Having studied
ICT for my GCSE’s and A-Levels I do feel quite confident in using new
technologies myself, however incorporating these into the classroom practice is
an area I would like to develop further. Whilst on School Experience I did complete an
ICT and Science linked session whereby the Year 2 class were using the internet
to research set information about their chosen mini beasts. I also planned and
carried out an ICT session whilst on Self Directed Placement at a Summer Club with
a group of Year 6 students. As part of their task they needed to use Microsoft
Power Point to make a diary of the activities completed and experiment with the
software’s features as well as using images from online. For both of these I planned as though I was teaching novices and then adjusted my input accordingly. During this time, I demonstrated how to access this information correctly and was explicit about
how these were the only sites they should be on. However, I would now like to
explore how iPads and other portable devices could be incorporated into my
practice.
As expressed
in the Byron Review I do understand how the internet and new technology offers extraordinary
opportunities for enhanced learning experiences, however it does come with some
risks and it is important that these are addressed. Also, many children may
have been exposed to technologies such as iPads and laptops at home so may
enjoy the use of these for their school work. One of the aims of the 2014
National Curriculum is to ‘prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities,
responsibilities and experiences of later life’. I do believe that being able
to use technology is a key skill in further education or employment as many establishments
require the student to navigate the internet competently and submit typed
essays. Therefore, by exposing children to technology we are increasing their chances
of success in the future.
I think it
is important to understand that children who are currently in Primary Education
could have been surrounded by technology all their lives making them digital
natives. For example the first Apple iPod Touch was released in 2007 and from
this point the public could portably access the internet and a variety of apps
as long as WiFi connection was made. Since then Apples portable devices have
developed and improved through more than 15 product releases. This shows most
children in the current Primary School system may have been born into an environment
where technology was and still is constantly advancing. Although I still see
the importance of written work in the classroom, I think this development is
something we should use to our advantage rather than resisting.
Personally I
feel the topic on comics will be one I will find challenging. This is because I have
never particularly been an avid reader of this genre and is an area in which I
feel my knowledge is weaker. However, by having the chance to cover this and
develop my understanding further I will really enhance my practice as it is an important
part of children’s literature. Also, I have learnt about blogs before but I haven’t
been exposed to actually participating in a blog. Therefore, I feel I may find
it challenging familiarising myself with the writing style and the features of
these to begin with.
The Byron Review (2008) http://learn.winchester.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=250325 (accessed 25/09/2014 at 11pm).
The Department of Education., (2013) The National Curriculum in England:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335133/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_220714.pdf (accessed 25/09/2014 at 11:15pm)
https://www.apple.com/pr/products/ipodhistory/ (accessed 25/09/2014 at 11:30pm).
Audain,J., (2014)The Ultimate Guide To Using ICT Across The Curriculum, London and New York: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
I am very interested in how you approached the session in which you used the internet to get the children researching mini-beasts. Were there any particularly good sites that you made a note of as i am looking to find some good ones for some tutoring that i am doing? I agree with your view that the use of technology can be paramount in preparing our pupils for experiences with a plethora of technologies in later life. The use of portable devices that you mentioned would really help with ensuring that the children have more of a smooth transition between the skills they learn within school and the ones that they can apply at home.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about writing a blog, I'm not too sure about it either but hey ho. Hope this comment is useful to you.
I was really interested in the research that you carried out about Apple products, and how often a new form of technology is released. I found the reading from S Higgins ( a professor at Durham University) really useful as it discusses the impact of digital technology on the learning- linking it back to your discussion about the National Curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI am the same, blog writing is a whole new concept to me especially for an assignment!
Hollie, myself and my partner for placement wanted to children to search for the information themselves and become aware of the features of Google. Therefore, rather than giving them the websites with all the answers, we gave them the phrases and questions to type into the Google search bar. For example 'Where do______live?' and 'What do _____ eat?'. This freedom was actually something the children really enjoyed and all found the information they needed which they filled into a corresponding sheet answering the given questions. However, we did have some Mini beasts books available and explained that they could use these to answer their questions too. These were from the University Library, so I would strongly recommend you look there!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I totally agree, I didn't realise myself quite how many Apple products have been released in a relatively short space of time. I would be really interested in looking at the reading you found useful, what was it called?
I think most of us are new to Blogging but I have now written my first post and this is now my first comment and so far so good!