The Primary 4 and 5 pupils came together to share their learning from their respective topics (Romans and Wallace and Bruce). They decided to create their own battle on the school pitch and planned the battle, made weapons and shields, voted for leaders and wrote speeches for the leaders to say before the battle.
How ICT supported learning and teaching
We used the Flip cameras to film the entrances, speeches and main battle scenes of the battle and we able to zoom in and out of the action, picking up the expressions of the faces of the soldiers. After filming the two classroom teachers uploaded and edited the footage using Imovie 09 and added transitions, captions, music and credits creating a real film for the pupils to watch back and enjoy.
Impact / Conclusion
The pupils thoroughly enjoyed carrying out the tasks invovled in creating the battle and loved using the Flip cameras to pick up the footage of their friends. They found using the camera very easy and would often teach each other about the functions of the buttons and how to zoom etc. When watching back the completed movie the pupils loved seeing themselves and ther friends acting out and were impressed with the transitions and credits. I would have liked to include the pupils in the editing process but they have not had any experience with Imovie 09 yet. This is a project I would definiately recommend to others as the pupils were completely enthused about using the cameras and producing a professional film.
Background
I used the flips cameras with my P2/3 class across a variety of curricular areas to aid peer and self assessment.
Impact on Teaching and Learning
Literacy
The children used the cameras to record each other doing a paired fluency read on the second day of their reading programme. I then played the recordings back on the smartboard and used them to model and discuss how to improve reading and give feedback to their partner concentrating on pace, expression etc. This helped the children have a clearer idea when giving feedback to their partner.
Interdiscplinary Learning
The whole school had been learning about The Far East as an interdisciplinary project. As part of the assessment of this I asked the children to show their understanding by fliming each other talking about what they had learned. This was a good way of assessing the knowledge of the less able children who often struggle with written tasks. Some of these video clips were then used to make a cross school DVD which was shown to children and parents.
PE
The children filmed each other’s gymnastics sequences and then self assessed using the success criteia. They then tried to improve their performance based on their self assessment. The children really enjoyed this and found it was benefical. Quite often they had thought they were bending their knees to land etc. but when they watched it back realised that they weren’t.
Impact/Conclusion
I found the flips really beneficial across the curriculum. I did have some problems, however, playing back the video on some of the computers.
Working with a group of children from p.5-7 on id topic the very important bear as part of the school’s senior area theme, “film, theartre and media studies”. Children had to: decide on group name for film company, create a character, plan and script a short movie for their bear to star in, record their movie and edit adding music and sound effects.
How Ict Supported Learning and Teaching
Children were motivated and worked together to solve problems. The children developed new skills as they used various technological equipment to create movies. they have now been able to transfer the new skills to different activities and demonstrate for others.
Impact / Conclusion
The one problem I found with the flip cameras was that the recordings could be played on all computers within the school but we could only use the images and create movies on one computer. It was suggested to me that the computers have been updated and that the flips could be an older version. I am not very sure if this is the case but it certainly caused a problem for me especially since I had to ensure that all groups completed their movie in time for oscar night.
Flip cameras are fantastic, easy to use and help bring out side experiences into the class.
Following a whole class enterprise discussion in was unanimously agreed that our enterprise this term would be a short WW2 drama. As this was going to be presented to the whole school I suggested to my pupils the possibility of using FLIP cameras during the process, it if fair to say that they were more that interested.
How ICT supported learning and teaching
Self and Peer Assessment: The FLIP cameras provided excellent opportunities for both self and peer assessment. Pupils were able to watch recordings of their performance and provide suggestions as to how they could improve their use of space, voice and facial expression.
Listening and Talking: In small groups pupils worked together to produce a short introduction to the WW2 drama. The use of the FLIP cameras allowed this learning activity to be pupil led with greater pupil responsibility.
Literacy: Using the drama script, pupils recorded weekly fluency lessons.
Impact / conclusion
The opportunity to use FLIP cameras has had a very positive approach on the outcome of this enterprise. The pupils, through self and peer assessment, were able to critique themselves and improve upon their performance. They were highly motivated and developed greater confidence in their abilities. Many staff enquired about the FLIP cameras and as a result our school recently purchased seven cameras, one for each stage.
As a P7 class teacher I had recently been on the Active Literacy course for Narrative Writing. As this involved a new structure to the children’s weekly writing I decided to introduce this via co-operative learning in order to make our initial “leap of faith” more interesting, stimulating and supportive.
How ICT supported Learning and Teaching
Filming, editing and narrating our Co -operative Toolkit video contributed to and enhanced the children’s learning in both a fun and informative manner. Children of all abilities contributed to our video which demonstrates their determination to take risks and support each other in their educational journey towards becoming independent learners. The Flip Camcorders were a great stimulus to allay fears, support and promote active learning whilst simultaneously embracing new technologies.
Impact/ Conclusion
I found our whole experience very rewarding and would certainly use this technology again within my class. The children clearly enjoyed this technology as they were keen to volunteer to become “Roving Reporters” using Flip Camcorders for our recent Kilt for Kids Day. This technology lends itself very well to providing evidence of all the children’s hard work that may otherwise not be evident, and is a great resource to further reinforce and consolidate what the children have learned – we just watch our Toolkit video to remind us!
Background – This year I am teaching a primary 1 class. The children are developing their reading skills and the focus just now is ‘reading with expression’. Included in the class is a child with elective mutism, (undiagnosed), who has never spoken to adults either in her 2 years nursery experience or since starting school.
How ICT supported learning – A group of 7 children were instructed to video each other while reading with a focus on reading for expression. I left the children in the open area while I worked with the remaining groups. On playing back the videos through the Smart board the class watched and talked about the way each was reading. I was then amazed and delighted to hear the child who had not spoken, reading to her partner.
Impact -The FLIP camera has provided a wonderful opportunity for all the children to demonstrate their reading skills and to talk about good reading skills and how to improve theirs. However the greatest impact was concerning the child whom I had never heard speak. Firstly she now knows I am aware she can speak. Moreover I had been very concerned about how I would assess her and this could provide an appropriate medium for assessment. I feel this camera could provide an essential tool to open up the child’s ability to communicate.
