Digital Media and Computer Control

Digital Media and Computer Control

The obstacles have been removed as hardware and software have been developed :

1.    Hardware – It’s become so much easier to use external hardware, therefore we should try to take advantage.

2.    Software – Has been developed to allow a greater level of efficiency. For example downloading pictures has increased in efficiency as the memory for storing them has increased.

Programmable toys / robots / equipment you can use in the classroom: 

    Digital Microscope –  allows children to view magnified objects easily. It

has possible uses beyond an ordinary microscope. Also it extends children’s ICT skills. Not only can you use a microscope in it’s normal stable sense but it is portable and can be used to view most objects. Most importantly the digital microscope can be really good fun and motivating!

This is a useful video on how you might use a microscope in a classroom setting.:

http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/science-1

Bee Bot - is a great way to introduce control technology to children from as young as three. Many schools have found that Bee-Bot can help children develop skills or reinforce concepts which other resources simply don't capture in the same way. The versatile nature of Bee-Bot also helps to incorporate learning in many areas of the curriculum, embedding ICT into each.

Possible activities :

Bee bot alphabet mat

Bee bot Treasure Island mat

Bee-bot busy street map

Pippin

• PIPPIN adds a simple music capability to the full turtle graphics command set of forwards, backwards, left, right and pause. Commands must be followed by a number to specify how much of that command is required.

• As PIPPIN moves in centimetres and degrees, the numbers that students use for movements and turns are of a similar size. So 90 centimetres is a sensible sort of distance to use alongside 90 degrees. If these movement units are not suitable, movement and turn units can be changed to a desired value.

• PIPPIN can repeat instructions. For example, if PIPPIN is to follow a square path, it needs to move forward and turn 90 degrees four times.

• PIPPIN has built-in rechargeable batteries. There is no hassle of partly dismantling it to replace batteries or raising orders to buy replacement batteries at regular intervals. The charger is included in the price

• PIPPIN is our normal rectangular black box shape. It is easy to "aim" in a particular direction or line up with a course. A range of covers allows it to have many personalities.

 
(http://www.swallow.co.uk/pippin/pippin.htm)

Bee-bot Lesson Plan Template

Here's an example of a lesson plan using the Bee-Bot that I found on the internet - http://bee-bot.wikispaces.com/Lesson+Plan+Template. It may be quite useful to give you ideas on how you may use Bee-Bot in the classroom in the future:

Bee-Bot Clock A Bee-Bot Activity for the Classroom

Activity Overview

Draw a clock on the floor, on paper, or create a clock with tape.  Place the hours from 1 to 12 on the clock.  Make the 3, 6, 9, and 12 bold or larger for this beginning time activity. Talk with children about what time means. Discuss the difference between analog and digital.  Practice reading analog and digital clocks.  Practice converting between analog and digital time.  Talk about relative time (earlier, later, etc.).

Activity Objectives

• Students will recognize quarter hours.
• Students will verbalize quarter hours.
• Students will understand the relationship between analog time and digital time.
• Students will be able to follow verbal instructions and display the correct time on the clock.
• Students will verbalize their understanding of relative time.

Concepts/Standards

• Use technology to enhance learning and promote creativity
• Recognize numbers and patterns
• Time (analog and digital)
• Identify relationships
• Understand concepts of “earlier”, “later”, “before”, “after”
• Recognize we live in a global community where time is relative

Extensions/Adaptations

• Create a clock with Roman Numerals (I to XII)
• Introduce concepts of earlier, later, tomorrow, yesterday, etc.
• Talk about units, proportions, and multiplication:  turning one unit (15 minutes) on the clock takes Bee-Bot to the 3, turning two units (30 minutes) on the clock points Bee-Bot to the 6, etc.
• Introduce time zones and talk about the current time in other parts of the world.  Make this an addition and subtraction lesson.
• Introduce the concept of the solar system and the earth’s rotation and the effect on time.
• Create a history lesson by talking about daylight savings time.

Literature

Telling Time with Big Mama Cat, Dan Harper

Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks! Jules Older

Bats Around the Clock, Kathi Appelt and Melissa Sweet

My First Book of Time, Claire Llewelly 

 

Web Resources

Analog and Digital Printable Worksheets

http://www.blackdog.net/games/clock/worksheets/

Online Clock Game

http://www.primarygames.com/time/start.htm

The History of Daylight Savings Time

http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/

The World Clock – Time Zones

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Roman Numerals

http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.roman.html

Learning Platforms

VLES, MLES and Learning Platforms

What are learning platforms?

A Learning Platform (LP) is “a generic term to describe a system of information and communication technologies that is used to deliver and support leaning” (DfES)

A learning platform should contain some or all of the following:

Content management	enabling teaching staff to create, store and repurpose resources and coursework which can be accessed online
Curriculum mapping and planning	providing tools and storage to support assessment for learning, personalisation, lesson planning etc.
Learner engagement and administration	enabling access to pupil information, attendance, timetabling, e-portfolios and management information
Tools and services	providing communication tools such as email, messaging, discussion forums and blogs

A  Learning Platform can develop learning experiences for children in class, giving the children more control, allowing children to learn  whenever, wherever and however suits them best à Making learning more accessible to all!

Within education and training environments there are two commonly used terms to describe learning platforms:

·    the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

·      the Managed Learning Environment (MLE) and

VLE	A Virtual Learning Environment	a combination of all three tools – content, communications and management. It supports a range of learning processes, from traditional classroom use to off-line, distance learning and online learning
MLE	A Managed Learning Environment	a system designed to assist teachers in the management of online courses. It usually includes access control, provision of e‑learning content, communication tools, and administration of user workgroups. It incorporates a VLE and Management Information Systems

(www.learningtechnologies.ac.uk/ecpd/.../4.1.1_updated_07-05-06.)

How can learning platforms be beneficial?

	Benefits
Teachers	create and share teaching materials which can be accessed online put their resources online (lesson plan by lesson plan) so colleagues can access them both in school and from home access a wide variety of learning materials that they can customise for the exact needs of their pupils access lesson plans from colleagues to support supply cover assess, monitor and track individual and group progress receive submissions of work from pupils in one area that is easy to manage manage their timetables, diary, email increase their ICT competence and confidence.
Pupils	access learning materials created by their teachers and others, outside lesson time and from locations such as the library and home store work and notes online for use in assignments, homework and revision, outside normal school hours work at their own pace and with a wider choice of learning styles, through a more personalised curriculum create an online portfolio, including digital photos and videos of performance as well as text improve their ICT skills and online management of materials submit homework and assignments for marking and assessment communicate by email and participate in live discussions and forums with other students and teachers.
Parents	play a greater part in children's learning, where they have access to the learning platform from home support children in any learning which takes place outside school access their child's personal home page to keep track of their work and the curriculum view reports, attendance data and scores in assessment activities communicate effectively with teachers, school administrators and others supporting their child’s learning engage with wider school issues through online communication tools become active partners with the school.

(http://jminto.wikispaces.com/Learning+Platforms)

Helpful Websites:

http://www.learningplatforms.moonfruit.com/

http://jminto.wikispaces.com/Learning+Platforms

www.learningtechnologies.ac.uk/ecpd/.../4.1.1_updated_07-05-06.

Interactive White Board's (IWB) in the Classroom

Classroom Organisation

The IWB is only really effective when used appropriately so that it adds to the teaching. This requires good organisational skills, here are some factors effecting the use of IWB in the classroom :

Is the  IWB accessible + can it be seen by all? :

·         Organise tables and seating areas in appropriate ways. It is of course not possible to give every child a perfect view, so for those children at the back or at the margins, make sure they are involved by particularly involving these children in questioning and answering sessions.

·         Make sure images and text are appropriate. Text and images need to be visible from the very back of the room.

Helpful Tips :

1.    Adopt the position of the child – pause during the run-through of your presentation and sit in a range of places in the classroom to check that images + text are visible

2.    Have the children seated in a U shape rather than an O shape – this way children can discuss objectives without having their backs to the board.

Using the IWB in the classroom

Mental warm-up

Can use the IWB to present questions and ideas

Less likely to let children use the IWB at this time as it may slow the pace of the lesson down

Examples:-

Blinds or eraser function to gradually reveal numbers in a number set or present a number square

Random-number generator to provide integers for mathematical equations

May sue ready-made activities – animated.

Whole-class sessions

Often used for presentations but overlooked on actual interaction. Imagine teaching with a well equipped whiteboard, what would you use? Visual Aids – Illustrations – Text variations

IWB is not just for presentations à can incorporate more graphics, animations + multimedia items. The IWB allows the class to interact with the presentation + develop a record of the children’s learning journey.

Much of this information has stemmed from the following reading:

Barber, D, Cooper, L and Meeson, G (2007) Learning and Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards, Exeter, Learning Matters

Reaching out to all learners

Many different learning styles can be addressed using the IWB :

Visual learners benefit from notes taken on the interactive whiteboard in addition to diagramming and manipulating objects or symbols. As the interactive whiteboard is easy to use, it enables students of all ages to see their own writing and objects of their own creation.

Kinesthetic or tactile learners are typically difficult to engage in traditional classroom activities that are usually more visual or auditory in nature. They are able to reinforce learning through exercises involving touch, movement and space on an interactive whiteboard.

Deaf and hearing-impaired learners rely primarily on visual learning, and the interactive whiteboard facilitates the presentation of visual material with the use of sign language simultaneously in front of students.

Visually impaired students with some vision ability can manipulate objects and use large text on an interactive whiteboard’s big surface and participate in computer-based learning in ways that would not be possible on a smaller computer screen.

Other special needs students with learning challenges, such as physical ability needs and behavioral issues, e.g., Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), also find the large interactive surface helpful. Its large size and touch sensitivity facilitates ICT learning beyond the standard keyboard-and-mouse type of computer interaction, and its appeal can be used to promote good behaviour.

http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/research/whitepapers/int_whiteboard_research_whitepaper_update.pdf

KEY POINTS

1.    In order for the IWB to be effective you need to be organised so that the IWB is accessible.

2.    The IWB is not just PowerPoint presentation so don’t use it as one!! Make sure you use it for interaction.

3.    The IWB can be used at different points in the lesson.

4.    The IWB can be very inclusive to all types of learners.

RESOURCES

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/interactive.aspx

This website is a really good resource for getting ready made white board activites which are subject specific

http://downloads01.smarttech.com/media/research/whitepapers/int_whiteboard_research_whitepaper_update.pdf

Blogging for the Ice Queen

Blogging

Blogging came about as a result of web 2, a new interactiveway of using the internet where we can determine the content.

Web 2 has had many implications :
Helps us to keep organised
Increases methods of interaction
Frees up computer storage space
Increases accessibility


Applications for teachers more specifically:
Teachers Tube
You tube
Video calling children in other parts of the world via Skype
Opens up discussions of cyber-bullying


I'm going to focus today's post on the concept of blogging. Blogging stands for the word 'web log' and it is effectively an online diary or journal.Blogging is a chance to express your thoughts and observations online for everyone to see, but do you really want to?

The thought of putting your thoughts on a blog seemed bizarre to me at first, I'd rather keep my thoughts in my head then put them out there into cloud computer space for everyone to see. However the very process of writing a blog has made me change my mind as I can begin to see not what doe sblogging mean for everyone but what blogging can mean for me personally, as a person and as a trainee teacher.


So what is so good about it? How is it relevant to me?

Blogging is a chance to reflect - as part of this course we're asked to reflect throughout. I think we can all see the benefits of this, in that we're able to build on what we've done in order to progress and move forward. Therefore why am I so against blogs, when in part it is putting into practice something that I think is vital.

Blogging is therapeutic - I don't know how much I agree with this personally, but there is a lot of research that suggests that being able to write about how you feel has physiological benefits and acts as a stress-coping mechanism! Let's face it, as students this year I think we'll need all the stress-coping techniques going!

 Blogging as a resource - blogging can be a really good resource for teachers as a tool for children in schools. I've done a little bit of research about blogs in primary schools and the main benefits are :

Allows chidlren to share information
Creates a classroom communty
Encourages the children to have self-reflection
Increases comprehension

Furthermore blogs help children to learn to develop their ICT skills, as well as giving children the chance to publish something they've written. Moreover it increases accessibility for the child's carers, parents and family, enabling more people to be a part of and therefore support the pupil's learning. Therefore, shouldn't we embrace blogging if it can benefit our students.

And If you're still not convinced let's see what the kids have to say : -

"Why should schools blog?'" --> Comments from primary school children on what they think are the benefits of teaching ...

So hopefully after reading my blog and looking at how blogging can be useful to me,you to may be converted. Therefore blogging may be useful for everyone to some degree, even for someone like me. Most importantly, blogging can be useful for a teacher and therefore it's important for us to get to grips with how to use it to get the most out of the resources available to us in today's world.