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

Week 9: Visiting school

This week we were fortunate enough to visit a local primary school in Southampton to learn about how they use ICT in the classroom and also how they are adapting to the new computing curriculum with a specific focus on the digital literacy’s aspect, thus allowing application of the theoretical and practical seminars in university into the context of a classroom setting.

From a talk with a year 1 teacher it became evident that the experiences the children have regarding technology are endless, it was discussed how often the children use the iPads and we were shown examples of work that they had created. As an ICT specialist I support the use of technology in all curriculum subjects but I was truly mesmerised by what the children had achieved. When we went on a tour of the school it was clear to see how much technology is available to children at all time. It was interesting to see the radio studio and that all children are able to use it rather than just Year 6 as I witnessed in my SE1 school.  

It was clear from speaking to the year 1 teacher that the staff at Shirley Warren were keen to use children’s ICT abilities in a variety of subjects. This was great to see as previous SE schools have not shared that passion for incorporating different technologies into every day learning. Marsh (2003) suggests that this may be because teachers lack in confidence due to lack of own experience and lack of knowledge, therefore teachers need training in technology in order to implement this into their own lessons.

To further Marsh’s point it has to be said that my own iPad skills are not amazing, and this will be a challenge for me during the time in school. However I was fortunate enough to have experienced iPads when in Estonia but I have not had opportunities to explore these devices independently, but due to having sampled some apps in university and this session in school I feel confident in this selection of applications.

Many of the apps we used in school today I had experienced before especially. However, I hadn't thought of using some (green screen) with younger children in Key Stage 1 due to finding difficulties when I have previously used green screens myself. However verescope (the app we were introduced to) was simpler to use than program I have previously used and I would definitely consider using it throughout further practice.

I really enjoyed this first session in school and am looking forward to working with the children next week to create our own digital books. A personal target I set myself for the second session is to discover what the children already know about the apps we are using.

Marsh, J. (2004) Popular Culture, new media and digital literacy in early childhood. Oxon: Routledge Falmer. 

Week 8: Copyright in Schools

Copyright arises in everyday life; therefore this blog will look at the laws surrounding materials protected by copyright as well as issues that teachers face regarding copyright in schools as well as how this may impact my own future practice.

Copyright is defined by Ross and Kinsley (2007) as the legal protection granted to the creators of a work-piece over a fixed time period. It is important to understand that this copyright law occurs whether the work has been published or not. First introduced in 1709 as a development from common law known as the statue of Anne, this copyright outlines explicit guidelines to follow for the acceptable use of others work (Patterson, 1965).

The copyright law has been developed throughout the years and the current act was released in 1988 (Copyright, 2009). Copyright regulations apply to teachers, pupils and the school as a general organisation, however there a number of permitted acts and exceptions thus making information readily available to teachers and pupils (copyright NEN, 2012).  Since 1988 there has been a large increase in the amount of data available over the internet, although this is a different way to gather readily available materials it is important to understand that this material is still protected under copyright laws (Copyright NEN, 2012). Following this change, Davies (2012) discussed that in October 2003 there were important changes made to the 1988 act relating to the dissemination of copyright material obtained via the internet taking into account the rights of the authors. One of the key amendments made in 2003 was the guideline for teachers to create temporary copies of work found on the internet, this allows teachers to use materials obtained online to share with their class and school where appropriate (Davies, 2012).

To overcome any issues that teachers may face when obtaining information from the internet the ‘fair use’ policy was introduced to allow teachers to access media found online for use within the classroom (Davies, 2012). This policy allows for teachers to use material found online safely without breaking copyright agreements as long as they do not pass this work off as their own, the main reasoning behind these rules is so that children’s learning is not affected by a lacking accessibility to suitable resources to aid learning.

 Throughout education children are required to conduct research using textbooks and online sources, therefore, as well as teachers being aware of copyright they need to ensure that children understand regulations regarding materials protected by copyright in order to protect children from breaking copyright law.

• Copyright (2009) Copyright 2000-2009 UK Copyright Service. Copyright Witness Ltd. [online] available at: www.copyrightservice.co.uk/ukcs/docs/edupack.pdf (Last accessed 26.03.2014)

• Copyrights NEN (2012) Copyrights and wrongs. [online] available at: http://www.copyrightsandwrongs.nen.gov.uk/schools-a-copyright (Last accessed 26.03.2014)

• Davies, G. (2012) General Guidelines on copyright, in Davies, G. (ed.) Information and Communications Technology for Language Teachers (ICT4LT), Slough: Thames Valley University [Online] accessed 9.03.14 at http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_copyright.htm.

• Patterson, L. R. (1965) The Statute of Anne: Copyright Misconstrued, Harvard Journal on Legislation, 3 (1). Harvard Law School: Harvard.

• Your Rights (online) Your Rights; The Liberty Guide to Human Rights. [Online] available at: http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/right-of-free-expression/copyright-and-allied-property-rights/meaning-of-copyright.html (Last accessed: 28.03.2014)

Week 8: Informal blog task - Different Apps for use in school

The 2014 National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) states that through computing children become digitally literate and they are able to express their own ideas through ICT at a suitable level in order to become active participants in a digital world. Following this, during this session we were introduced to a number of applications that are suitable for creating multimodal texts within the primary classroom.

The first app we were introduced to was Book Creator. This app allows children to create their own story books in a quick and simple way by adding text, images, video and audio recordings, with a further opportunity to ‘publish’ any books created to iBooks (Apple 2013).  Bearne (2009) discusses a number of scenarios of children creating multimodal texts in the classroom and discusses the benefits including the teaching of cross-curricular links between English and ICT and providing the children with control over how to display their books, showing an increase in motivation towards writing stories.

When we were first introduced to the idea of creating digital talking books I thought this would be a time consuming tasks, however it was seen in this seminar that digital books can be completed to a high standard in a short period of time and it was interesting to see the different approaches and ideas each groups took, thus showing the great opportunities this app can present for future practice. Due to the features of being able to input audio recordings and videos this app can be adapted for children who may find reading and writing difficult, they can record themselves telling their story, therefore turning their ideas into an audio book. A final point about this useful app is that because the app provides a blank canvas it can be adapted to any age or ability.

Another app that we looked at in this session was puppet pals. I was fortunate enough to attend an interactive boot camp with the university in Estonia during year 2; during this experience we used puppet pals in school with a group of children to explain different landforms. This app is particularly useful for children who may be uncomfortable being filmed as they do not need to be filmed and the audio recording they give can be warped to sound different. A positive of this app is that it is also suitable to use with a number of children as you can add a number of puppets to one project. From my own experience this app is easy to teach with and when used in school the children enjoyed this experience.

After this session I am looking forward to going into school next week and put into practice what we have been learning throughout the module so far, it will be interesting to see how the school uses ICT within learning as my SE3 school had iPads that were not used whilst I was there due to teachers not having experience using and teaching with them.

Apple inc (2013) Book Creator for iPad. [Online] available at: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070?mt=8

Bearne, E. (2009) Multimodality literacy and texts: Developing a discourse. ‘Journal of Early Childhood Literacy’ 9 (2)

Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in England: Computing programmes of study. London: HMSO

Blog 8- Examine the Copyright issues within schools

Part One Formal- Examine the Copyright issues within schools

The copyright law was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1709 known as, the Statute of Anne. This became statutory with the passing of the Copyright Act 1911. The current Copyright Act is, the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 (Patterson, 1965). When someone creates a piece of original work, it automatically becomes copyright. The piece of work does not have to be registered before it is protected, however the creator can also assign the copyright to a third party, such as a publishing business (Davies, 2012). This means that unless the copyright owner gives permission, then you cannot use for use or copy the piece of protected work (Intellectual Property Office, 2010) (Online). It is important that teachers are aware of the Copyright law when using and copying work for lessons.

Copyright laws apply to everyone, therefore, teachers need to be aware that it applies to them, even though they may be using it for educational purposes. Whilst copyright applies to everyone, there are specific concessions and licensing schemes that schools and educational establishments can use in order to stay within the law (Davies, 2012).Teachers can use material for educational purposes however, if the teacher uses the material to make reprographic copies or broadcasts passages from literary, musical or dramatic works then a licence is needed, if they are copying without reprographic methods such as writing it down then a license is not needed. Anything for setting or answering examination questions and performing, showing or playing work within the school does need a license, however if parents are included in the audience then a license will be needed (Intellectual Property Office, 2011) (Online).  

Copyright is a serious and complex process, it is therefore important that teachers and especially as student teachers, we find out what other teachers do when working in schools. It is important to remember that schools are given more of a leeway when using works for educational purposes, therefore it is important to not let copyright stop you from using any other works. It is also important that teachers make children aware of copyright laws, so that they can work safely both within schools and at home. The internet and media can greatly enhance teaching and lessons so as long as the guidelines are followed the law will not be broken.  

Bibliography:

Davies G. (2012) General guidelines on copyright. In Davies G. (ed.) Information and Communications Technology for Language Teachers (ICT4LT), Slough, Thames Valley University [Online]. Available at:http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_copyright.htm [Accessed 25/03/14].

Intellectual Property Office (2011) Copyright: Essential Reading [Online] http://www.ipo.gov.uk/c-essential.pdf.

Intellectual Property Office (2010) [Online] About Copyright http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-about.htm.

Patterson, L. R. (1965) The Statute of Anne: Copyright Misconstrued, Harvard Journal on Legislation, 3 (1). Harvard Law School: Harvard.

Part Two: Informal

During the seminar, you will have trialled
a number of different Apps. Please
reflect on these, selecting one to discuss in
depth, exploring its potential for literacy
learning. Identify any implications of this
session for your future practice, drawing on
any relevant sources.

During the seminar I was introduced to a range of different Apps. I really liked the Big Cat Phonics books, sock puppets and the Winnie the Pooh app. I was really surprised at how many different Apps there are and how even really young children will be able to access them.

I worked in a group to explore Book Creator. As it was pancake day, we created a fact book on Shrove Tuesday. I found the app really easy to use and navigate around, which is child user friendly. The app not only allows you to write text, it also can insert film clips, pictures and sound. This is great as children can create interactive books which are more engaging and exciting to create rather than just using paper. Due to the versatility of the app, it could be used for any subject and any topic, which make it extremely adaptable. The app could also be used by children which would develop their ICT skills, literacy and subject knowledge for the topic they are researching or writing about.  It could also be used by teachers as a starter or plenary which makes it very versatile. One negative about the app is that it has to stay on the iPads, however a positive is that with an adaptor or by using AirDrop the teacher or children can present their work onto a big screen.

I thought Book Creator is a really versatile, fun and different app which could be used by any ability, age or for any subject. I would definitely use it in my practise in the future and think that it has many different uses which children would enjoy to work with. It is a platform in which those children who are less confident with transcribing onto paper, would feel safer due to its interactivity and those children who are more competent, would be able to challenge themselves further. 

Blog 5- Children and advertising

Children are bombard by advertisements wherever they go and increasingly they are permeating into the public and private spaces where children learn and play (Beder, Varney & Gosden, 2009). Advertisements for children are increasing, but television is still the most predominant platform in which they are shown (Gunter, Oates, & Blades, 2005). Advertising to children is a highly topical issue as many are concerned that advertising is exploiting children (Buckingham, 1993).  Young (1986) characterizes the situation as the ‘child-as-innocent and advertiser-as-seducer’ (cited in Buckingham, 1993). Advertisements start to influence children as young as two and children up to five years old cannot distinguish what happens on television from reality (Beder et al. 2009). Dorr (1986) states that children do not become aware of the motivations of advertisers until the age of eight (cited in Buckingham, 1993), however, Young (2010) claims that whilst eight year olds may start to recognize the intentions of advertising, they are still heavily influenced  up until the age of twelve. Therefore children should learn about advertisements in school, as children are especially influenced by them, so it is important that they are shown how adverts can entice and deliberately target specific audiences to help children understand and be able to utilize this knowledge in order to be protected from the intentions of adverts.

Advertisements are causing children to become huge consumers, with $28 billion being spent by children aged twelve or under in the United States during 2000. Adverts are enticing children to possess products, which is leading them to pester their parents to buy on their behalf (Gunter, Oates & Blades, 2005). Advertisements do not only encourage people to buy things they do not even need or want, it is also instilling materialistic values into our society. A concern for children in particular is that advertisements are convincing us that our identity is reflected by what we consume and buy (Buckingham, 1993). Crucially, having beautiful models in advertisements causes huge pressures on young people as they feel they have to conform to certain ideals of beauty which are not achievable (Gunter, Oates & Blades, 2005). Therefore it is important that children are taught about advertisements in school, so that they can start to become protected from the power that adverts can have, and so that children start to realise that their identity is not based on what they consume, but on who they are as a person. It is important that teachers highlight to children that adverts sensationalize products and people so that they are aware that certain products may not make them change into a different person or give them superpowers, in order to protect them false claims.

Bibliography:

Beder, S., Varney, W., & Gosden, R. (2009). This little kiddy went to market: The corporate assault on children. London: Pluto Press.

Buckingham, D. (1993) Children Talking Television: The making of television literacy. London: The Falmer Press.

Gunter, B. Oates, C. & Blades, M. (2005) Advertising to Children on TV New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 

Young, B. (2010) ‘Children and Advertising’. In  Marshall, D. (Ed.)  Understanding children as consumers. London: Sage Publications. 

Week 11 - School Visit

Today I was given the opportunity to revisit a local primary school and work with a group of children to create a talking book. As the school is a rights respecting school, each group focused on one of the rights of the child (UNICEF 1989). As a group, we focused on article 29 which states that children have to right to become the best that they can be.

As an English specialist I found it useful to have planning time as a group to discuss and structure our ideas before meeting the children. This allowed my group to sketch out what we needed to do and work out roughly how much time we had to film and edit. Although we only had a short amount of time to plan, from gaining first-hand experience I can see how teachers need to plan and ensure they have all the resources available before the children begin working in order to save time.

I was surprised at how capable the children were with using the app and Ipad, although they are only in year 1. They were confident and willing to try out different things such as camera angles and the green screen. This allowed me to witness first-hand The Future Lab’s (2010) theory of children being digital natives and having the knowledge and confidence to use technology at an early age. 

I think one of the biggest challenges of the day was the time limit. Although as a group we had planned the morning and the children were confident with the apps we were using, timing was an issue. This has highlighted the need for teachers to allow sufficient time for children to edit their work and discuss what worked and what didn’t at the end of a project. This is something I will consider in my future practice.  

Although there were challenges and surprises throughout the day, I found the experience valuable and enlightening as it allowed me to put the theory we have been learning about into a real life context.

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

United Nations (1989) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Geneva: United Nations.

Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practise (Part 2)

Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practise (Part 2)

 Through working with the children in school on today’s visit, it has been possible to reflect on particular challenges and what I have learnt from working with a group of year one children. A surprise for me was the extent to which the children were accustomed to using Ipads as, on introduction, we asked the children if they had used an Ipad before, all children put their hands up. This showed the extent to which children have become familiar with using technology to support their learning.

 In terms of my own learning, I have learnt how to use apps in order to support literacy through experimenting with a variety of literacy based apps and allowing the children to use them, it was possible to observe the versatility of the apps and the usefulness they posed to this particular group of children. It also became noticeable how the use of multimodal texts could support and facilitate speaking and listening. This was shown through the children’s motivation to take part in videoing and recording audio clips. Although it was not possible to assess progression from the visit as it was the first time we had met the children, it was surprising how the confidence of the children that appeared ‘shy’ to begin with, really enjoyed becoming involved in creating the digital book. Therefore reflecting how digital literacies may be useful in supporting less confident children in developing speaking and listening skills through the motivation of a new type of literacy learning (Burnett, Dickinson, Myers & Merchant 2006).

 Potential challenges from today session were firstly, the ability to allow children more creative control over the project. From discussion with the children, it became clear that the children had excellent ideas, but it was particularly challenging for me to be able to match their ideas to the ICT which was required. This caused me to consider how subject knowledge is crucial in being able to support the teaching of digital literacies through using multimodal texts (Allen, J., Potter, J., Sharp, J., & Turvey, K., 2007) and therefore it is necessary for me to further develop upon my subject knowledge through both reading and experimenting with multimodal texts and Ipads. As well as this, it was necessary to reflect on how future planning for this type of activity requires a great deal of flexibility as well as having resources set up for the children. Allen et al. (2007), states that it is necessary to be familiar with the resource setting in order to appropriately plan and prepare for the use of ICT, this view is shared with Holloway & Valentine (2003) that draw attention to the access to equipment and space. I found this a positive challenge today as we had some excellent opportunities to be resourceful and ‘think on our feet’ as we did not plan for some of the resources we were encouraged to use or the amount of space we would have, It will be useful to consider these features in my future practises in order to be fully prepared.

 

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

 Burnett, C., Dickinson, P., Myers, J., & Merchant, G. (2006). Digital connections: Transforming literacy in the primary school. Cambridge Journal of Education, 36(1), 11-29.

 Holloway & Valentine (2003) cited in Burnett, C., Dickinson, P., Myers, J., & Merchant, G. (2006). Digital connections: Transforming literacy in the primary school. Cambridge Journal of Education, 36(1), 11-29.

Week 8 Informal Blog

During today’s seminar, we were introduced to and explored a range of applications (apps) that can be used within the primary classroom.

One of the apps we were shown on the IPad was ‘Book Creator’. This application allows children to create their own multimodal book by inserting audio clips and pictures.  In terms of my own practice, the application was fairly simple and easy to use and I liked that it automatically creates the book layout for you as this can sometimes be difficult. However when working with children, I would give them plenty of time to explore and try out the application informally before creating a multimodal book.

I feel that the application has a huge potential for literacy learning as it allows children to add text to create their own multimodal story book.  This learning can then be developed as the children have to think carefully about the setting and emotions in the story in order to add in effective sound effects and pictures. As a teacher, an implication of this app would be the need to have prepared and downloaded images for the children to use beforehand in order to avoid copyright issues or long periods of the lesson spent searching for appropriate pictures.  

I feel that I would definitely use this application within a literacy lesson as it engages and motivates children due to the different types of media used. Also, using Ipads will allow children to develop their skills with technology as well as their story writing skills.

Book Creator (Online)
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070?mt=8

Blog 10

Post-school visit informal blog

This week I undertook my second visit to school, where we began working with the children to complete the task of creating a talking book, surrounding a chosen article from the Convection of the right of the children. The article of focus for my group was article twenty nine, which stated; the right for every child to be the best that they can be (UNCRC, 1989). 

Initially, we had a period of planning before being assigned a group of children to work with. This I found valuable, as my group and I had the opportunity to discuss over additional ideas, as well as to plan how we would approach creating each section of our book. We also constructed three assessment targets that we sought to focus upon throughout the morning, including children’s knowledge and ability when using the technology, and in particular what skills they demonstrated and developed in doing so. Although this was extremely valuable for my own understanding of assessment, I was equally aware that the issue of assessment was one that was a continuous process and would require closer consideration and planning, throughout a unit of work or over a school year. As the (Future Lab, 2010) advocates; it is important to consider that fostering digital literacy is an on-going process, and that there is no quick-fix to its development, but instead, it should be a part of a student’s learning as they progress throughout their education.

The second part of the session involved us meeting the children and using the ipads to put together our book. It was clear that although the children were in year one, their confidence and capabilities at using the ipads were very advanced, and this was extremely stimulating to see. In support of this, evidence suggests that young children enter primary education having accrued a range of competencies in relation to digital technologies (Blanchard & Moore, 2010; Marsh et al., 2005), and this is alleged to be due to their development within the current digital generation (FutureLab, 2010). I was equally surprised at how eager the children were to participate throughout the task and to share their own ideas, and also how they worked so effectively as a group. Wheeler et al (2002) asserts that collaborative learning can enhance knowledge acquisition, and, when coupled with the use of digital technologies, can aid a generation of creative thought processes which encourages learners to take risks, make mistakes and think critically as they work together.

While the morning was extremely productive, we faced minor challenges in regards to timing. As Allen et al (2007) states; the issue of time when using ICT to support literacy can be an implication for teachers. However, in reflection of this, it is important to consider that our visit to the school was to provide us with an introductory experience in regards to utilising technology without the classroom and therefore in reality, the time given to teach a unit of work surrounding digital literacy would be considerably longer.

Overall, I found this experience extremely rewarding and beneficial for my development and future practice as a teacher. I look forward to exploring and experimenting with technology when on my final placement and look forward to returning in week 12 to share our talking book with the children and to observe the work of others.  

 

Allen, J., Potter, J., Sharp, J. & Turvey, K. (2007) Primary ICT: Knowledge, Understanding and Practice. Exeter: Learning Matters.

Blanchard, J., & Moore, T. (2010) The Digital World of Young Children: Impact on Emergent Literacy. Pearson foundation White Paper, accessed November 20, 2012: www.pearsonfoundation.org/downloads/EmergentLiteracy-WhitePaper.pdf

FutureLab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum (Sections 3.1-3.4 Digital Literacy in Practice) http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf

Marsh, J. Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. & Wright, K. (2005) Digital Beginnings: Young Children’s use of Popular Culture, Media and New Technologies. University of Sheffield (Section 2.10 p.46; Sections 3.2 & 3.3 p.48/49)  

Wheeler, S., Waite, S. & Bromfield (2002) ‘Promoting creative thinking through the Use of ICT’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 180 (3): 367-78  

United Nations (1989) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Geneva: United Nations.