivity, response or communication.

Firstly, the programmable toys chosen by the teacher would be targeted to the specific stage of the children using them, therefore, the children will be able to access and control them with ease.  I think this means that the toys won’t be overly-challenging to use and so the children won’t get frustrated, they will be able to learn effectively in a calm and enjoyable way.

The Bee-Bots must be controlled by the child using it and I have learned, due to my additional reading, that they should be included in early experiences because: they will need to be able to control everyday technology in the near future, engaging in control activities allows children to work simple “programs” and it was said that control activities may help children to develop more general abilities to think and learn (P. Janka, (2008)).

Programmable toys such as Bee-Bots are tangible technological devices that children can directly manipulate.  They can improve their problem-solving skills while acting out a real-life situation, carefully thought out by their teacher, and I think that putting lessons into context helps children to be more interested in what they are learning.

According to P. Janka (2008), the British curriculum recommends practitioners to use programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.

I also read an article by “NCTE” which focused on ICT in the classroom.  The article, “Floor robots – focus on literacy & numeracy (Primary)” informed me of the benefits that using floor robots in the classroom have on the education of the pupils.  I learned that “they provide a vehicle for the introduction of key concepts to young pupils in an easy and friendly way; they help with the development of skills such as logical sequencing, measuring, comparing lengths, space orientation, expressing concepts in words; they encourage group interaction, conversation and collaboration and they are usually very appealing to young pupils, with clear and bright button and a robust design” (NCTE, (2012)).

I have learned a lot of information about the benefits of Bee-Bots in the classroom and I also took the time to find a Curriculum for Excellence experience and outcome that is appropriate to the type of lesson that Bee-Bots would be a part of.  The expression and outcome (commonly known as an “e and o”) is “I am developing problem-solving strategies, navigation and co-ordination skills, as I play and learn with electronic games, remote control or programmable toys (TCH 0-09a / TCH 1-09a)”.

Overall, I feel like I benefitted a lot from this lesson because it has informed me of yet another way to teach and another resource to use that will interest my future pupils, which will result in them benefitting more from the lesson as they are more likely to engage with it and remember it.  Not only will they benefit that day but using programmable toys will let them practise controlling other devices that they will need to use in the future.

                                                                      

References

• Janka, P. (2008) Using a Programmable Toy at Preschool Age: Why and How? [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/398949/mod_resource/content/1/Using%20a%20Programmable%20Toy%20at%20Preschool%20-%20Janka%20P.pdf [Accessed: 21 January 2018]
• NCTE. (2012) Floor robots – focus on literacy & numeracy (Primary). [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/398948/mod_resource/content/1/NCT E%20Article%20-%20Floor%20Robots.pdf [Accessed: 21 January 2018]

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.

 

References

·         Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson Education Limited.

·         Education Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning. 

·         General Teaching Council for Scotland (2012) The Standards for Registration.

·         Learning and Teaching Scotland (2010) Curriculum for Excellence Through Outdoor Learning.

This week in Digital Technologies we learned that Minecraft can be used as a stimulus for learning.  Having no experience with Minecraft, I was very intrigued in it and how it could help me in my future career.  We were joined by some primary students which I thought was a great idea as they were able to teach us how to use it and showed us how interested and enthusiastic children are about this game.

It has been stated in an Ofcom Report (2011) that gaming is very popular in the UK.  Almost 86% of 5-7-year-old children and 90% of 8-11-year-old children using gaming devices regularly.  It also mentioned that using computer games, particularly console games, is a major part of the 21^st century youth culture. 

According to Bray (2012), when games-based learning is combined with good learning and teaching it has a very transformational impact.  He also stated that in a classroom setting, games should be used as a whole new approach to learning rather than rewards or for entertainment.

As a student teacher, I think that it is important for me to keep up-to-date with technology as it is constantly advancing.  Also, I should do this because interest in the potential for play to form the basis for learning has grown considerably (Beauchamp, 2012, p.9).  In addition to this, as well as becoming familiar with games, we also must ensure that we make clear the way in which we want the game to be used (Beauchamp, 2012, p.9).  After all, achieving educational objectives through the use of game depends on the teacher’s knowledge of the area of the curriculum they are working with rather than the ability with the game (Beauchamp, 2012, p.10).

Furthermore, Beauchamp (2012) states that there are many different skills that can be developed by ICT games.  These include:

·         Strategic Thinking

·         Planning

·         Communication

·         Application of numbers

·         Negotiating Skills

·         Group decision-making

·         Data Handling Skills

I learned from the primary school pupils that Minecraft is very popular, and they clearly are very interested in it.  This made me think that if I used this game in the future then it would engage and motivate my pupils.  In fact, Minecraft is a worldwide phenomenon and has been taken to the heart of many gamers since it was first released back in 2011 (How to do Everything in Minecraft, 2014, p.3).

As a result of this lesson in Digital Technologies, I am sure I will use Minecraft in the future to allow my pupils to develop these important skills.  Below are examples of some Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes that are appropriate for games-based learning.

“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.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this lesson because I think that including something that many children are very passionate in their education is going to make them feel very excited about learning and they are going to engage more in their lessons.  It is important for children to enjoy their lessons, they should be interactive and “hands-on” in order for them to learn and develop skills, such as communication skills, so they can grow into well-rounded individuals with an excellent and memorable education.

References

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

·         Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online] https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 2.3.18] 

·         MagBook (2014) How to Do Everything in Minecraft