As an avid reader, I already had a great understanding of eBook technology and what features are available on multiple mobile devices. “An e-book is a book which is produced for reading on a computer screen. An e-book is an abbreviation for ‘electronic book’ (Collins, 2019). The most popular form which you may have heard of is the Kindle which thrived in popularity a few years ago as it allowed both adults and children to take many books with them wherever they went without having to carry along a bulky paperback. However, e-readers and devices have evolved further with many educational apps and functions which can help teach the curriculum and can also help children at home with their own learning.
So what devices can come under the term “educational device?” Beauchamp identified the 7 general principles for determining the effectiveness of an ICT application in the early years. These are:
- ensure an educational purpose
- encourage collaboration
- integrate with other aspects of the curriculum
- ensure that the child is in control
- choose applications that are transparent
- avoid application which contains violence and stereotyping
- be aware of health and safety issues. (2012)
Now, the device used the most in Scottish schools is the iPad. An I agree to an extent that it has these attributes however, when looking at the health and safety of the iPad and avoiding violence and stereotyping, we need to be extremely careful with its use. iPads are not automatically on a safety mode and many don’t have banned websites which could cause harm to the child. When receiving the iPad, schools must ensure that they check that their system blocks out the violence and protects the child from the internet. Also, on the topic of stereotyping, many apps are aimed towards one gender, so schools must ensure that they choose apps which respect all genders and that anyone can use.
In 2012, a few pilot schemes were established within the Scottish councils where teachers were given iPads as well as others receiving a full class set which would be used in class and for some, even at home. Education Secretary Mike Russell said, “I want to drive forward a culture change in Scottish Education” (BBC News, 2012) and I believe that he achieved this as now when you walk into a primary school, you automatically see the use of iPads in all the classrooms around you. The University of Hull did an investigation into the use of the iPads in Scottish education and they found many positives on the subject. The found that it changes the nature of the classroom environment which allows student-centred learning as well as ensuring independence, group work and full class activities. The iPad was also found to be useful for the homework as it provided parents with support and also showed the progress of their child and it generally helped children to complete work within the classroom (2012). I think this study has provided us with more information about the use of these iPads and further makes me feel confident in their use in the primary setting.
David Andrews (2012) highlighted the positives and negatives of iPad use in an education setting. He was able to show that iPads provide ease and speed to the user, they are good for audio and visual purposes, reading is available and of a high standard and they provide the creativity. However, the negatives include the use of adobe flash which is a program which always seems to be faulty, it’s hard to multitask as you aren’t able to open more than 1 project at a time and that word processing can be a difficult task. These are all very good points which I agree with but due to its educational benefits, I still believe that iPads are a great idea for the classroom setting.
This week, we had the chance to explore the book creator app which basically allows the teacher or child to create an interactive text which can benefit language and all other aspects of our curriculum. I had a great time trying to work this app and can say that it was much easier than the previous 2 weeks. The Book Created app has many tools such as audio where you can record sounds to enhance the book as well as text, images, colours etc. We had to create a summary of a popular children’s book and make it interactive for the child using these tools and I have to say, I had a lot of fun with this. I chose the book ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles Andreae which illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Firstly, I wrote down a quick plan of what features I wanted on my pages and how they would be made interactive. This was a good idea as it allowed me to create my book quickly as I didn’t have to use a great deal of time thinking about how I would achieve this. Below are some images of my eBook.
The Final Product:
The Experiences and Outcomes, I believe that are achieved in this eBook experience are:
- ” As I listen or watch, I can identify and discuss the purpose, keywords and main ideas of the text, and use this information for a specific purpose. – LIT 1-04a
- I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn yo disport and enhance my learning in different contexts. – TCH 1-01a
In terms of the Book Creator app, I have to say that I really enjoyed using it and I think it is a brilliant resource to be used within the classroom. Whether its the child creating the book or its the adult creating a book with questions, the possibilities are endless. I think this a great method to recognise digital literacy and how it can be effective and I also think it’s good that it allows the child to have fun while reading especially in terms of independence.
When I looked at The Digital Learning Strategy, I easily identified that the use of mobile devices such as iPads improves the access of technology to all children which is an objective of the Scottish government. I also realised it ensures that digital technology id a central consideration as it can be used in all aspects of our curriculum. The iPads also enhance the use of collaboration within the classroom which promotes the enhancement of teaching and learning as well as engagement and motivation to partake in subjects such as languages (The Scottish Government, 2016). I think iPads are a great resource for schools to have as apps such as Book Creator allow the children to explore their own learning and have all the creativity that they want and I cannot wait to use this while on placement and throughout my future career.
References used within this blog:
Andrews, David. (2012) An Apple for the teacher: are iPads the future in class? [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/aug/13/schools-secondary-schools [Accessed: 6 February 2019]
BBC News. (2012) Education Scotland looks to expand use of tablets computers in schools.[Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-18081005[Accessed: 6 February 2019]
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
Collins. (2019) Definition of ‘e-Book.’[Online] Available: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/e-book [Accessed: 6 February 2019].
Scottish Government. (2016) A Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Government [Online] Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505855.pdf [Accessed: 6 February 2019]
University of Hull. (2012) iPad Scotland Evaluation.[Online] Available at: http://moodle1819.uws.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/39914/mod_resource/content/2/Scotland-iPad-Evaluation.pdf[Accessed: 6 February 2019]
