Today being our first lesson in our new Digital Technology module we were introduced to a lot of new information including the Scottish Government’s approach to Digital Technology in our educational establishments, the positives and some negatives of their approach. Alongside this we looked at what is being done by both the Scottish Government and our local authorities to ensure we are using digital technology effectively in order to enhance and enrich our education system. As well as discovering the Scottish Government’s aims in regards to Digital Technology we also reflected upon our own areas of strengths in Digital Technology and areas for improvement so as we are aware of our own strengths and at the end of the module we can look back on this and, as most of the areas I felt I had little to no knowledge/experience of, hopefully see all of the improvements we have made and knowledge we have gained throughout the module!
After being introduced to the module and how it would run we were asked to discuss with each other a term to describe what digital technology is. After bringing our ideas together as a class we learned that within National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy the term digital technology is used to describe digital applications, services and resources which are used to: find, analyse, create, communicate and use information in a digital context (Scottish Government, 2016, Annex A).
We looked in depth into the National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy (2016), the vision of which is to raise attainment and achieve equity, in particular by closing the poverty related attainment gap. Digital Technology plays a crucial part in achieving this vision as, if used effectively and appropriately it can enrich every area of the curriculum. The emphasis I found upon further reading in this area is on using digital technology effectively and teachers understanding how to properly use the technology in order to enhance their lesson. During my time reading the National Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy I found it extremely interesting and encouraging that childcare professionals are attending training courses to assist them with their own digital technology skills so they are comfortable, confident and enthusiastic and they can then transfer these feelings onto the children and get the best out of the use of digital technology in the classroom (Scottish Government, 2016).
If used correctly digital technology allows teachers and students access to an almost endless number of resources, materials and information as well as a plethora of engaging opportunities for the learners. The use of digital technology is especially important for those children who are struggling to engage. During my time on placement a child really struggled to engage during maths lessons however he loved playing a competitive times tables game on the computer. During my short time there I saw how much this use of digital technologies improved not only his times tables but his confidence in his own mathematic abilities. Education Scotland state that by placing “digital technology at the heart of learning” it could help to achieve their aim of raising attainment and closing the poverty related attainment gap (Scottish Government, 2015).
Many of the reasons above are why I chose the digital technology module. Digital technology can bring so much to the classroom environment and most importantly to the learners and I want to ensure I am both competent and confident enough in my own abilities in order to use this effectively in the classroom. I am looking forward to improving my own confidence as well as learning and creating lots of exciting and innovative ways in which I can use digital technology out in schools and classrooms.
References
Scottish Government (2016) Digital Learning and Teaching, Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/ICTinLearning [Accessed: 15th January 2017.]
Scottish Government (2015) Literature Review on the Impact of Digital Technology on Learning and Teaching, Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/11/7786/2 [Accessed: 15th January 2017.]
