I explore and experiment with the features and functions of computer technology and I can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts.
TCH 1-04a / TCH 2-04a
In this last term the upper school pupils were coordinating the infant department topic. This was based along a family of bears living in our school.
The use of technology in the Ipod touch allowed us to create small still movies to evidence the learning experiences of the infant children. The children also coordinated comments on the Bear Hunt Blog.
The impact on using this technology allowed the children to discuss and reflect on the lesson experience as well as utilise and enhance their own abilities using the hardware. The technology also allowed the children to work cooperatively developing their communication skills.
In term 4 Primary 5 at Chapelside Primary School in Airdrie had the opportunity to borrow a set of 10 Dsi’s. The children were extremely excited about this familiar piece of equipment in their classroom. Only a few of the children had never used a DSi so initial instuctions in the use of the equipment was very quick and the more experienced users in the class were able to support the novices in getting to grips with this.
The children used the DSi during their everyday numeracy sessions in class. The children were shocked to discover that they were working with a brain age on average of 80 years old.
They were very keen to improve on this and an element of competition in doing so kept the children engaged as they battled to improve their own and at the same time beat their classmates ‘brain age’.
The main aim of using the DSi in our primary 5 classroom was to support the children in developing mental agility in order to assist and improve their work in numeracy. The nature of the games in the brain training programme helped the children to do this. This was esepecially evident during quick fire multiplication, addition or subtraction games used in whole class or group situations. I was very pleased to see that many of the children were answering the questions quicker and with more ease and believe this is linked to the use of the games in the brain training programme.
I would highly reccommend the use of DSis in the classroom in order to support and develop mental agility and to engage the children’s interest through the use of technology in the classroom.
