Sitting writing this blog post, I genuinely can’t believe it’s the end! I was very sceptical about writing a blog, I seen it as a lot of commitment and an extreme amount of work having to think of something to write each week. However, as the weeks have gone on, I have actually really enjoyed having somewhere to express myself. The digital technologies module seems to go so fast, all of class time is spent using the technologies to create something. Therefore, no time is spent thinking about the technology being used, and considering it from a student teachers perspective. Each week, I felt more and more motivated to get my laptop out and start writing, as if I had a constant need to word vomit all my feelings from the input.

At the beginning of the module, I would come home and sit for hours staring at my laptop screen not even knowing where to start. So, I took some time to come up with a format to help me get started, which also ensured I included all the relevant information. I started each of my blogs by looking back over the technology its self, to get an idea of what professionals have said about it and its benefits as a teaching aid. I would then go on to describe the input, which included information about what I produced with the technology and how I felt about it. My last step was always to sit back and reflect on how I then felt about the piece of technology and the events of the input.

Personally, I have really enjoyed this module and I think its opened up a whole new area of teaching I had never really considered. I hope that throughout the rest of my time at university, I get the opportunity to develop my digital technology skills further, with the aim of bringing them into my own classes in the future.

Thank you for reading my blog, I really hope you’ve enjoyed it!

WEEK 10 – 12th March 2019

During this weeks input, we were looking at taking learning outside using QR codes. (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2010) states that “Outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds of adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors.” For some pupils, being stuck within the same four walls from 9-3 can be a very long day, infact, this is probably the case for most pupils. Therefore, taking lessons out width the classroom, whether that be just within the corridors and open areas of the school. Or further, out to the playground or away on a trip. “It’s clear that the outdoor environment offers motivating, exciting, different, relevant and easily accessible activities from pre-school years through to college.” (Education Scotland, 2010) Not only does outdoor learning motivate pupils to learn, it also has other, long term benefits, which include:

1. Developing critical thinking skills – As it helps children make links between curricular areas.
2. Personal development – Pupils learn skills in areas such as communication, problem solving and working with others.
3. Promotes healthy lifestyle – It can lead to lifelong recreations, such as hill walking, cycling, skiing or sailing.
4. Personal safety – Provides opportunities for children to develop skills and access and manage risks.
5. Inclusion for all – Can provide opportunities for children to use a range of skills and abilities not always visible in the classroom.

Outdoor learning also provides pupils a chance to express themselves. The way children act within a classroom setting, will be completely different to how they act when they are free on the outdoors. Therefore, “the outdoor environment encourages staff and students to see each other in a different light, building positive relationships and improving self-awareness and understanding of others.” (Education Scotland, 2010)

As a group, we decided to come up with a QR code game, within the campus that was first level maths related. Our idea was that, children are given a shopping list, with an area to write sums and cost.

The QR codes will all have a sum using pennies and the answer to the sum tells the children what room to go to next. For example, 12p+10p=22p therefore, the children would have to go to room 22. At the next room, there will be a QR code and another sum. The QR code, once scanned, will tell them what item to check off their shopping list and the room number/answer to the sum will be the cost of the item which will be recorded in the shopping list. Once all items are checked off the shopping list, children will add up the cost of all the items to get the total cost for their shopping list.

Once we came up with our idea, it was time to bring it to life. We accessed a QR code generator online and started working our way through it. At first, we had to select which type of code we wanted, for example, if we wanted it to link to an email address, Facebook etc. We chose to select the ‘plain text option’ as all we wanted to include was the shopping item and the sum. The website we chose was quite easy to work, with only 3 steps to creating the QR code. However, one thing we would have liked would be to be able to include images in it rather than just text on its own. As we felt it would be more exciting if it had images of the items from the shopping list rather than just stating them.

Our next step was to print off the QR codes and place them outside the correct room numbers around the university.

To ensure our lessons worked, we swapped with another team to complete each-others QR game. The team that completed ours came back with all positive feedback, and said that they enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction that came with having the shopping list on hand to check off.

Overall, I really enjoyed working with the QR codes. Looking into the future, I think this is something that I would definitely bring into my classroom. It was a fun exciting way of completing sums, however, could also easily be used to convey information to the children. Looking back at our lesson, I decided to come up with some development points. One of which was, taking into account the other levels. For example, for second level, I could develop the lesson by having 3 apples on the list, requiring children to times the cost of one apple by 3. Which would help develop their money as they need to be aware of the significance of place value for pounds and pennies.

References:

WEEK 9 – 5th March 2019

During this week’s input, we looked into using games to learn within the classroom. As aspiring teachers, we need to be aware of what’s going on in our pupil’s life, in and out of the classroom. According to a recent report in 2011, gaming is hugely popular in the UK with almost 86% of 5-7 year olds and 90% of 8-11 year olds using gaming devices regularly. (Ofcom Report, 2011) I knew that games were a massive part of young people’s lives, however, I am still shocked by these statistics. The use of computer games, truly are firmly embedded in 21^stcentury youth culture.

As a student teacher, I am looking to use computer games to my advantage to create fun lessons that all pupils will engage with. It is stated that games based learning has the most transformational impact when it is combined with good learning and teaching. (Bray, 2012) As a result, teachers are required to “be familiar with the games, they also have to ensure that they make clear the way in which they want for the game to be used.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.9) We also have to be aware of the skills that could be developed as a result of bringing games into the classroom, which are believed to be:

• Strategic Thinking
• Planning
• Communication
• Application of numbers
• Negotiating Skills
• Group decision-making
• Data Handling Skills

After a general discussion about games based learning, we went on to look at Minecraft. “Minecraft is a worldwide phenomenon. Since it was first released back in 2011, it’s been taken to the hearts of thousands and thousands of gamers.” (How to do Everything in Minecraft, 2014, p.3) Previously to this input, I didn’t have any knowledge about Minecraft or how it worked. I remember when I was younger my cousins used to play it on the Xbox but I was never interested.

In groups we looked closely at linking Minecraft into a lesson in the classroom. After some discussion, we came up with the idea of creating a famous historical monument. The first thing we done was try to look at how this lesson will develop the childrens learning. We then realised the links between this activity and literacy, because, the pupils will be required to make a fact file/report on their chosen landmark.

Our next step was to plan the lesson, for which we were given a sheet with different areas to fill in.To start our lesson, we thought it would be a good idea to set up different stations in the class with different landmarks for the children to choose. This way they are given a choice, but there is still teacher input on it to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand. The pupils are then required to research their chosen landmark and create a fact file around It, including all relevant information about the buildings surroundings and materials that were used to build it. The next step would be to go on Minecraft and create the landmark.

To ensure our lesson had value to the pupils, we looked into curricular areas that our idea linked with:

Expressive Arts

EXA 2-02a

I have the opportunity to choose and explore an extended range of media and technologies to create images and objects, comparing and combining them for specific tastes.

Languages

LIT 2-06a

I can select ideas and relevant information, organise them into appropriate ways for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience.

Numeracy/Mathematics

MTH 2-12a

I have worked with others to explore and present our findings on how maths impacts on the world and the important part it has played in advances and inventions.

Social Studies

SOC 2-16a

I can discuss issues of the diversity of cultures, values and customs in our society.

Overall, I really enjoyed working with Minecraft and it opened up a whole new area of teaching for me. Prior to this input, I never thought games like Minecraft would have had any educational benefit for pupils. Therefore, I am really looking forward to exploring this more and coming up with other ideas of how I can bring this into the classroom.

References:

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]

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

WEEK 8 – 26th February 2019

During our second week of animation, we put our plan into action. I brought along, pens, paper and scissors as we needed these in order to complete our plan successfully. We broke our animation down into 7 stages in our plan, I will attach an image of the plan for you to refer to. Our first step was to create all our parts and set them out in order. I enjoyed this stage as I like being creative and most of all enjoy when a plan comes to life. Having two inputs to complete this proved a good idea, it allowed us to plan and think over the course of a week. Animation is something that can be quite complex, therefore, if you were to be rushed in completing it the outcome is quite short and not very well done (which can be seen in the animations we completed last week).

After we made all our parts and set them all out, it was time to start filming. Keryn held the ipad and recorded while I moved all the parts around. The one thing that we struggled with was making sure to only move them very slightly so that when it all comes together there’s not big jumps in the movements and they all go smoothly. We included some different movements, rather than just out and in, we had them spinning and shaking which became very effective. We also included a section where we cut up one of our parts, this ended up turning out good in the animation as it was something different rather than just moving the piece. I think that our animation turned out pretty good, considering it was both our first times using the app and both didn’t have much background knowledge on animation.

 (was unable to upload video because it was too long)

Looking into the future, I think animation is something I will explore more to become more confident with it. This will allow me to be able to confidently present in to children in my class for them to get a good experience with it also. On the other hand, I think the animation planning process was quite complex as there are so many possibilities/processes involved which could frustrate some pupils. Although, I do believe it helps develop creative thinking skills along with practical skills in patience etc.

WEEK 7 – 19th February 2019

Our first week of animation involved gaining a background knowledge of the area and planning our own animation. Prior to this input, I had no previous experience working with animation, of course I have viewed animation clips. However, I have never looked into what is involved to make them.

Animation involves “Stringing together a sequence of static images, generally so that they appear to move” (Jarvis, 2015, p.89) Although, the description of animation that I liked was that it ‘breathes new life into something that wouldn’t normally move.’

In class, we started looking at a few different animation apps, to allows us to gain a bit of knowledge of how they work. The two we looked at were Puppet Pals and iStopMotion. There are creator apps that allow you to start from scratch inserting your own clips using a variety of themes, characters and tools. This allowed me to explore animation and from this, I realised how complex it actually is. According to Moving Image Education there are five different types of animation which are:

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

For a bit of practice, I started using the Puppet Pals app. I created a short animation based on the classic fairy tale story Cinderella. Within this I included voice overs to help tell the story, movement of the characters across the screen and characters changing size as they moved on and off the screen.

I enjoyed working with the puppet pals app to a certain extent, however, I thought it was quite hard to work with and took a lot of time to produce a very short animation clip.

We then went on to work with the iStopMotion app, with this we created an animation with bendy men. This app proved much easier to work with, and produced a more realistic animation. However, the bendy men were impossible to work with. They never stood on their own, which required them to be stood up against something which made the animation very unrealistic as it was impossible to take clips without your hands being in.

After working with both the apps, me and my partner Keryn went on to plan our animation that we are going to carry out next week. We were required to make an animation about a natural disaster, and were given a story board sheet to help us. We chose to create a volcano eruption animation and include some teaching points in it also.

References:

WEEK 6 – 12th February 2019

Social media has become a massive aspect of day to day life for many people. Therefore, it is essential that at a young age children are informed about internet safety. “Most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, but they are likely to reflect official policies and perhaps not the reality of pupils lives.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58) Within the primary school, the key idea is that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them.” However, it is important to remember that we are not their parents therefore, cannot control if they have access to social media or not. Although we can’t stop our pupils from having social media accounts, what we can do as educators is educate them on what to do if things do go wrong online.

Looking through the sources on Moodle, I noticed a number of sources about internet safety day and online quizzes to take. I think this is useful, as although I have knowledge about e-safety, it is always good to have something to refer to.

Although technology has it down sides, there are many benefits to using technology especially in the classroom. For example, The Scottish Government (2015) stated that there is evidence that the use of digital equipment, where used effectively, can raise the speed and depth of learning. They then go further to state that digital technologies help improve basic literacy and numeracy skills. The Curriculum for Excellence also states the importance of Digital Technologies within the classroom. Digital Technologies like to Health and Wellbeing, Numeracy and Literacy. It states that it helps develop problem solving capabilities in children and helps them engage with a wide range of texts.

In today’s society, we are required more and more to be digitally literate. With applying for jobs online and interacting with friends. Digital literacy includes knowledge, skills and behaviours involving the effective use of digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops for the purpose of communication, expression, collaboration and advocacy. (Weiss,2017)

Moving on, digital storytelling is seen to be an upcoming feature that will be the principle hobby of the world’s people. It is the sharing of a story through the multiple mediums of digital imagery, text, voice, sound, music, video and animation.

In class, we worked in groups to create an imovie using the ipads. In my group, we decided to focus on the very popular game Fortnite. We paid extra attention to the dangers of the game, including being able to send friend requests to anyone and send them messages. At the beginning, we included a few clips about setting up an account and the importance of not using your name and also making sure your password isn’t easy to guess. After we planned what we wanted to include, we took a wee while to think of a way to present it all that would-be attention grabbing and give the message we wanted to convey clearly. We came to the conclusion of starting the movie off with all the bad points, for example, the person setting up their account using their name and an easy to guess password. We also included a clip of receiving loads of friend requests that the person proceeds to accept. After this, we ask the pupils if there is anything they would change about what they just seen, to which we would hope they would tell us all the points we wanted to make. The next half of our movie is the person going back and recreating the account making it safer. Then to conclude the movie, we included a clip stating that Fornite can be fun, we didn’t want to make it all doom and gloom as it is important to remember that if used safely these sorts of games are good fun.

I think imovie will be a fun feature to bring into the classroom when I am teaching. I really enjoyed the process of planning then putting all the clips together, being able to include sound and text etc. With a bit of practice, I think I would be able to introduce this to pupils and they would also have a positive experience with it.

References:

›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: 5.2.18]

Weiss, D. (2017) Time to Know blog [Online] https://www.timetoknow.com/blog/essential-digital-literacy-skills-for-the-21st-century-worker/[Accessed: 5.2.18]

WEEK 5 – 5th February 2019

An ebook is an electronic version of a printed book, which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device. I am someone who enjoys reading, and I am always on the hunt to find a new book. However, I have always been a lover of having a paper copy of everything. I’m not one for a kindle or other reading device. Although, after completing this workshop on ebooks and the impact writing this blog has had on me, I think I might have to reconsider.

A digital learning and teaching strategy for Scotland is structured around 4 essential objectives:

1. Develop the skills and confidence of teachers
2. Improve access to digital technology for all learners
3. Ensure that digital technology is a central consideration in all areas of the curriculum and assessment delivery
4. Empower leaders of change to drive innovation and investment in digital technology for learning

There are so many electronic devices out there that have the potential to be used within classrooms. However, Beauchamp identified the 7 general principles for determining if a device is an ‘educational device’ for the early years. These are:

• Encourage collaboration
• Integrate with other aspects of the curriculum
• Ensure an educational purpose
• Ensure that the child is in control
• Chose applications that are transparent
• Avoid applications which contain violence and stereotyping
• Be aware of health and safety issues

This week we were given the opportunity to explore the Book Creator app on the ipads. Ipads are very popular educational devices which are accessible in most schools in today’s world. I think that ipads are a great thing if they are used effectively. They have the ability to be a great aid within the classroom, however, on the other hand, they can also create a disturbance and be more of a toy rather than a device with teaching ability.

The Book Creator app is a simple way to make your own ebooks using an ipad. It is ideal for making children’s picture books, comic books, photo books, journalism textbooks and more.

I enjoyed working with the book creator app as it had endless possibilities. I also really liked that you were able to take pictures and include them in your book. I think this is a good feature as it would allow children to draw pictures then take a photo of them and insert them into their book. This would provide a great sense of achievement for the children as they are seeing their hard work being valued.

Using the Book Creator app, I worked with a partner to recreate a version of the Charlotte’s Web story. I will insert images of the book to let you read it and give you an idea of the features of the app.

References:

Children’sParliament Consultation (2016)A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland: The Views of Children.

WEEK 4 – 29th January 2019

The ability to code computer programs is an important part of literacy in today’s society. When children learn to code, they learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas.

In class, we used Scratch Junior to make up a literacy story on the iPad. Scratch Junior is an introductory programming language that enables children aged 5 and up to create their own story. “As young people create Scratch projects, they are not just learning how to write computer programs. They are learning to think creatively, reason systematically and work collaboratively – essential skills for success and happiness in today’s world.” (The Lead Project, 2014) Within the classroom, Scratch can be used to aid teachers in a wide range of subjects from maths and literacy to music and art. Scratch helps children develop creative thinking skills, logical reasoning, problem solving skills and collaboration skills. As it was designed for exploring and experimenting it supports any different learning style.

Using Scratch, I created a literacy based story. The story begins with the main character Tom the cat in space. He tells the children he is going on an adventure around the world but is going to need their help to spell what he sees.

From space, he travels to the beach, the letters making up the word ‘beach’ are presented at the top of the screen and jump up for the children to spell out the word to the cat.

After congratulating the children on their spelling, the cat then travels to the desert. I included an image of a giraffe, which added additional learning out with literacy. The cat asks the children if they know where giraffes live, and the children are then required to spell out the word desert.

The cat then travels to the park and repeats the same pattern of asking the children to spell it out.

I really enjoyed using the Scratch app, due to only having some brief knowledge of coding from academy, I enjoyed having the opportunity to play around with the app to produce something of value. Now that I have some experience using the app, I am excited to broaden my knowledge by getting myself used to working with it. I look forward to using Scratch within the classroom and observing how the children interact with it.

As I am aware that a lot of pupils aren’t keen on standing up infront of the class to present, I think I would take the advantage of scratch for presenting. For example, if we are doing topic work, the children could use scratch to present what they’ve learned rather than creating posters etc.

When it comes to using Scratch in the class, I think it would work well with early level pupils as they will engage more with it and gain more whilst using it. From the Curriculum for Excellence, some experiences and outcomes I liked with this activity were:

LIT 0-31a

“I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts and I use what I learned to invent my own, sharing these with others in imaginative ways.”

TCH 0-14a

“I understand that sequences of instructions are used to control computing technology.”

As far as writing this blog is going, I am enjoying having somewhere to express my ideas and feelings about digital technology. I was nervous at first as I wasnt sure I would be able to think of things to write or that I would be writing the right thing. However, as the weeks are progressing I am really enjoying having this space to express myself.

References:

The Lead Project, 2014

Education.gov.scot. (2019). [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 29 Jan. 2019].

WEEK 3 – 22nd January 2019

I have always been interested in technology from a young age, being called the “master of tech” at home and always being handed ipads, phones and TV remotes etc to fix. I was really looking forward to this module to expand my knowledge on the use of technology within the classroom.

During my time on placement in primary schools, I noticed the use of multimodal technology. Within the use of interactive whiteboards, ipads etc. I think that multimodal technologies are important as they ensure all pupils in the class stay motivated and engaged.

“The multimodality of technology is another reason to use it, as it allows teachers to present an idea in a variety of ways to help pupils understand it.” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.8)

A multimodal text is a text which combines two or more semiotic systems. There are five semiotic systems in total which are, linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. The Literacy and English framework reflects the increased use of multimodal texts, digital communication, social networking and the other forms of electronic communication encountered by children and young people in their daily lives. (Curriculum for Excellence, Literacy and English Principles and Practice paper)

Presenting 

Multimodal texts can be used when presenting, the use of ICT can help structure new experiences as it can be used in a variety of ways. As long as the teacher has sufficient understanding on the area.

Multimodal presentations are captivating, motivating, interactive, personalised, dynamic, memorable and engaging.

Communication

Many people have the assumption that communication is simply speech and writing, although these are central and sufficient for learning. There are other ways to communicate more effectively to provide a better experience to learners.

ActivInspire 

“Touch displays can become a social learning tool encouraging hands-on experiences, thereby helping children to learn by doing.” (Prandstatter, 2014)

ActivInspire helps to empower teachers to bring lessons to life by enabling student interaction and collaboration on interactive whiteboards.

References:

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

Education.gov.scot. (2019). [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 22 Jan. 2019].

Prandstatter. (2014)

WEEK 2 – 15th January

“The curriculum introduces programmable toys as a good example for developing knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world.” (Janka, 2008, p.2) According to Alison Lydon children gain independence whilst working with beebots, after initial instruction most children were able to work independently. (Lydon, 2008)

I worked with Keryn in order to complete the beebot assessment task. For this assessment we were required to make a beebot mat game that could be used in the classroom to achieve CfE outcomes.

We chose to base ours around Maths and Health and Wellbeing. The CfE outcomes we chose were:

MNU1-03a

“I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division when solving problems, making best use of the mental strategies and written skills I have developed.”

TCH1-01a

“I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts.”

HMB1-28a

“I understand that my body needs energy to function and that this comes from the food I eat. I am exploring how physical activity contributes to my health and wellbeing.”

In sticking with our areas of maths and health and well-being we decided to create a Beebot mat with sum cards to go along with it. On our mat, we created flaps for each square, on these we wrote numbers between one and twenty and coloured them in muilticoloured.

We then cut pieces of paper to use as sum cards. On these we wrote sums that added up to numbers between one and twenty.

Going back to our mat we lifted up the flaps and stuck down images of physical activities.

Our Beebot game works by the children placing the Beebot at the start, they are then required to pick up a sum card. They have to find the answer to the sum by either adding or subtracting. They then have to programme the Beebot to move from the starting line to the number on the mat that was the answer to their sum. Once they get the Beebot there, they have to lift up the flap and see the activity. They are then required to complete the activity as many times as the number on the flap.  For example, if a child picks up a card saying “5+7”, they will then have to move the Beebot to the number 12 on the mat. They then have to lift up the number 12 and see a picture of an activity like star jumps, they then have to do 12 star jumps. It is then the next players turn.

I really enjoyed working with the Beebots and think this would be a great resource for in the classroom. Although we completed our assignment on paper with a mat, there is also an app for the ipad that allows you to program a Beebot and move it around the screen. Personally, I think that the real life form of the Beebot would be more affective within the classroom. As this gives the pupils an opportunity to hold it in their hand, therefore, when thinking back to programming they will be more likely to remember. It also allows the pupils the chance to communicate with eachother because they will be working in teams.

Overall, I enjoyed week 2 working with programmable toys. I had a good experience and felt confident with the programming side of Beebots. However, one area I struggled with and will have to work on was the creative side of Beebots, I struggle coming up with ideas then making my ideas come to life.

References:

Janka (2008). [online] Terecop.eu. Available at: http://www.terecop.eu/downloads/simbar2008/pekarova.pdf [Accessed 16 Jan. 2019].

Lydon, A. (2008) Robots in Early Education. Sharing Good Practice

Education.gov.scot. (2019). [online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed 16 Jan. 2019].