Category Archives: Digital skills

Playing Around With Animation!

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Tim The Turtle

During an ICT input, we explored the different features of the computer animation programme, Zu3D, and in small groups we created a short animation. We used play dough to create characters and a background setting, used appropriate music to help create the scene and added an introduction and a credits page.

Even as a group of adults, we still had a lot of fun creating this animation so I feel that children in a classroom would feel the same. As well as being fun for children, it would teach them many computer and camera skills such as filming and using a microphone to record sound. It also provides the children with the opportunity to work in groups, developing their teamwork skills. Not only would this activity develop their skills, but would allow the children to use their imagination and get creative while enjoying the class at the same time!

 

Professionalism in the Online World

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What challenges/opportunities may you be faced with when marrying your personal and professional presence online?

When mixing your professional and personal life together in one account, you need to be careful what you post. You need to find the right balance of professional and person and make sure that you are not posting anything that you may regret in years to come.
There are advantages and disadvantages to mixing the two together in an account. By connecting the two, you are able to share your personal views in a more professional environment. An example of this is in blog posts or twitter feeds. This could allow you to connect with other people in a similar profession or meet and share ideas with other professionals, while getting to know the person.
However, you could be exposing more private parts of your life that you do not necessarily want colleagues or future employers to see. For example photos could be posted of you of a night out or comments made that children in your classroom could find. This cause serious conflict with parents or other colleagues and jeopardise your job. By posting both your professional and personal life together, you definitely need to take more precautions in what you are posting. You need to think about the implications that the post could cause and whether it will negatively affect you in the future. Everything you post has a chance of being seen by a future employer or colleague and therefore you want to be making a good first impression.

 

How are the challenges/opportunities afforded by social media framed? How will you frame things – positive or negative viewpoint?

Social media has been scolded for being misused in a classroom. However, blog websites or other social media websites can be used very effectively in a classroom as long as they are used carefully. YouTube can be used as an excellent source to show clips and videos as long as the video has been reviewed by the teacher before use in the classroom. Blog websites can be very helpful for the children to share their learning experience with other schools. It will also teach them basic computing skills such as typing.
I feel it is important to use social media in the classroom, not just for teaching purposes, but to teach children how to use social media properly and safely. Teaching them this in class should hopefully protect them in the online world once they return home where there is not a teacher there to help them.