The use of comics within the primary literacy curriculum

Comics and graphic novels are just one type of multi-modal text that children interact with and enjoy, however they are seen as the most controversial. Many teachers and parents feel uncomfortable about the use of these texts in the primary classroom due to their content, for example showing violence or provocative images. Millard and Marsh (2001) develop this further by suggesting that some people have called for comics to be banned all together. Stafford (2009) recognises that in order to successfully use a comic within the primary classroom, teachers need to check how suitable and appropriate they are for the age group of the class. However if monitored correctly to ensure only appropriate material from the comics and graphic novels is shown, the texts can be an excellent resource to use. For example, a teacher may use comics to encourage reluctant readers and engage with their interests. There are also many ways in which comics and graphic novels can help to encourage the exploration of technology, such as creating a class comic or adapting a well-known graphic novel. The Times Educational Supplement (Online) suggests that as well as encouraging readers and developing children’s technological skills, comics help to improve their visual literacy, which is seen as a valuable skill in today’s digital society. They provide a learning opportunity to develop children’s comprehension skills as they have to use both the text and the picture to read for meaning.
Using comics and graphic novels alongside traditional reading material within the primary literacy curriculum will enable children to have a broad and balanced curriculum.

One of the main issues with using comics and graphic novels, is that some teachers do not see the potential and opportunities that these texts provide. Marsh and Millard (2000) recognise that teachers are seen as gatekeepers within the school and children value their opinions. Therefore if a teacher does not encourage children to read and explore different genres of text, for example comics, children may not feel comfortable reading these at school and sharing their interest in them. I have seen an example of a teacher encouraging children to read a variety of genres during quiet reading time by providing the children with a range of books, magazines and comics to choose from.
Marsh and Millard (2001) acknowledge that one of the reasons for teachers not valuing comics and graphic novels could be because they themselves were made to read more traditional texts during their time at school and therefore have little experience of the genre. It could be suggested that teachers need to take the time to explore and consider how comics and graphic novels can be used in their classroom to provide excellent opportunities for learning.

Millard and Marsh (2000) Literacy and Popular Culture, Using Children’s Culture in the Classroom, SAGE

Millard and Marsh (2001) 'Sending Minnie the Minx Home: comics and reading choices' Cambridge Journal of Education, 31:1, 25 - 38 (pdf)

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

Times Educational Supplement (2008) (Online) Available at:
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=2559546

Comic resources as posted by Luke

www.themangabible.com/‎

A manga adaptation of the bible. Reads a little odd sometimes as it was translated from English, to Japanese, to English again. But it's pretty... and DRAMATIC.

http://kingstonecomics.com/kingstone-bible

Traditional western-style comic adaptation of the bible. Excellent for boys, but this style generally doesn't appeal so much to girls. However, the stories will be much more accurate than the manga bible.

https://www.facebook.com/theactionbible

Probably a happy medium. Also has a few awesome hooks on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKvr3S9NSzU.

http://www.vimanikacomics.com/

Another really cool one for Hinduism.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/g/graphicnovels/recommendednovels.asp?strReferringChannel=resources&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-621334-64

Link to some recommended graphic novels for the classroom, including adaptations of classic novels and playscripts.

CREATE YOUR OWN MARVEL COMIC, CLICK BELOW

Fun with comics

 

 

I enjoyed using Comic Life in todays seminar. This was the first time I had used this  programme and I can see a number of benefits it would have in the classroom.

 

Does the use of comics and graphic novels (hard copy/electronic versions) within the primary literacy curriculum undermine the values of the classroom or do they offer opportunities for learning?

The use of graphic novels and comics do not necessarily undermine the values of the primary classroom, instead QCA (2005) state that they can enhance learning opportunities allowing for children to expand their knowledge of multimodal literacy as stated in the English National Curriculum that children need to use a range of texts included non-fiction and non-literacy (DfE, 1999).

When children enter the classroom they bring with them a wide range of text experience which they apply to their work (QCA, 2005). Graphical novels and comics are some of the texts that children will have experiences with. A graphical novel has a narrative that is conveyed through a combination of text and art, usually displayed as a comic strip but with a lengthier and more complex story line whereas a comic is a short sequential story (Learning and Teaching Scotland, online).               

Dean (2010) suggested that using graphic novels and comics within the classroom can be a popular way to engage boys in reading. Millard and Marsh (2001) support this statement through mentioning that reading behaviour in boys is often a cause for concern, therefore using comics within the classroom can help to engage them in activities. With comics being aimed at boys, this can cause a divide within the class as girls may not feel comfortable with reading material provided, however Booktrust (online) discuss that over the past few years graphic novels and comics have been created for girls, to ‘extend story boundaries’.

One of the issues that have surfaced through research is that many teachers have shown a reluctance to use comics and graphic novels in the classroom as they are controversial and do not follow the same structure as a standard book (Learning and Teaching Scotland, online). However, Marsh and Millard (2001) discovered that when children are exposed to these forms of text they were motivated to read and when given time to explore and share comics they can be seen as a valuable reading and learning source (QCA, 2005).

As with any other resource used within the classroom, teachers need to ensure the content within comics and graphical novels is appropriate for the age of the class (Stafford, 2011).  Stafford (2011) also discussed that many teachers assume that superhero comics such at Superman and Batman will be suitable for use within the primary classroom, although this is not always the case as most of these comics are aimed at older children. Bookstrust (online) state that it is important that children use a variety of comics not just superheroes so that they learn that any story can be converted into a comic.

Millard and Marsh (2001) conducted a study looking into parents reactions when comics were introduced as home reads. Most children reported that parents were happy with them bringing comics home, with one parent stating; ‘it’s better to read anything than nothing at all…to me, reading is reading.’ Although this is not fully supportive of the use of graphical novels and comics, this parent is supporting reading choices made by the child and encouraging a good reading attitude.

To conclude, there are a number of arguments for and against the use of graphic novels and comics in the classroom, but most importantly children should be exposed to a variety of text types ensuring that each type is treated seriously and as a valuable learning tool.

Booktrust [online] Extending story boundaries. Available at: http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books/teenagers/graphic-novels/grahic-novels-extending-story-boundaries/

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

DfE (1999) Primary National Curriculum [online] available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198874/english/ks2/en2

Learning and Teaching Scotland: Graphic Novels in the Curriculum [Online] http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/g/graphicnovels/intro.asp

Millard, E. & Marsh (2001) ‘Sending Minnie the Minx Home: Comics and Reading Choices’ in Cambridge Journal of Education; Vol 31 (1); pp. 25-38. [pdf]

QCA/UKLA (2005) More than words 2: Creating Stories on page and screen. London: QCA

Stafford, T. (2011) Teaching Visual Literacy in the Primary Classroom. Oxon: David Fulton

 

 

 

 

Comic Life

This is my first attempt at using comic life. I enjoyed exploring the different tools however I found it difficult to make the comic, particularly combining two pictures in one box.
I think this would be a fantastic piece of software to use in school but it would need to be used over a period of lessons as it is quite time consuming.

Little Red Riding Hood comic

Week 2 blog: response from survey

Explore the outcomes of your parental/student teacher survey. Did any responses surprise or challenge you? What might be the subsequent implications for your future practice? Make links to the in-session discussion and to any relevant readings.

There have been many debates over the past few decades as to whether popular culture should be used in the primary classroom. From conducting my survey on a family member who has been teaching for 30+years and a fellow student teacher I have received a positive response toward the increased use of popular culture with few disadvantages discussed.

The teacher surveyed mentioned that during her lessons she likes to incorporate ideas that the children are interested in and although 10 years ago she may have lacked confidence in the benefits of using popular culture in learning, these attitudes have changed over recent years.  Marsh and Millard (2000) suggest that using popular culture can ‘capture’ the interests of children, however, as discussed in last weeks seminar if we are to overuse children’s interests from outside of the classroom children may become uninterested and ‘switched off’ (Lambirth, 2003)

On the other hand, the student teacher surveyed mentioned a low level of confidence when using popular culture as they feel they lack experience and are unsure of how they will be judged by teachers if they take the risks of using unknown resources. Harrett and Benjamin (2009) discovered that there is a general lack of confidence among young teachers in trying different media resources. Questioning whether young teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use media effectively across the curriculum. Therefore student teachers should be educated in the effective use of media and the possible benefits it can provide. 

Marsh (2000) states that using popular culture in the classroom can be motivating for many children and can offer them the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise in the classroom, allowing them to experiment with ideas (Harrett and Benjamin, 2009). On SE2, my class topic was superheroes; throughout this topic the class used comics and videos as a stimulus for creative writing. They were engaged in these tasks and often looked forward to writing, including those who felt they were not very good in English.

One of the problems teachers face in the 21^st century is that we live in a life that may change radically in the next few years for which we have no blueprint (Robinson, 2006) following this, one of the disadvantages that arose from the survey was that not all children are exposed to digital technology at home, and that this may give them a disadvantage towards learning. However I feel this is no difference to children who before had never read a newspaper or other forms of literacy except the books at home or in the school.

Gaskins (2008) suggests that by giving teachers and children choices in the classroom allows for learning that is meaningful and exciting. Therefore, when teaching although I will ensure to use traditional teaching methods, I see little harm in introducing popular culture into learning experiences.

References

Arthur, L. (2005) ‘Popular Culture: views of parents and educators’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: Routledge Falmer

Harrett, J. and Benjamin, T (2009) ‘Travel with a Time Lord: Using media to enhance literacy’ Literacy 43, (3) 134-142

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

Robinson, K (2006) Do schools kill creativity? Ted talks, available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html Last accessed: 26/01/2014

A parent’s perception of the use of popular culture in the classroom

In reference to the outcome of my parent survey regarding attitudes towards the use of popular culture within the classroom, many valuable viewpoints and experiences were apparent. My survey was carried out with a mother of two boys; ages 7 and 9 years.

Interestingly, the mother initially expressed a change in her own attitude regarding technology and popular culture, in which she stated that she would not have accepted or allowed it to become such a vast part of her children’s lives in the past, however she explained that this has changed since becoming employed by a digital media company, as well as seeing the benefits that these interests present to her own children’s happiness, well-being and social development. As Luke (1999) reiterates, children’s popular media culture is part of children’s social repertoire and generates cultural capital that is valued within children’s peer groups. This I found extremely valuable, as it highlighted to me the importance of parent’s attitudes as an influence on child’s exposure to popular culture within the home and how this can pose a significant influence, upon the acceptance of popular culture within the classroom. Equally it demonstrated the significance that popular culture has upon children’s social development in which to foster social interactions and establish peers groups when at school. This lead me to consider the importance of teacher- parent partnerships, in which a joint understanding is constructed and employed to support learning as well as to appreciate the child’s home experiences. Cairney (2000) supports this and called for the development of effective partnerships between the home and the educational setting that would enable parents and educators to engage with dialogue and develop a shared understanding.

Overall, the parent felt that popular culture should be used within the classroom, as she believed it created stimulating and engaging learning contexts, whilst valuing children’s out of school experiences which would motivate, capture and enthuse learning. This is supported by Marsh (2000) who asserts that using ‘’popular culture and the media in the literacy curriculum can be very motivating for many children and can offer them the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise in the classroom’’. However, a valuable and relevant discussion that arose from our seminar this week, was the issue of children’s out of school experiences losing value if over used within the classroom. This I believe to be a significant factor and a possible implication for my own teaching, in which the importance of establishing a balance between traditional forms of literacy and the use of new technologies and popular culture within the classroom should be a significant consideration when constricting, a well-planned and engaging curriculum.

Overall in response to this survey, I feel i have gained insightful knowledge surrounding the valuable perspectives of parents, which will form an importance component when planning my own popular culture themed lessons. Additionally I feel that having the knowledge and creativity to plan such engaging lessons, will require experience which I hope to gain and explore during my next school placement.  

Cairney, T. (2000) Family Literacy: Challenges for early education, in J. Hayden (ed.) Early Childhood Landscapes: Cross national perspectives on empowerment and restraint (pp. 355-367). New York: Peter Larg.

Luke, C. (1999) Media and cultural studies in Australia. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 42.8, 622-626. 

Marsh, J. (2000) Popular culture in the classroom, Literacy today available at http://nationalliteracy trust.org.uk/Pubs/marsh.html, accessed 26 May 2007.

Blog Two- The use of popular culture within the classroom from a student teachers point of view

I surveyed a student teacher on their views of the use of popular culture within the primary classroom. Their overall opinion was that popular culture could be a great way to teach children in an engaging, motivating and interactive way. This view is held by Marsh and Millard (2000) who suggest that popular culture can capture the interests of children and should be used and valued by teachers (cited in Lambirth, 2003).

Whilst the interviewee would be keen to use popular culture in their classroom, they were not sure how parents and digital immigrant teacher tutors would view the use and subsequently makes them wary of using it. Palfrey and Gasser (2008) claim that digital natives ‘study, work, write and interact with each other’ (p.2) in different ways to digital immigrants. This could suggest that some parents and teachers may not see the value of using popular culture in the classroom, as they are not as reliant as digital natives are. I agree with the interviewees view and I am also cautious of how parents and my teacher tutor may feel about popular culture being used in my practise. However, research has highlighted that generally, parents are supportive of the role that new technologies, media and popular culture can have on children (Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts, Wright, 2005). As a result I am becoming more confident about using popular culture in my practice, as this module is highlighting the benefits that technology, media and popular culture can have on children’s overall motivation and learning experiences.

The interviewee challenged my views when they made an interesting point suggesting, “Why does teaching have to be interactive- is pen and paper not enough?” Whilst this is a valid point, McDougall l (2006) highlights that technology provides experiences in which engaged and inquisitive children take the place of passive, disinterested children of the past. Therefore whilst I will make sure children are still taught in traditional ways, I will also use popular culture, media and technology when appropriate, in order to enthuse and engage the digital natives in my class.

Bibliography:

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

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

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.

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 (Accessed: 23/01/14)

Parents’ & Student Teachers’ Views on Using Popular Culture in the Classroom

In reference to the popular culture survey carried out, I interviewed a secondary school teacher who has experience of the primary classroom. The main reason that the teacher felt popular culture should be used within the classroom is that it helps to create a link with society and the world we live in therefore providing a context for learning. Dean (2010) suggests that children start school with a huge range of knowledge about films; TV programmes etc. however this is not always built upon by teachers. As teachers we should be building upon the experiences of society that children already have and helping to develop their views.

The teacher also commented that from her experience, using popular culture within the classroom is a stimulating way to engage children with their learning. The use of popular culture is particularly powerful when the children bring in objects that are important to them.  Marsh (2005:68) develops this further by stating that ‘allowing children to bring popular culture in from their home experiences to the site of the classroom can have an electrifying effect on children’. The children respond to this activity and are therefore motivated to learn.

A response I found surprising was that the teacher felt there should be a move away from traditional literacy approaches and more emphasis placed on using technology and popular culture. As a student teacher this does challenge my view that there be should be both traditional and modern approaches to learning within the classroom and from the in-session discussion with my group on Tuesday, I know many other student teachers feel the same.
Interestingly, before starting this module, I was under the impression that many parents would be reluctant about teachers using popular culture subjects within lessons. However, Arthur (2005) suggests that although they may have some reservations, parents are generally very supportive of children’s interests in popular culture and feel it is an important part of life to explore them.

In response to this survey, I feel that as a trainee teacher I am more aware of the issues and debates surrounding the use of popular culture. To develop my practice I would like the opportunity to use a form of technology and/or popular culture within the classroom to improve my own confidence and to explore how the children respond.

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

 

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 p48/49)

 

Arthur, L. (2005) ‘Popular Culture: views of parents and educators’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer

Parents’ & Student Teachers’ Perceptions of Using Popular Culture in the Classroom

In reference to the outcomes of my parental/student teacher survey, I interviewed a student teacher with two children (girls) under the age of 10. A surprise for me when analysing the response was the emphasis on popular culture being used as a reward, ‘If a game is age appropriate I don’t mind the girls playing it but I wouldn’t expect it to be a daily occurrence in the classroom unless they had earned it’. This response leads to the question, whether the use of technology and popular culture is perceived as a tool/resource for the support of learning or as a reward for positive behaviour. This leads back to the view that technology enthuses and motivates children- a key reason as discussed in the session (Dean, 2010). It is therefore open to interpretation as to whether the use of popular culture and technology within the classroom is perhaps not being made explicit to parents as to what this would involve in terms of supporting learning, although Marsh (2005) suggested parents are supportive of the role of popular culture in school. This therefore made me consider the implications for further practise as partnership with parents would be crucial if I were to use popular culture as a motivation for pupils in order to justify the significance that this would have to their learning. It is therefore understandable that there may be some reluctance for student teachers to risk stretching the curriculum in order to involve aspects of popular culture when it is not entirely perceived by some as important to a child’s education (Marsh, 2005).

From further interpretation of the survey, an interesting response was that not everything encountered in school should be carried out using technology/popular culture in the classroom. This relates to how it is questioned by teachers as to whether, in terms of literacy, popular culture and the use of technology is taking children away from traditional forms of literacy and classroom practises (Lambirth, 2003), however in reference to the Tuesdays session, it was exemplified how even in today’s culture, books still have an influence on children and can be considered popular culture but in a more ‘current’ context. The parent furthered her opinion of ‘popular culture to be used in moderation’ by stating that it was a worry for her children’s development, this I interpreted as considering games and some forms of popular culture as irrelevant to their social and emotional development. This viewpoint however is arguable when considering social networking and the ability to communicate with friends and family through technology on a regular basis and the use of collaborative work in school (Marsh, 2005).

From this survey it has been interesting to learn how parents perceive the use of popular culture within the classroom. It has made me aware, as a student teacher of the importance of creating a classroom environment where technology is an accepted and useful resource for learning but with the creativity which keeps children enthused.

 

 

Dean, G., (2010) Rethinking Literacy. In: C. Bazalgette, ed. 'Teaching Media in Primary School' Sage: Media Education Association (MEA), pp. 51-60.

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

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 p48/49)

 

         MEDIA, LANGUAGE AND MULTILITERACIES/MULTIMEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

As a trainee teacher of Primary English, I see the increased use of technology to be a positive step within an ever expanding technological society. Children are developing in a world in which technology and multimedia is proving the most popular form of entertainment, communication and learning. Therefore I feel that it is importance that it should be developed upon further within the classroom to reflect the culture of today’s society. Young children are immersed in practices relating to popular culture, media and new technologies from birth and these technologies have formed a part of who they are, and the generation they represent. Brooks,G. Hughes,J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K (2005) states that parents and other family members scaffold children’s learning, either implicitly or explicitly from birth, and children engage in family social and cultural practices which develop their understanding of the role of media and technology in society. 

Dean (2010) states that virtually every four-year old enters the classroom with a secure knowledge of moving picture and that the majority of children have seen and used a  range of technology such as a phones, ipads, laptops or cameras by the time they start school. I believe that such exposures to technology can open up an array of valuable skills and exciting learning opportunities, which enable children to expand and develop confidently in the classroom. Used as an effective tool to access educational material, technology can provide children with a broad spectrum of information in which to make curriculum learning accessible for all. Dean (2010) states that increasing numbers of teachers are surprised and delighted by children’s responses to literacy teaching that takes there full range of textual experiences into account. I therefore believe that by incorporating the experiences, knowledge and interests that children carry around media and technology, the development of learning can be one which incorporates inspiring learning contexts, with creative focuses, to engage and enthuse learning.


My own experience of multimedia in the classroom demonstrated the valuable opportunities that technology opens up for children, to support and inform the teaching of Literacy. I found that using animation to support children’s creative writing to be very successful, to extend and develop further skills such as; talk, writing and thought. I feel that the use of this form of multimedia technology helped to stimulate the children’s thinking and enabled them to explore their own imaginations, whilst begin exposure to a new interpretation of literacy. Used specifically as a stimulus for thinking, the clip opened up further opportunities for discussion and posed an accessible learning experience for all learners.  


Personally, I feel the biggest challenge facing me within this module is my inability in which to successfully use software and new technology, in order to inform my teaching and to extend children’s development.  Although apprehensive about these challenges, I also look forward to building upon my understanding of these new forms of literacy and the influences that they pose to children’s learning today. 



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

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 p48/49)

As an ICT specialist I see the increased use of technology in the classroom to be a positive thing. As technology has become more affordable and mainstream over the past decade it is all around us in the world we live in, so why shouldn't we incorporate it in the classroom. Dean (2010) 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. Technology is forever changing and developing, therefore I believe that technology should play a part in the primary classroom.    

Salpeter, (1999) suggests that technology can be a great tool for motivating and engaging students. Using technology gives children who may not necessarily be very good at written English a chance to shine. Dwyer agrees, expressing that research has shown a remarkable improvement in writing fluency when students were able to compose at the computer- showing more engagement with the task (Salpeter, 1999). Whilst on SE3 my class were making instructional booklets, some of the children in my class weren’t keen on the idea as they thought there would be too much writing involved. However when given the opportunity to create their booklets on laptops their opinions on the task set changed and they were highly motivated and engaged.

Using this blog itself shows how technology is taking a key role in the classroom. Many years ago, we would have taken pen to paper to write down our opinions and orally present to peers and colleagues, however through the use of a blog, individuals can share their opinions in a way that is readily available for all to read at any time.

Although I support the increased use of technology within the classroom I also believe that children should still use traditional ways of learning, and remember that learning can take place away from technology.

I feel my personal challenges that I may experience throughout this module lie within the English part as this is an area of my studies I have often felt challenging. I am looking forward to using this blog to make note of the journey taken in my learning throughout this module.

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

Salpeter. (1999). How Can Technology Benefit Our Students?.Available: http://www.k12.hi.us/~teono/teri/benefits_of_technology.htm. Last accessed 20th January 2014.

Excellent entries so far

Thank you for your entries so far. There are some really thought provoking viewpoints being shared here and it is great to see you engaging with each other. This is a good start to the blog and to your assignments. I look forward to reading further entries as others gain entry to the blog. Best wishes Sandy

The increased use of technology and multimedia by children

I believe that the increased use of technology by children is a positive step forward, as it can provide interesting, exciting and engaging contexts for learning. Children are now born and grow up in a technology based society. Therefore, I think it is inevitable in our increasing digital society that children should have access to technologies and multimedia in the classroom. It is important that children are given opportunities to explore different technologies, so that they will be able to access it when they enter into the real world and the work force.

I also believe that it is a positive step forward, as technology gives children access to information at their fingertips. This is valuable as children have inquisitive minds, so technology can be a great platform for them to explore and learn. Technology is constantly changing and adapting and is an important aspect in our society. Therefore I think it is inevitable that children need to be computer illiterate and allowed to explore and use technologies.

In school I have seen a really good uses of technology through filming to create mini-puppet shows in order to develop storytelling. I found that the children were really keen to collaborate and share ideas. Some of the lower ability children and shy children thrived due to the exciting and different context for learning. I believe that the reason this use of technology was so effective is that it was accessible for all children and engaging. Writing a story can be a daunting task, so the use of filming helped to make storytelling more accessible. Some of the children felt that it was a safe environment in which they could share and develop their ideas, which provided a rich learning environment as well as being fun.

The possible challenges of this module, is that I use technology in everyday life, but I have limited knowledge of new technology and how it can be used in the classroom to support the wide range of subjects. I have not had much experience of using technology in the classroom, and have only had experience of teaching ICT through BeeBots in Year One. I am looking forward to exploring new technologies and multimedia, so that I can support and enthuse children to learn in my own practise.

Sharing a Professional stance

In terms of seeing the use of technology by children in the primary classroom, I believe that this is a positive aspect of the future of teaching literacy but that some aspects of literacy should be conventional. The use of technology and multimedia in the classroom can be considered very positive for example, Dean, (2010) stated that not only do children feel enthused and motivated using digital forms of literacy but that learning can be made more accessible to some children.

With a focus on literacy, technology appears to be a useful tool for encouraging ideas and giving children access to Medias they perhaps would not have had several years ago. Despite this, the possibility does arise that children may become reliant on technology and become incapable of reading traditionally for meaning or using their imaginations to create a story. Merchant (2007) however articulates, among several ideas, that literacy skills should be first learnt traditionally before the encouragement of digital texts and Medias, however that is not to say that teachers cannot use technology as a resource within the classroom to aid in ‘traditional’ literacy learning. Higgins, et al., (2012) refers to studies finding consistent positive results on attainment through the use of technology. From observation and my own teaching within school I have found that using technology (particularly film) to support thinking in terms of creative writing was very successful. As brought to attention by Lambirth (2003), literacies will develop with time and so a fear or reluctance to use multimedia forms of literacy in the classroom may hold children back from reaching their full potential.

The most recent National Curriculum (DFE, 2013) refers to computing and ICT as application of knowledge of information and communication technology linked to problem solving; all key skills which will hold children in good stead for the future. This poses the question that if technology is the future of our society, how could it not be an integral part of learning and considered fundamental in the primary classroom?

I believe that adapting to a variety of technology and new literacy practises that I am not used to will be a particular challenge for me on this module and applying what I have learnt to my next teaching practise as I have not taught ICT in school before.

 

 

Dean, G., (2010) Rethinking Literacy. In: C. Bazalgette, ed. 'Teaching Media in Primary School' Sage: Media Education Association (MEA), pp. 51-60.

Department for Education  (2013) Primary National Curriculum. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum
[Accessed 2/1/2014].

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

Lambirth, A., (2003) '"They get enough of that at home": Understanding aversion to popular culture in school' Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Limited.

McFarlane, A., (1997) 'Information Technology and Authentic Learning: Realising the Potential of Computers in the Primary Classroom' London: Routledge.

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

 

The increased use of technology in society and in the classroom - Week 1

As a student teacher I see the increased use of technology by children as a positive step forward as it allows them to learn and develop the skills needed to succeed in our increasingly digital society. Many jobs in today’s society require employees to have a good understanding of technology, in terms of being able to use a computer and the internet. Therefore children should have the opportunity to explore and gain an understanding of the technology available to them as it will benefit them greatly in later life.
I also view the use of technology by children in the classroom as a positive step, because it can be used as an engaging and stimulating approach to learning. For example, interactive games, online stories and relevant online videos can all be used to engage pupils in an exciting and meaningful way.  I have observed a maths lesson introduction in school with a year 6 class who had to complete an interactive maths game on the whiteboard, in teams before the timer ran out. It was evident that because it was interactive and accessible, all the children in the class were participating and they were enjoying their learning through technology.
Although many people would argue that technology should be resisted within the classroom, I feel it is an important aspect of learning because as previously mentioned, it has become a huge part of our society. However, children are exposed to a lot of technology outside the classroom therefore as teachers we should also be encouraging children to explore and engage with activities that do not always require the use of technology, for example reading a book or writing a story. I have observed children in a year 1 setting who were just as engaged sharing a story from the book corner with a friend, as they were listening to a story being read to them online. The use of technology needs to be appropriate and monitored within the classroom to allow children to have a balanced curriculum.

Personally, I feel that the biggest challenge for me in terms of this module is going to be the use of technology to create things, for example the comic. I have had little experience of using technology apart from creating things using standard word documents and powerpoints etc. However I am looking forward to gaining experience in this area from the practical seminars.

Welcome to our Media, Language and Multiliteracies/Multimedia and Technology Joint Module Blog!

We will be posting messages and uploading documents, links etc across the module and I look forward to reading your posts over the coming weeks.

Best wishes
Sandy, and Pam