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.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment