Rachael Murphy UWS ITE ePDP

This week in Digital Technologies we learned that the Nintendo Wii can be used as a stimulus for learning.  In class, we focused on the game Mario Kart and discovered that it can be used in a cross-curricular approach.  We discussed how it can be used in the classroom in different ways to make lessons more enjoyable and exciting for children while they are still developing many important skills.

It has been said that Digital game-based Learning is incorporating gaming into learning as a way to increase engagement and motivate pupils.  Also, there is a link between learning and playing which has been around for a long time, in fact, it predates the digital era by thousands of years. (Higher Education Academy website).

It has been argued by theorists Jean Piaget and Leonard Vygotsky that play is a crucial part of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood (Higher Education Academy website).

Not only does game-based learning make lessons more engaging but it also has many other characteristics which benefit children’s learning.  These include: experimentation and risk- taking, which involves trying alternative courses of action; narrative and thematic threads, encouraging children to act and role play and social interaction, which gives children the opportunity to work with others.  The characteristics that Games-based learning has just proves how beneficial it is to education.  Not only can it be used across the curriculum, but it also allows children to interact with new resources and their classmates.

In class we also discussed what game-based learning is.  Game-based learning has been described as high-quality materials a teacher uses to give students access to the curriculum; just like novels, films, plays and other media.  The students are given a learning experience that is driven by play (Edutopia website).

The benefits of game-based learning are as follows: increased motivation, it grabs attention, recall of information, reinforce knowledge and stress-free and pleasurable.

Following on from these class discussions, we were then instructed to design our own Mario character and vehicle and then work in groups and create a mind map which details how the game “Mario Kart” could be used in different lessons across the curriculum effectively.  My group decided to focus on four areas of the curriculum: Maths, Literacy, Art and Design and Music.  We came up with different activities that a class could do, which included: making a price list for tickets and merchandise; writing their own storyline of their game, which would include them having to think creatively; designing and drawing their own character, kart, tickets, merchandise and track and re-creating the “Mario-Kart” theme tune and making their own version, which could be done using instruments or their voices.  This activity alone has allowed us to think of lessons which cover four different expressions and outcomes, which we can use in our future careers.  For maths, “I can use the terms profit and loss in buying and selling activities and can make simple calculations for this”.  For literacy, “I can use my notes and other types of writing to help me understand information and ideas, explore problems, make decisions, generate and develop ideas or create new text” (MNU 2-09).  I recognise the need to acknowledge my sources and can do this appropriately” (LIT 2-25a).  for Art and Design, “I can create and present work that shows developing skill in using the visual elements and concepts” (EXA 2-03a) and “Through observing and recording from my experience across the curriculum, I can create images and objects which show my awareness and recognition (EXA 2-04a).  Finally, for music the expression and outcome would be, “I can sing and play music from a range of styles and cultures, showing skill and using performance directions, and/or musical notation” (EXA 2-16a).

In conclusion, I think that this lesson on game-based learning has benefitted me as a student teacher because I have learned how to incorporate games and play into lessons to engage and motivate my future pupils.  Not only have I learned about this, but I have also learned what is expected of me as a role model when I use this in the future.  As a role models, we must ensure that game-based learning has positive impact on social skills, supports learning, enhances learning, develops skills and provides opportunities to apply skills.  So overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of digital technologies and plan on using this knowledge in the future.

 

References

• Edutopia.  (2016) 3 Ways to Use Game-Based Learning. [Online] Available: https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-use-game-based-learning-matthew-farber [Accessed: 7 April 2018].
• Higher Education Academy. (2017) Gamification and Games-Based Learning. [Online] Available: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/gamification-and-games-based-learning [Accessed: 7 April 2018].

This week in Digital Technologies we discovered how using mobile devices can enhance learning.  Since, mobile devices are used in everyday life all the time, I was very interested to learn more about using them class.  Children find mobile devices interesting and fun, therefore, by including them in our lessons it might make them more engaged and motivated.

I have researched this topic and it has been made aware to me that The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) think that games consoles and smartphones are playing an important role in primary-aged children’s education. Their reason for thinking this has come as a result for thinking this has come because of analysing the response from 406 primary schools about pupils using ICT at school and at home.

The director of BESA, Ray Barker, said: “Our research has found that teachers have very different opinions when it comes to the use of mobile phones by primary school aged children. On the one hand, 39 per cent stated that children should not have access out of school to mobile phones, while another 29 per cent of teachers said the ideal situation would be if all pupils had access to a mobile.” (Teaching Times, 2008) This statement proves that ICT use in classroom is making an appearance in the classroom. It is a new concept within teaching, but it is slowly getting approval from more and more educators.

Sophie Curtis from The Telegraph wrote about hoe technology is reshaping teaching. She writes about how children are “fully fledged digital natives” (Curtis. S, 2014) and that she isn’t surprised about technology making an appearance in education because of how involved it is in children’s lives.

Curtis wrote about her experiment comparing two English lessons, one traditional lesson about Macbeth and the other digital about Romeo and Juliet. The traditional lessons involved reading an extract from the play, listening to the teacher explain the themes and then writing her own analysis. Whereas, the digital lesson involved watching clips from the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, doing some online research and then typing her analysis on a laptop. Her response to this experiment was that she found the digital lesson more intriguing and she never found her mind wandering or losing focus, which is what teachers struggle with a lot during their lessons.

As well as researching about digital learning, I also got the chance to using “Easi-microphones” in class to create an “I am” poem with my partner’s voice reading the poem. This would be an excellent way to teach a class about technology as it is fun, creative and requires them to use literacy skills too.  My partner and I decided to write our poem in a humorous to show pupils that learning can be playful and that technology and literacy can be anything you want to be.  We focused our “I am poem” on the struggle of always being hungry!  This task was very enjoyable because we successfully wrote our poem and used the “Easi-speak microphones” in a light-hearted and enjoyable way.

the Curriculum for Excellence expression and outcome that I have chosen for this particular lesson is focused on Technology and Literacy.  For technology, “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)” and for literacy, “Throughout the writing process, I can check that my writing makes sense and meets its purpose (LIT 2-23a)”.

Form this lesson I have definitely gained a better understanding of how technology can enhance learning and look forward to promoting the use of digital learning in my future career.

References

• Teaching Times. (2008) Games Consoles Benefit Children’s Education. [Online] Available: https://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm [Accessed: 14 January 2018]
• The Telegraph. (2014) Digital Learning: how technology is reshaping teaching. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed: 14 January 2018]

This week in Digital Technologies we were learning to create an animation.  I really enjoyed this lesson because I am really enthusiastic when it come to things that are creative.  It showed me that when children take part in animating they are developing and strengthening their creative skills and this is something I can’t wait to see happening in my future career.  As well as creative skills, team-work skills and communication skills will also be developed because this can be a group activity.

ICT gives pupils the chance to “achieve something that would be very difficult or even impossible to achieve in any other way” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.54).  According to (Beauchamp, 2012), ICT is something that contributes to all areas of learning rather than a separate “subject”.

Using digital technologies in the classroom, such as “e-Inclusion”, can minimise the problems that pupils with learning difficulties experience (Beauchamp, 2012, p.55).  Since ICT equipment is part of pupils’ everyday life, it should also be part of their everyday play (Beauchamp, 2012, p.66).

It is important that teachers are confident in using new technologies and not worried because this could be transmitted to young children and we must ensure that no other obstacles interfere with their curiosity and willingness to explore new technologies (Beauchamp, 2012, p.66).

Animation can be used in the classroom to string together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move.  This can be done using “Puppet Pals”, an app that can be accessed on iPads.  The animation can include voice recording and movement and the child would have the ability to change the size of the characters.

Animation can impact people visually  (Jarvis, 2015, p89) because, in a way, it brings something to life that would normally be still (Moving Image Education).  It creates something very exciting to watch which is ideal for sending an important message across to children because if what they are watching is interesting and exciting, they are more likely to remember what is was about.

When I learned what animation actually was and what pupils would have to do the first thing that I thought of was the sense of achievement that the children would experience when they created something like this.  Animation is such a creative and complex thing to do, so when it is completed the children will be proud of themselves and what they have achieved, thus their self-confidence will increase.

Animating in the classroom doesn’t have to be as complex as working with plasticine, to start off a class could try cut-out animation which is an easier technique.

According to Moving Image Education there are five main types of animation

• Cut-out – quickest and easiest
• Stop – motion – example is plasticine models
• Pixilation – humans become the puppets
• Drawn – example is the classical Disney animation
• Computer – also known as CGI and found in games and movies.

(Moving Image Education)

I worked with a friend to undergo “Drawn” animation.  We decided that we would animate a caterpillar changing into a butterfly.  I am very proud of what we achieved because it had a great visual impact and was entertaining.  This task is something that I definitely want to do with my own class in the future because not only is it enjoyable, but it is also a great way to teach them about animation and how to use “Puppet pals”.  It is an interactive, “hands-on”, task which I think is much more effective compared to just listening to what it is about.

I took the time to research some Curriculum for Excellence expressions and outcomes and have decided that it should focus on “Craft, design, engineering and graphics contexts for developing technological skills and knowledge”.  The expression and outcome I have chosen is, “I am developing an interest, confidence and enjoyment in using drawing and colour techniques, manually or electronically, to represent ideas in different learning situations (TCH 1-15a)”.

In conclusion, this lesson has allowed me to learn even more about how I can use digital technologies in the classroom and has made me a lot more confident about teaching this in the future.

References

• Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
• 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: 26.2.18]

This week in Digital Technologies we were learning how to use iMovie to create movies that display the importance of internet safety.  I was intrigued to learn more about this topic right from the beginning of the lesson because I know how important it is to explain how to use the internet safely to children.  Technology has become such a big part of everyone’s lives and society is becoming more and more dependent on it.  Therefore, the next generation should be taught that the internet is a wonderful resource and can help you to achieve many different things, but it is also very dangerous, and we must use it properly.

Most schools are aware of the dangers that are associated with the Internet and have a policy regarding e-safety in place.  However, they are likely to teach their pupils the official policies rather than put it into the reality of pupils’ lives and so it is important to remember that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58).  It has been said that the most successful schools, in terms of e-safety, made ensure that their pupils knew what to do when things went wrong (Beauchamp, 2012, p.60).

As teachers, we shouldn’t convey that technology is always dangerous as the Scottish Government (2015) states that there is conclusive evidence that digital equipment, tools and resources can affect learning in a beneficial way.  They can raise the speed and depth of learning in science and mathematics for primary and secondary learners.  There is also evidence, stated by the Scottish Government that using digital equipment can also benefit some aspects of literacy, especially writing and comprehension (The Scottish Government, 2015).  Therefore, the dangers of the internet and technology should be made aware to children but not scare them into not using it.

In class this week we made movies/movie trailers that would highlight the dangers of the internet to children in groups.  My group’s movie trailer was “Snow White” themed, and its message was “don’t speak to strangers”.  It would tell the pupils that talking to someone you don’t know and meeting that person is very dangerous.  We managed to make our movie trailer entertaining to watch, informative and it related to a real-life situation.  we really enjoyed making this movie and I think we created a very entertaining and education movie trailer.  We especially enjoyed drawing our characters!  The expressions and outcomes that I think would relate to the movie trailer would be for “health and well-being” and “technology”.  For health and well-being, “as I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others” (HWB 0-09a / HWB 1-09a / HWB 2-09a / HWB 3-09a / HWB 4-09a) and “I am developing my knowledge and use of safe and acceptable conduct as I use different technologies to interact and share experiences, ideas and information with others (TCH 1-08a / TCH 2-08a)” and for technologies, “I enjoy playing with and exploring technologies to discover what they can do and how they can help us (TCH 0-01a)”.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how to teach internet safety and learning how to use iMovie to aid my teaching.  Internet safety is such an important part of the curriculum because it is about making sure the well-being of every pupil is a positive one.  Every child deserves to be able to use the internet happily and safely.  With that said, I am very glad I know a way to express this importance to my future classes.

Below are some pictures of our movie trailers, the characters that we drew and our first step to making the trailer when we planned out what we wanted to include.

     

• Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.
• The Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching.  [Online] http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24843/1/00489224.pdf [Accessed: 19 February 2018] 

This weeks Digital Technologies workshop was about the benefits of using “eBooks” in the classroom.  We explored this by using “Book Creator” to make the brochure “Life at UWS” and a teaching aid or summary about a children’s book.

According to The Oxford Dictionary, an eBook is the same as a printed book but in an electronic form.  It can be read on a computer or a specifically designed hand-held device.

In class, we used “Book Creator”, and app on iPads, to make our own books.  “Book Creator” is ideal for making all kinds of books, such as:

·        Children’s picture books

·        Comic books

·        Photo books

·        Journals

·        Textbooks

I was able to use the “Book Creator” app to create a brochure called “Life at UWS” in a group of three and a book which acted as a teaching aid.  My teaching summarised the children’s book “Mr. Tickle” and had questions at the end which required the pupil(s) to use adjectives and story writing skills, the pupil(s) had to make up their own ending to the story.  Both of my “Book Creator” projects included:

·        Pictures

·        Sound

·        Text

·        Written text

·        Front cover

My experience and outcomes for my projects are for literacy and technology.  For literacy, “I enjoy exploring and playing with the patterns and sounds of language and can use what I learn” (LIT 0-01a / LIT 0-11a / LIT 0-20), and for technology, “I can experiment with and identify uses of a range of computing technology in the world around me” (TCH 0-14b).

According to the Scottish Government, the benefits of digital technologies are not being put across in all schools, despite its pervasive nature.

Therefore, their “Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland” aims to improve the current situation by creating the conditions to allow all of Scotland’s educators, learners and parents to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technology to raise attainment, ambition and opportunities for all.

This strategy has four essential objectives:

·        Develop the skills and confidence of teachers.

·        Improve access to digital technology for all learners.

·        Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery.

·        Ensure leaders of a change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.

It has come to my attention that many teachers are including a range of digital technology in their lessons.  The Scottish Government states that 10 local authorities, almost 20 schools and hundreds of pupils are already using a range of digital technology (BBC, 2012).

Primary teacher, David Andrews, is very enthusiastic about Apple and wanted to introduce iPads and iPods to the school he works in.  He shares the reasons his school “jumped on the iPad bandwagon” with “The Guardian”.  He said that his three-year-old daughter was interested in his own iPad2 when he first bought it, and this was when his “iPad journey” began.  His daughter was learning to count, do simple subtraction and addition problems, recognise different shapes, listen to stories, learn her alphabet, beginning to spell out words and learn how to write letters.  She was learning all this with very little guidance or support and was enjoying learning.

Andrews has many reasons for his fascination with the iPads and they are as follows:

·        The ease, speed of use and accessibility.

·        Audio visual (AV) tools.

·        Creativity

(The Guardian, 2012)

In conclusion, I enjoyed learning about eBooks and using “Book Creator” and now understand the importance of them being used in the classroom.  I plan to practice using “Book Creator” more so I can improve and use it in the future.

 

References

·        BBC News. (2012) Education Scotland looks to expand use of tablets computers in schools. [Online] Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18081005 [Accessed: 12 February 2018].

·        The Guardian. (2012) An Apple for the teacher: are iPads the future in class? [Online] Available: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/aug/13/schools-secondary-schools [Accessed: 12 February 2018].

This week in Digital Technologies we learned about the benefits of coding in the classroom. The ability to code computer programs is an important part of literacy in today’s society and it has been said that coding is the new literacy. Also, when people learn to code, they learn important strategies for:

• Solving problems
• Designing projects
• Communicating ideas

In class we used “Scratch Jr”, an introductory programming language that enables young children (ages 5 and up) to create their own interactive stories and games. Children snap together graphical programming blocks to make characters move, jump and sing.

Our task was to individually create a literacy lesson using Scratch Jr. I decided to focus on the use of adjectives. My expression and outcome for Literacy was “Within real and imaginary situations, I share experiences and feelings, ideas and information in a way that communicates my message” (LIT 0-26a) and for Computing Science, “I understand that sequences of instructions are used to control computing technology” (TCH 0-14a). using Scratch Jr, I created four slides with moving characters: a teacher and four pupils. The teacher took the pupils to places around the world and the pupils had to use adjectives to describe what they could see, how they felt, etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this task because I like to think creatively. I like the fact that my lesson was a story and therefore it was entertaining as well as informative. I spent a lot of time on my lesson to make sure all the actions that my characters did were smooth, but I did not let myself become distracted from the main purpose of the lesson, which was to teach pupils about adjectives.

My story started with a teacher and some pupils in their classroom. The teacher then explained to the children that they were going to take a trip around the world and learn about adjectives. The teacher and pupils went to various places, Antarctica, Africa and a Jungle, and they described what they saw there. Thus, learning about how to use adjectives. At the end of my blog I have attached some at the end which shows exactly what happens.

When young people learn how to use Scratch Jr they are not just learning how to write computer games, they are also developing essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world, skills such as: thinking creatively, reasoning systematically and working collaboratively. Scratch Jr is something that any child with any kind of learning style can use because it is designed for exploration and experimentation. In addition, as well as the pupil’s education benefitting from Scratch Jr it also acts as a teaching aid in subjects like mathematics, English, music, art, design and information technology (The Lead Project, 2014).

There has been a lot of positive feedback about children learning how to code in schools. It has been said that it is a revolution in the study of computing and according to education secretary Michael Gove, “For the first-time children will be learning to programme computers. It will raise standards across the board – and allow our children to compete in the global race” (Curtis. S, 2013).

According to John Naughton children, starting in primary schools, from all backgrounds and every part of the UK should have the opportunity to: learn some of the key ideas of computer science; understand computational thinking; learn to program; and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of excellence in these activities (Naughton. J, 2012).

I took the time to research a Curriculum for Excellence experience and outcome for this particular type of lesson.  I decided that, “using appropriate software, I can work collaboratively to design an interesting and entertaining game which incorporates a form of control technology or interactive multimedia (TCH 2-09a)” was appropriate for what I learned.

   

 

   

References

• John Naughton (2012) Why all our kids should be taught how to code. [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/105150/mod_resource/content/2/Why%20all%20our%20kids%20should%20be%20taught%20how%20to%20code%20%20Education%20%20The%20Observer.pdf [Accessed: 3 January 2018].
• Sophie Curtis (2013) Teaching our children to code: a quiet revolution. [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/105151/mod_resource/content/1/Teaching%20our%20children%20to%20code%20a%20quiet%20revolution%20-%20Telegraph.pdf [Accessed: 3 January 2018].
• The Lead Project (2014) Super Scratch Programming Adventure: Learn to Program by Making Cool Games! No Starch Press.

This week in Digital Technologies, we learned about “multimodality”.  The multimodality of technology allows teachers to present ideas in a variety of different ways which helps pupils to understand what they are learning (Beauchamp, 2012, p.8).

We were informed that for a text to be “multimodal” it must include two or more of the five “Semiotic Systems”.  These systems are:

• Linguistic
• Visual
• Audio
• Gestural
• Spatial

The increased use of multimodal texts, digital communication, social networking and the other forms of electronic communication that young people and children are using more and more in their daily lives is clear to see in Literacy and English Framework.

Teachers can use ICT to display ideas in a variety of ways which allows children and young people to experience new ways of learning.  However, this can only happen effectively if you as the teacher have a sufficient understanding of the area yourself (Beauchamp, 2012, p.10).  The implicit assumption that speech and writing are always dominant in learning must be challenged (Beauchamp, 2012, p.8).

Instead of lessons consisting of just speech and writing, they should include interactive activities.  A blog from “Connect Learning Today” states that touch displays can become a social learning tool that encourages hands-on experiences thereby helping children to learn by doing (Prandstatter, 2014).

Multimodal presentations encourage interactive learning due to two of the “Semiotic Systems”, Audio and/or Gestural, which would allow the pupils to take part in the lesson.  By using Multimodal presentations, the lesson becomes:

• Captivating
• Motivating
• Interactive
• Personalised
• Dynamic
• Memorable
• Engaging

In class we were given the time to create a multimodal numeracy or literacy lesson using
“ActivInspire Flipcharts”.  I was in a group of 3 and together we created a numeracy lesson about co-ordinates.  Our lesson was interactive and consisted of two tasks.  The first task involved the pupils identifying the co-ordinates of each shape: triangle, square, circle, etc, and the second task involved them dragging each shape onto the appropriate co-ordinate that they were given.  We were very pleased with the result of our flipchart.  I really enjoyed this task because it gave me the chance to think creatively and to understand the amount of work that is required to make lessons effective.

This program allows us to create lessons with backgrounds, sound, colour, shapes and they can also be interactive.  ActivInspire Flipcharts are a good example of how useful multimodal texts can be because it allows pupils to learn by doing and engages children who prefer technology, like video games than reading and writing.  It makes lessons more exciting for them which will benefit their education.

This has been made evident to me from reading “Some educators question if whiteboards, other high-tech tools raise achievement” by “Stephanie McCrummen”.  According to Nancy Knowlton who is the chief executive of SMART Technologies, there is research data and anecdotal evidence that show her company’s products are helping multi-tasking, tech savvy kids who spend their time playing video games to engage in what they are learning (McCrummen, S (2010)).  Children are more motivated, attending school and student performance in the classroom has improved.  Pupils want to be energised instead of asking them to “shut off” when they are in class (McCrummen, S (2010)).

Below are two pictures of my group’s numeracy lesson using the ActivInspire Flipchart.

References

• Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
• Connect Learning Today. (2018) Interactive Displays In Early Years Classes. Available: http://connectlearningtoday.com/interactive-displays-early-years-classes/ [Accessed 25 January 2018]
• McCrummen, S. (2010) Some educators question if whiteboards, other high-tech tools raise achievement. Available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061005522.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzhead [Accessed 25 January 2018]

I thoroughly enjoyed my first lesson on Digital Technologies as it gave me an insight into the importance of using this in the classroom. I think this is an area of teaching which I am eager to develop. During the class, we read and made notes from “Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the Use of Digital Technology” which was published by The Scottish Government in 2016 and informed me of many reasons why using digital technology in the classroom will improve learning and teaching. We also logged into our Glow accounts and added to our launch pads. We carefully chose different apps to add to our previous collection. As a student teacher I am always interested in different ways to improve my teaching so that it is exciting and interesting for the children, so I personally think that Glow is an excellent tool to use and I am glad I will have the time to use it in this module.

Digital technology is a term used to describe digital applications, services and resources which can be use to aid lessons by finding, analysing, creating, communicating and using information in a digital context (Education Scotland, 2015).

Due to the reading and note taking we did during the lesson, I have learned a lot about what digital technology is. Prior to this module, I assumed that is was simply using computers or any technological devices, but I now know that much more thought has been devoted into making this teaching technique beneficial for the learners. I also took the time to discover an expression and outcome from curriculum for excellence that is incorporates the use of digital technologies into that specific lesson. The expression and outcome is, “I explore software and use what I learn to solve problems and present my ideas, thoughts, or information” (TCH 0-03a).

As a result of reading “Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the Use of Digital Technology” which is available on the Digital Technology module on Moodle, I was informed that The Scottish Government plan to achieve excellence from using digital technology as they believe it will raise attainment and equity. Their aim is to:
· Develop skills and confidence of educators in digital technologies to support learning and teaching.
· Improve access to digital technology for all learners.
· Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of curriculum and assessment delivery.
· Empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning and teaching.

Learners from the age 3 to 18 will benefit from this type of teaching greatly because not only does it encourage pupils to learn, it also gives them vital digital skills that will make them more employable in the future due to today’s increasingly digitised world. The Scottish Government have taken charge and commissioned “Young Scot” and the “Children’s Parliament” to make sure that using digital technology in the classroom has a positive effect on the children’s education. Children from the Children’s Parliament thought that it made their lessons more fun and exciting and would like to use it more often. The results from Young Scot were that the children felt that digital technology was an important learning aid, they were able to revise and access information quicker. However, although both these results show a positive response both parties both said that there is a limited supply of equipment and the results from Young Scot show that teachers lack knowledge in this area (The Scottish Government, 2016). Therefore, I now realise how beneficial using this teaching technique is and that I will need to achieve a good understanding of it for my future pupils to have a successful education.

Not only have I learned that digital technology makes learning more exciting, but that more educational content is provided online that can support learning, it offers alternative ways for children to learn and they can identify which way best suits them and if assessments are taken digitally then the time taken to mark them is reduced and so the time saved and can be devoted to more teaching (The Scottish Government, 2016).

As I mentioned before, I think that Glow is an excellent tool for finding resources that can help with teaching and with understanding specific learning types. Due to this being a digital resource, it has also shown me another reason why digital technology will benefit education.

Overall, my first experience with this module was very positive, I have already learned a lot of information about digital technology and how to use Glow appropriately. I am looking forward to the next few months of learning and improving my confidence with using digital technology in the classroom.

References

· The Scottish Government. (2016) Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through the Use of Digital Technology. [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/391375/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20Learning%20and%20Teaching%20Strategy%20.pdf [Accessed: 9 January 2018].

My placement at Glencairn Primary School was such a memorable experience for me.  I was very nervous at first as I knew how important first impressions were but once I met a few members of staff my nerves settled and I was able to just enjoy it.

On the Monday morning the deputy head informed me that I would be assisting the teacher in Primary 2y and then took my partner and I on a tour of the school.  The school, in my opinion, was quite modern and I really liked how organised and easy to get around it was.  Also, all the staff were so welcoming and had no problem answering any questions I asked them.  They were all great role-models to me.

I mostly worked my way around the class helping the pupils with any work that they had as well as taking out small groups of children in different levels to help them with their reading or maths.  Although it was nice to see children understanding their work and being successful all the time, I think I enjoyed teaching the less able groups the most as I was actually able to teach them something they didn’t quite understand and I loved seeing them progress with their work and getting just a few more questions right each week.

A strength that I have realised I have is my communication skills and professionalism.  I was able to speak to groups of children in a professional and respectful way, explaining tasks and speaking to them generally around the school.  I was also able to speak to other members of staff in the staffroom and in front of the pupils.

The most important thing that I have learned is that, fro some children, their teacher is the most approachable and caring role-model that they have and some become very attached to them, I realised this first hand on my last day, and so it is important to show every child a considerable amount of respect each day and help them to enjoy their time at school.

When discussing my notes with my partner, Aimee, we realised that they were actually very closely aligned.  We both agreed that this teacher spoke clearly and at a good volume and appeared to be very professional.  However, we both realised that sometimes when he was talking to his class he sat slouched at his desk.  My partner and I agreed that this isolated himself from his class and he didn’t look engaged or in control of at all.

One thing that did surprise me in the videos was the fact that people actually videoed their lessons.  I had never heard of this teaching strategy before but I think it looks very useful and effective because you can see your mistakes and successes and may try it out in the future.

Overall, I think that these tasks were manageable but required me to think deeply about my answers.  I had to really analyse the teacher’s body language, volume and teaching strategies which was an entirely new experience for me but one I thoroughly enjoyed.  As a result of studying their behaviour I decided that my answers were best suited to what I watched.

After completing these tasks, I think I have a good understanding of the difference between feedback and judgement.  In my opinion, the difference is that feedback is constructive criticism and something you can learn from, whereas, judgement only focusses on the negatives and doesn’t give the recipient anything to feed off of.

The idea that I would like to hang onto and take with me to my forthcoming placement is that children should have the chance to discuss their answers with their peers, to improve their communication skills, but I would inform them of a signal I’ll use to tell them to stop their discussion so I still have control of my class.

Personally, I am extremely excited about my placement as it will give me an insight into my future career as a teacher and give me the chance to practise what I have been learning at university.  I will also be able to see my strengths and weaknesses which will give me the chance to improve as a student teacher.