Tuesday 7th March 

Mobile Devices 2 

This week had a main focus on a continuation of the topic from last week on Digital Mobile Devices. However, the mobile devices we focused on this week was the use of Nintendo Dsi. Now you may be surprised as to how this can be used effectively to teach in a classroom. When we were told that we would be using the Nintendo in the classroom I thought that something was not right and that it would never work. How very wrong I was! I was so surprised to find out actually just how many apps and functions this digital device has and how good it can be in the classroom. If I were a teacher in a school that had just bought the iPads I would be exactly the same as this journalist points out: “sometimes, once the tablets arrive, they are scratching their heads. Now we have them, what do we do with them?” (Read-G, J. 2015, P.2)

Some examples of the sorts of things that these Nintendo’s could be used for is: to carry out mental maths activities. To do this, all the children need to do is use the pixochat within the Ds. On this chat, once joined, someone can play teacher and ask the whole class questions mentally to see how quickly they can be answered. Or the teacher can ask the class several questions mentally to see who is coping and who needs a bit more support as the names appear at the top of all posts posted on the chat. Using this interactive Nintendo app has been found to be of great benefit to children. As this journalist points out: “three-quarters identify home access to educational game consoles like Nintendo DS as being helpful to children’s educational development.” (Teaching Times, 2008, P.1)

Another idea, is to use the Flipchart app on the devices which allows animation. Here, our group decided to ask the children to firstly think of what an adjective is. Then the teacher would put some examples on the board so they are clear of some examples of adjectives. Here, then the children would then take an example and make an animation of one of the adjectives. Once they have a clear understanding of how to use the program on the Nintendo and know what an adjective is they can progress onto the next part of the tasks. They will then, assuming they have read the book on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, create an animation on the key scenes and use one adjective to sum each scene up. This could be done individually or in groups for each scene deepening on the availability and resource of having Nintendo’s themselves or as a school.

The main scenes from the book would be:

• The introduction – when the children first meet the factory and everything inside the small room is candy and they can eat it all.
• Augustus Gloop – being sucked up the tube for being mischievous and falling into the chocolate river.
• Violet Beauregard – not listening and eating bad gum which results in her being turned into a giant blueberry.
• Veruca Salt – not listening again and being taken away by squirrels by falling into the squirrel pit.
• Mike Teavee – not listening and being shrunk into a tiny, tiny person needing re-sized.
• Charlie – getting to the end and being the only one who listened.
• Charlie and his family – winning the Chocolate factory

The outcomes from Curriculum for Excellence that this designed activity would cover are (due to the complexity of animation the use of detail devices, this is best suited for first/second level):

• I can communicate clearly when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, using selected resources as required. LIT 1-10.
• Using what I know about the features of different types of texts, I can find, select and sort information from a variety of sources and use this for different purposes. LIT 2-14a
• 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
• 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

Our learning Intention was:

• We are learning to use adjectives to describe.

Our Success Criteria was:

• I can understand what adjectives are
• I can use adjectives properly to describe pictures
• I can use animation to show different parts of a story
• I can use the flipnote animation program on the Nintendo

Today, I really enjoyed and was surprised as to just how a Nintendo can be used in a classroom perspective. Also, by putting the teacher hat on; I now have begun the journey on how to lesson plan and give the lesson intentions and success criteria I would use if I were to use this as a lesson. I am confident with the use of Nintendo as I grew up with it and it has many fun aspects especially the funny things the camera can do. It can make a normal lesson have an interesting ‘spin’ which will help to engage the children. The interesting thing about the Nintendo is the positivity it has of using it in the classroom as it is bringing a fun activity used at home into the classroom. I will hopefully use this in the classroom if it is still a popular trend and used with children. In fact, using such a technology device as the Nintendo can make the children feel accomplished and acknowledged as they may know things that the teacher may not know. This is because they have grew up using such technology devices: “Over four in ten households now have a tablet, meaning that children are becoming computer-literate before they’ve even started primary school.” (Curtis, S. 2014, P.2)

Here is the video of the creative work we made on the application flipchart for Nintendo Dsi. This shows how if we can make this and have fun, the children will have just as much fun while still learning and being productive:

Until next week,

Christopher

References:

Scottish Government (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: Experience and Outcomes. [Online] Available:https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiences-outcomes_.pdf [Accessed: 7 March 2017]

Read-Gurney, J. (2015) Classroom Technology ‘Rarely Used’ by Half of Teachers. [Online] Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12013650/Classroom-technology-barely-used-by-half-of-teachers.html [Accessed: 28 February 2017]

TeachingTimes (2008) Games Consoles Benefit Children’s Education. [Online] Available: http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/games-consoles-education.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2017]

Curtis, S. (2014) Digital Learning: How Technology Is Reshaping Teaching. [Online] Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11051228/Digital-learning-how-technology-is-reshaping-teaching.html [Accessed: 7 March 2017]

Tuesday 28th February

Mobile Devices

As we had concluded last week our animation task, this week brought a new interesting unit. This week’s focus included the use of eBooks in the classroom. This was the final of our assessment tasks for this module.

I had never thought of using the app eBooks as I am person who tends to like paper copies of everything especially when it comes to reading things. I have an instinct within me that I will consume and think more about what I read if its printed and physically in front of me, as opposed to a screen where there are so many different distractions. However, today’s topic has shown me that there are several advantages for a classroom with the use of eBooks whether that be on a computer; phone or iPad. In this session we used the iPad to create our own eBooks. The use of technology and the iPad app can make literacy and reading fun for children who may find it challenging to read the ‘old-fashioned way’ on paper. This was something that came back from the findings report for children on technology: “However, for some children using digital technologies is described as ‘relaxing’ and ‘calming'” (Children’s Parliament Consultation, 2016, P.4) a very good technique/tool for teachers for any child who may be struggling to read. Using a book in technology form may calm them down and encourage reading rather than creating a bad persona of it.

We then moved onto our task where we were given an author of Roald Dahl and asked to pick a book that we were already familiar with from his portfolio of all the books he had written for children. The book we chose was Charlie and the Chocolate factory as the majority of us had either seen the film or had read the book. When we thought about the book it began to get our minds moving like tiny wheels in a clock. We began googling images from the book; deciding on language used in the story; the plot line; the good points; the bad and the conclusion of the story, it really got us thinking. We began to remember exactly what happened and began to use our imaginations effectively in a way that would allow us to present the summarised version of the story in the eBook app. I would never have gotten why I would get the children to make a book on Charlie and the Chocolate factory again when they had just read it. How wrong and close-minded I was. The advantages of doing this bring several advantages to the children’s learning and to the teacher’s to check understanding has been interpreted the way they planned. The children can imagine different things from reading a book as they are just words. Getting them to use images and create their own imagination on things from the book is a good way to get them to be creative and think differently. It can also improve their literacy skills and creative arts skills as they make their own book using their own sentences and images to tell the same story-line from the book but in different ways.

Although, I have presented above my amazement and how visually attractive and easy I find the app to use there are some constraints. I found that this came up a lot during my further reading. As stated: “in considering the use of mobile technologies – inside and outside – the classroom, teachers will need to establish what is practical in terms of funding. This is likely to be a team decision involving all staff” (Allen, J. et Al. P.176). This is where the bubble bursts as if staff are reluctant to changing and using more technology this will not work. Also, if the school is in a more deprived area then financially, technology gadgets and equipment may not be on the high priority list. If a teacher has these, they are well worth using, but if they do not it could be difficult to supply them.

I will attach the photos of the assessment task we made and how it is a good idea for teaching with technology in the classroom:

As you can see from the above text and images we created our own spin on the book just like the children could. We took different aspects to make the book look different. For example, we took images from the book so the cover looked the same; took images from both the old and new film and also some general images to back-up points to make the book look interesting. We used our own summarised language which help our thought process for synonyms for different words; adjectives; verbs; nouns etc. And if that encouraged us to be creative with images and language it will for sure encourage children to think and be creative. The technology used here “can have an important place in the classroom and play a vital role in preparing young people to succeed in a fast-changing world.” (Read-G, J. 2015, P.3)

As I had never heard of this app of eBook creator, I decided I would look at a bit of further reading to see what teachers, theorists and pupils had to say about using such technology in the classroom. The results, as I expected came back positive in many of the materials that I read. In fact this book says: “the development of the technology in teaching can, he considered lead to concepts of the Global Classroom, and can encourage pupils to develop the skills necessary for success in an information society.” (Leask M. and Meadows J. P28, 2000)

Until next week,

Christopher

References:

Children’s Parliament Consultation (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children.[online] Available: http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/REPORT_digital-learning-consultation_Childrens-Parliament-1.pdf [Accessed: 28 February 2017]

Leask, M. and Meadows J. Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School (2000) London: Routledge Falmer

Allen J. Potter J. Sharp J. and Turvey K. (2011) Primary ICT. 4^th Edition, Glasgow: Learning Matter ltd.

Read-Gurney, J. (2015) Classroom Technology ‘Rarely Used’ by Half of Teachers. [Online] Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12013650/Classroom-technology-barely-used-by-half-of-teachers.html [Accessed: 28 February 2017]