Week 12 - reflection on module

In this final blog post I aim to discuss how my learning has been developed and any implications I may face in my future career. From the start of these blog posts I have shown my support for the use of ICT throughout cross-curricular learning, and even though my opinion remains very similar, whilst attendi9ng seminars and visiting a local primary school to place our learning into context I have developed the ways in which I see how ICT can be incorporated in the classroom.

The first key implication for my own future practice as an ICT subject leader is how I will constantly need to develop my own teaching and knowledge in order to successfully teach the ‘digital natives’ that I shall be teaching (Bearne and Wolstencroft, 2007, Prensky, 2001 and Palfrey and Gasser, 2008). Beauchamp (2012) supports this idea by suggesting that ICT has become a regular tool in the Primary classroom and teachers need to be ready to adapt their teaching pedagogy and learn new ICT skills regularly. This idea of digital natives is furthered by Dean (2010) who states that virtually every four-year old enters the classroom with a secure knowledge of moving picture and that children are interested in technology and majority have seen and used a range of technology such as a phones, iPads, laptops or cameras by the time they start school.

When on previous school experiences I have always tried to incorporate ICT into my lessons and always express an enjoyment in using technology for cross-curricular studies. However Marsh et al (2005) discusses how a large number of teachers are wary of using ICT in their lessons due to a lack of training. From speaking to a few members of our cohort who have not had the opportunity to participate in this module this is a common feel as they feel they have not had the experience to learn how to use technology effectively in the classroom, and I feel this is an implication for future teachers.  

On the flipside of this point, I noted in my first blog that the English aspect of this module would be a struggle for me as this is an area of my studies that I have often struggled with, however from participating in seminars and discovering ways to teach Literacy I feel my confidence has grown.

I feel this module has been beneficial in preparing me for the role of ICT subject leader in the future as a number of issues that often arise in the primary classroom have been addressed and discussed, and the idea that copyright and e-safety have re-appeared this year show just how important they are in the primary classroom.  From carrying out this module I understand that there is still place in the primary classroom for traditional approaches to literacy however I believe there is a strong foundation for the development of modern technological approaches, especially with the vast number of apps available from the apple store to help every area of literacy development (Apple inc. 2013).

When the new computing curriculum for 2014 was released (DfE, 2013) I was wary as to why such big changes had been made to the old ICT curriculum, but from experiencing the teaching of computing during SE3 and experience digital literacies in school at Shirley Warren I can see that the new National Curriculum is beneficial for the developing digital age.  

Futurelab (2010) state that subject learning needs to be relevant to the digital experiences children are having outside of the classroom, taking this idea into account this will help to develop my future role as an ICT subject leader as I will have to consider the possible benefits and implications of using a vast range of technologies in the classroom (Kennewall, Parkinson and Tanner, 2002)

 

 

Apple Inc (2013) ‘Apps in the Classroom: Using iOS Apps for Teaching and Learning’[ONLINE] Available: http://images.apple.com/education/docs/L523172A_EDU_App_Guide_062013.pdf

Bearne, E & Wolstencroft, H. (2007). Visual Approaches to Teaching Writing London: Paul Chapman

Beauchamp, G (2012) ICT in the Primary School, From Pedagogy to Practise. Essex: Pearsons Education Ltd

Futurelab (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum, Futurelab, Available at http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.

Kennewell, S., Parkinson, J., and Tanner, H. (2002) Developing the ICT Capable School. London: Routledge.

Marsh, J., Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S. and Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies. Sheffield: Literacy Research Centre

       Palfrey, J. and Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: understanding the first generation of digital natives. Basics Books. New York

Prensky, M. (2001) ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Really Think Differently?’ in On the Horizon 9 (6)

Blog 12

        Evaluation of module

My experience of this module has been one of great enjoyment, interest and development and has provided me with considerable knowledge and understanding surrounding the teaching of ICT, as well as to support me in further developing my subject knowledge and pedagogy, surrounding my subject specialism of English.

Initially, my first blog entry expressed anxieties surrounding the effective exploration and employment of new technologies within the classroom, and reflected my lack of confidence and uncertainty in regards to incorporating technology to support, and develop children’s English and ICT competencies further.

Wheeler (2001) acknowledges; teachers often need to change their teaching styles or repurpose their methods to integrate technology. It is believed that teachers need training and professional development in using technologies in order to understand the effective use of technology to support teaching and learning aims (Higgins, Xiao and Katsipataki, 2012; Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts and Wright, 2005) and in which to inform planning of a stimulating and engaging curriculum.

Moreover, this module has allowed me to acknowledge and appreciate the rapid changes within society and this has enabled me to reflect upon my own developing role as a teacher within education today, and equally has supported me in understanding the experiences and capabilities of the children that I will teach in the future. I feel that I have developed a secure awareness of the need to provide children of today with challenging learning opportunities and contexts in which to push and build upon the capabilities and skills they already possess and I now feel that I have the confident in which to take risks and to explore technology from diverse and critical stances in which to develop all pupils. As (Futurelab, 2010) reiterate; the use of digital literacy specifically gives young people the ability to take advantage of the wealth of new and emerging opportunities associated with digital technologies whilst also remaining alert to the various challenges technology can present.   

In particular I have been exposed to new forms of Literacy which include the use of the visual to develop reading, writing and speaking and listening skills. As Jewitt & Kress (2003) asserts; there has been a perceptible shift from traditional logic of the page to much more visual logic of the screen and, that as a result, reading and writing has become subordinated to image. From developing this understanding i will be much more aware of the need to incorporate the visual throughout my own teaching as well as to be more conscious of the ways in which children today learn and interpret new texts and well as how they can develop their learning by. More specifically, i look forward to exploring the impact of technology further throughout my dissertation and hope to draw upon my knowledge build throughout this module to support me in ensuring that the effects of technology and digital literacy are embraced and explored fully, in which to support children’s literacy development. 

Specifically, i have secured an awareness of the broad and diverse range of technology that children are exposed and have access to, and this I also feel has developed my awareness for my role as the teacher in ensuring children are educated and clear about the importance of safety.

Overall, I feel that this module has set me up for both the rewarding and challenging realities of teaching in the 21st century and has enabled me to reflect upon the implications that this poses upon my future development and practice as a primary school teacher, teaching in a greatly dominated technological society. In conclusion, it is recognised that teachers hold the key future developments and that without their commitment to ICT use; many of the opportunities to innovate and even transform education and learning will be lost (John & Wheeler, 2008) and therefore this commitment will be at the full front of my role as a valuable teacher of the future.

 

Future Lab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: (Sections 3.5 – 3.6 Digital Literacy in Practice)

Higgins, S., Xiao, Z., and Katsipataki, M. (2012) The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A Summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Durham University: Education Endowment Foundation

Jewitt, C. & Kress, G. (2008) Multimodal Literacy. New York: Peter Lang

John, P.D. & Wheeler, S. (2008) The Digital Classroom: Harnessing Technology for the Future. Oxon: Routledge

Marsh, J., Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S. and Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies. Sheffield: Literacy Research Centre.

Wheeler, S. (2001) ‘Information and Communication Technologies and the Changing Role of the Teacher’, Journal of Educational Media, 26 (1):7-18

 

 

Blog 12- Reflection of my own learning throughout this module

In my first blog I identified that whilst I use technology in everyday life, I have limited knowledge of new technologies and how I can use them in the classroom. I have not had much experience of using technology on previous placements and have even felt discouraged and scared to introduce the use due to the schools and my teacher tutors inexperience of using and having new technologies. Reflecting back to the start of this module I would now view myself as a being more like a digital immigrant due to my inexperience of using an iPad and my lack of knowledge about how to teach and incorporate new technologies within different lessons. However, I feel that I have learnt a lot throughout this module and due to the seminars and the experience of working with the children at the Primary School, I would now consider myself to be a digital native and cannot wait for school placement in order to try out all the different technologies and ideas that I have learnt (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008).

This module has highlighted how beneficial introducing and using technology can be within the primary school classroom. Prensky (2001) suggests that today’s digitally born natives crave interactivity which today’s schooling is lacking in. Technology can provide children with experiences in which they are engaged and inquisitive (McDougall, 2006). Technology not only engages pupils, it is also important that teachers embrace multi-modal texts and multi-literacies as it is becoming a key part of our curriculum. Teachers need to prepare children so that they can become digitally literate and will leave school prepared for working in our digital society (DfE, 2013).

It is also evident that popular culture and comic and graphic novels also have an exciting and important place within our primary schools. Teachers should use and value popular culture as it captures the interests of children (Marsh and Millard, 2000 cited in Lambirth, 2003).  Comic and graphic novels provide opportunities for learning as they enhance and encourage reading (Learning and Teaching Scotland, undated). This is important for those children who are less enthusiastic at reading as it can support and engage them whilst also challenging the stronger readers (Dean, 2010).  Stafford (2009) makes an important point that whilst technology and new literacies can be fun, it is important to monitor their content so that they are age appropriate.

This module has not only given me more confidence it has also shown me how valuable using these new technologies can be for both the pupils and the teacher. FutureLab (2010) demonstrates that Web. 2 technologies not only provide children with exciting learning opportunities, they also provide support and tips for teachers. Both the seminars and visits to the Primary school have provided me with lots of exciting ideas, apps and experiences that I will be using in my future practise.  Halsey (2007) claims that Web. 2 technologies can foster an enthusiasm for learning which I have experienced first-hand throughout this module. During the practical sessions I not only learnt new skills, I have also enjoyed engaging with the technologies and it was evident in today’s school visit that the children also enjoyed engaging and creating the talk book. Whilst there is a place for traditional methods of teaching, new literacies and technologies can engage children and create memorable experiences.  This module has provided me with the knowledge and tools to incorporate ICT into all areas of the curriculum and has provided me with the confidence to make all subjects interactive and fun.

Bibliography:

Dean, G. ‘Rethinking Literacy’ in Bazalgette, C. (ed) (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms. London: Sage.

Department for Education (DfE) (2013) Computing programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2. [Online] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239033/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Computing.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/14).

FutureLab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum [Online] http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf (Accessed: 01/04/14).

Halsey, S. (2007) ‘Embracing emergent technologies and envisioning new ways of using them for literacy learning in the primary classroom’ English Teaching; Practice and Critique 6 (2) pp 99-107.

Lambirth, A. (2003) ‘”They get enough of that at home”: Understanding aversion to popular cultures in schools’ Reading 37(1) pp.9-13

Learning and Teaching Scotland (undated) Graphic Novels in the Curriculum [Online] http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/g/graphicnovels/intro.asp (Accessed: 31/01/14).

McDougall, S. (2006) One tablet or two? Opportunities for change in educational provision in the next 20 years. Futurelab:
http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/discussion_papers/One_tablet.

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives New York: Basic Books.

Prensky, M. (2001) ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Really Think Differently?’ in On the Horizon 9 (6).

Stafford, T (2009) ‘Teaching Comics’ in Duncan, D. (2009) Teaching Children’s Literature: Making stories work in the classroom. Abingdon: Routledge.

week 10 and 11- observations and reflections from school visit

After working with children in school, share your observations and reflections. What surprises you? What were the challenges and how might you overcome these? What have you learnt? Make links to relevant readings.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the children on our second visit to the school. I was working with two other adults and five children. We had decided to pick Article 29: Every child has the right to be the best that they can be (UNICEF, 1989). Before the session, we had decided to work with a superman theme, however, we had decided to let the children come up with some of the ideas in order to have some ownership. Although initially some of the children were more reserved, I was surprised at how comfortable they felt to work with us and how keen they were to get involved. The children were also already used to some of the apps that we worked with. I was not surprised by this as Ofcom (2012) highlights how today’s children are using more and more technology each day.  

Our group had an EAL child who did not speak much English however, I was extremely impressed when she volunteered to be a broadcaster for one of our film clips. This showed me how working with technology in fun ways can help children to feel relaxed and enthused to get involved. This is supported by Lambirth (2003) identifies that using popular, media and consumer texts that children are interested in enhances learning and motivation in children.

One of the challenges that we faced as a group is the amount of time that we were given to create our project. Ideally we would have liked to give the children more ownership and more time to explore the technology and editing process. When we were editing our book, the children had to go off to lunch, which meant they did not get the chance to finish the whole project, therefore we had to make the final decisions to our pages. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions I felt that the children did not have as rich an experience of using the technology as I would have liked them to. I would overcome this challenge by doing the project over a period of time, rather than in a day. This would enable the children to take ownership during all parts of the process and would enable them to gain different skills both within ICT and literacy.

I found it really useful working with the children as I was able to put some of the theory that I have learned on this module and during the first visit to the schools and put into practise. Whilst I was initially worried about working with the children due to a lack in confidence with using the technology, I found the experience fun and invaluable as I was also about to practise some of the new skills that I have been introduced to.

Bibliography:

Lambirth, A. (2003) ‘”They get enough of that at home”: Understanding aversion to popular cultures in schools’ Reading 37(1) pp.9-13.

Ofcom (2012) Children and Parents: Media use and attitudes report. Ofcom.

UNICEF (1989) The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, London: UNICEF UK.  

Formal Blog Task: Media, Language and Multiliteracies and Technology (FINAL BLOG POST)

Throughout this module, it has been increasingly valuable to learn about the variety of technologies that can be used in the classroom to enhance the learning of literacy. Before this module I was unaware of the importance of bringing new technologies into the classroom, however from challenging my own perceptions and engaging with both readings, seminars and the information given by experienced teachers, the invaluable skills that children can develop from new technology has become clear. The question of whether children can learn specific ICT skills as well as significantly further their literacy attainment without the use of new technology and multiliteracies, has been thought provoking and inspired me to question how I can support my future class.

 

On reflection, the ability to safely and effectively use technology in everyday life is becoming a necessity that many children are already exposed to (Byron, 2008). This was clear when working with children on a multimodal project. With this in mind, it is possible that from limiting the use of new technologies within the classroom, children are not being prepared for the future. Therefore evaluating the use of popular culture in the classroom was significant as it was demonstrated as a way to motivate children’s enjoyment of literacy lessons and have an increasingly positive effect on the learning environment (Hannafin & Land, 1997). I have now learnt the relevance of new literacies and technology in primary teaching in terms of the variety of unconventional resources that can be used within the classroom such as multimodal texts, graphic novels and comics. Despite this, I am also aware of the complex debates into the use of alternative literacies. A main argument that I have drawn on when considering the use of new technologies and alternative resources within the classroom is that of Merchant (2007), whom questions their use before the introduction of conventional texts, as an English specialist, it has been interesting to evaluate the age to which new technologies are used in the primary school. This module has reflected the learning support that can be achieved from embracing new technologies to develop language skills, this knowledge will be useful for the role of an English subject leader in planning.

 

The opportunity within this module to visit a highly resourced school that embraces new technologies within their teaching of literacy, demonstrated the learning opportunities available via Ipads and Apps*. This has challenged my thinking of the capabilities of key stage one children as well as providing ideas for my future practise as a subject leader as my expectations of the children did not match their capabilities. To further this point, I now am aware of the importance of understanding the children’s capabilities and value the use of assessment opportunities within both ICT and literacy. The opportunity to assess a child was presented to us, which was useful in learning how to successfully plan for next steps which is crucial in the learning development of the child(Allen, J., Potter, J., Sharp, J. & Turvey, K. 2007). As a result of this, I now feel confident in both teaching children about how to use new technologies as well as giving children objectives when creating multimodal texts which will further their learning. This has also been possible from the teaching of new technologies to support literacy that has been modelled in seminars.


* Apps used- Telligami, Bookcreator, iMovie, Icananimate, CollinsBigCat

 

 Allen, J., Potter, J., Sharp, J. & Turvey, K. (2007). Primary ICT: knowledge, understanding and practice. Exeter: Learning Matter Ltd.

 

Byron, T. (2008). Safer children in a digital world: the report of the Byron Review: be safe, be aware, have fun. [Online] Available at http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/7332/1/Final%20Report%20Bookmarked.pdf. [Accessed 06/03/2014].

 

Hannafin & Land (1997) cited in Hermans, R., Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., & Valcke, M. (2008). The impact of primary school teachers’ educational beliefs on the classroom use of computers. Computers & Education, 51(4), 1499-1509.

 

Merchant, G., (2007) 'Writing the Future in the Digital Age' Literacy, 41(3), pp. 118-128

 

Week 12 Reflection Blog

Dean (2010) suggests that the definition of being literate has changed dramatically within the primary curriculum. Previously it was argued that children should be taught to read and write purely through traditional ways however children in today’s society need to be taught a variety of skills to become literate. The Future Lab (2010) argues that teachers need to enable children to become digitally literate in order to succeed in the ever changing technological world we live in. They define digital literacy as being able to communicate and represent information in different contexts and for different audiences. Therefore many schools are encouraging the use of ICT within all subject areas, with strong links being made between English and ICT.  Before beginning this module I had not had any experience of using ICT and English together therefore I was unsure how they could be combined to benefit children within the primary classroom. Throughout the module I have explored and used a variety of applications (apps) and multimodal texts such as talking books and comic strips. This has allowed me to see the clear links between traditional literacy approaches and new technology as well as enabling me to understand how I could use them within a school setting.

Beauchamp (2012) acknowledges that advances in technology can lead to a situation where teachers need to learn new skills and feel confident in their ability to share these skills with children. As an English specialist I had concerns about my own confidence with using technology and my own ICT subject knowledge when working with children. This module has provided me with opportunities to gain first-hand experience of using technology with children in the primary classroom and therefore I feel much more confident in my own ability. Burnett, Dickinson, Myers and Merchant (2006) recognise that many teachers face difficulties with integrating ICT into the curriculum however working with the local primary school has allowed me to gain an insight into how to plan and assess for ICT as well as how to integrate it throughout the curriculum effectively.  

Ofsted (2010) states that schools should be educating children about online safety in order to allow them to become informed and responsible users of the internet and new technologies such as apps. It could be suggested that teachers lack confidence and subject knowledge surrounding online safety and therefore do not feel comfortable using technology regularly within the classroom. Through using technology and exploring the issues surrounding it as well as researching e-safety for a previous blog, I feel that I am confident in my ability to educate children about the safe use of technology and would feel comfortable using it as a teacher.

I feel that this module has broadened my view of what it is to be an English subject leader within a primary school. It has allowed me to identify the need for children to be digitally literate and how, as a teacher I can help children to achieve this through the combination of traditional and modern literacy approaches combined with ICT. It has also allowed me to gain confidence in my subject knowledge and it has highlighted the importance of educating children about E-safety and my role in keeping them safe online.

Beauchamp, G (2012) ICT in the Primary School From Pedagogy to Practice, Pearson Education Limited

Burnett, Dickinson, Myers and Merchant (2006) Digital connections: transforming literacy in the primary school, Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 36, No. 1, March 2006, pp. 11-29

Dean, G. ‘Rethinking Literacy’ in Bazalgette, C. (ed) (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms London:Sage

FutureLab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: (Sections 3.1 – 3.4 Digital Literacy in Practice)

Ofsted (2010) (Online) The safe use of new technologies
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/safe-use-of-new-technologies

 

 

Week 10 - visiting school

This week we were able to go back to a local primary school in order to create digital books with the year 1 class to teach about children’s rights. The right in which our group focused on was Article 15: Every child has the right to meet with other children and join groups and organisations (UNICEF, online). Whilst planning before we met our group we discussed assessment criteria that we wished the children to meet before the end of their session, including understanding and being able to explain their right and to use the iPads to create their own digital book.

It was difficult to set targets when we did not know the children in our group, we had not met them and we did not know their previous experiences, therefore in future practice I will personalise targets to each child/small group in order to ensure they are receiving the most out of the given task.

When we were first told we would be working with year 1 children I shamefully thought this would be a lot harder due to the children being of such a young age, but upon meeting them this soon changed, the children were confident in the basic features of iPads and were able to navigate between the apps effectively. Prensky (2001) explains the reasoning for this because children are born as digital natives meaning the children will probably have used iPads or similar smart technology before entering school, which was verified by the class teacher in the first visit. Following this information it was clear that all of the children were digital natives with a sound understanding of technology (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008).

The children really engaged with creating the ‘book’ and by the end of the session all were confident to film and be filmed/voice recorded whereas at the beginning of the session a few of the children are in our group were cautious to be filmed/recorded. Children were initially shy to share their ideas but within five minutes these hesitations almost disappeared as they were able to submerge themselves in the task and ‘take control’ of their work.

When we first discussed the task with the Children they were unsure of some of the apps and how to use them but were very keen to take part and learn and offering valuable contributions to the task. And following the earlier concerns about not knowing the children’s capabilities, from working with a small group I found it was easy to assess what the children knew and understood as we carried out the task, thus allowing me to appropriately guide the children were required.

Time management was a key issue today, the children were late which meant we had less time to film and edit, which meant we had to work as quickly as possible.  Considering the children coped well and were full of ideas about what they could do.

By the end of the session all children in our group could tell us about the right we focused on and why it was important, with all children meeting the criteria we had discussed at the beginning. If I was to carry out a similar task with my own class I would allow sufficient time for planning, filming and editing individually to ensure all children created projects they were happy with

I really enjoyed this experience in school and can see how simple it can be to create similar projects; I am really looking forward to seeing the final project in week 12 and seeing the different approaches each group took.

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008). Born digital : understanding the first generation of digital natives. New York : Basic Books

Prensky, M. (2001) ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part  II: Do They Really Think Differently?’ in On the Horizon 9 (6)

UNICEF (2012) Children’s rights. [online] available at: https://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/betterlifeleaflet2012_press.pdf