Blog 10/11: Multimedia and multi literacies in the primary school: 2

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.

Upon meeting the children for the first time, I was impressed by their knowledge of rights respecting articles, this is not necessarily relevant to our learning in this module, however, I do believe that the understanding of rights and responsibilities can have some effect on e-safety (Byron Review, 2008). This helped them achieve two of the targets that we had discussed as a group; to understand what article 19 means for them in school, and to understand the point of the project they were undertaking, to take meaning from it.

The third target was to achieve some thing new with the Ipads, to learn a new skill. The signs of digital natives were evident in all of them (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008), all of the children participated in animation for the first time, each having the opportunity to manipulate the focus object and to take pictures using the Ipad. The children were confident in doing this, learning quickly from a previously made demonstration and input on the features of the app and applying these skills with success. The group was even able to participate in a more existential discussion about what might or might not work in stop-motion animation, proving their understanding to us.

During the editing process, which only had one small technical disturbance with an incorrectly functioning airplay, the children played a big part. We talked about types of multimedia and where they might find these in their day-to-day lives, we then introduced the idea that we would create a book using an app. This sparked good discussion as the children were excited by the idea of creating a digital book using videos that they had created that day, this discussion led to some good ideas from them for the use of sound, colours, text and pictures.

I have previously led an animation project in a whole-year 4 setting and came to understand quite quickly the time and effort it takes for children to create something they are happy with, I therefore considered that doing this with a group of year 1 children would be near impossible. I learned that I was wrong and that even children so young are capable of incredible feats with technology.

Byron Review. (2008) Safer Children in a Digital World. DCSF Publications.

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

Blog 9: Multimedia and multi literacies in the primary school: 1

Having reflected on the use of technology & media in a local Primary School, discuss anything that surprises or challenges you. What questions arise for you as a result of today’s visit? Make any relevant references to readings.

Going back into school to begin a project similar to ones I have previously enjoyed doing with school experience classes was exciting for me. This excitement was dwarfed however, once we were shown around and grasped the level of technology seamlessly integrated into the school. The recording studio for the radio station in particular impressed me a great deal, as it was almost even a role-play area for the children, so convincing was it in its purpose. Much of the research we have read up until this point has highlighted the vast array of potential benefits that can be achieved in schools through the use of technology (Beauchamp, 2012; Byron Review, 2008; Higgins, Xiao & Katsipataki, 2012; Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). Belief in this research was reflected throughout the school, which was astounding to me in terms of facilities and potential for learning experiences. 

From examples we were shown and through discussions around the use of apps and equipment, it was clear that the school ethos has completely adopted media literacy into their curriculum. It seems that the school tries to use a cross-curricular approach to literacy as often as possible aided in great parts by the use of technology; there was even some evidence of multi-modal texts being created through ipads other than the project we are about to undertake. This approach is reflected in the new national curriculum and is seen by theorists as being exceptional in terms of maximising learning (DfE, 2013; Halsey, 2007).

Overall this introduction was greatly positive and made me look forward to applying the theory and techniques learned during this module. My only real concern is the timeframe with which to complete a task rather monumental to year 1 children in creating a multi-modal digital book with video and animation. I hope that the children have the time required to learn.

Bibliography

Beauchamp, G. (2012) ‘What is ICT in the Primary School?: Tools and Techniques’.  in ICT in the Primary School, From Pedagogy to Practice. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Byron Review. (2008) Safer Children in a Digital World. DCSF Publications.

Department for Education. (2013) Primary National Curriculum 2014. DfE: London.

Halsey, S. (2007) ‘Embracing emergent technologies and envisioning new ways of using them for literacy learning in the primary classroom’. in English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 6 (2) pp. 99-107. [online] Available from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ832191.pdf (Accessed: 31/03/2014).

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

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

Week 12: Formal Blog Task

In this final blog entry, I am going to summarise and reflect on my learning from this module. I will also identify any implications for my own teaching and for my future role as an ICT subject leader.

I have gained many positive learning experiences from this module. Firstly, from the theory sessions I have gained an understanding of digital literacy and new technologies to understand the impacts they have on 21^st Century children, the primary curriculum and myself. Children should experience using digital and new technologies to learn, create and present ideas (Futurelab, 2010). I have understood the effects of using graphic novels and comics with children. One of the positive impacts is put forward by Winch and Holliday (2010) who argue that experiencing graphic novels and comic books enables children to read more widely to gain richer learning experiences.

The practical sessions and the visits to Shirley Warren Primary School have allowed me to explore multimedia and new technologies to understand the impacts they have on children’s learning and skills. I enjoyed creating, for example, multimodal texts and exploring apps to develop my skills and confidence with using a range of technology. Davies and O’Sullivan (2002) argue multimodal texts enable children to develop many ICT skills and enhance children’s reading experiences for example hearing sounds in the book. The first hand experiences have also enabled me to gain a richer understanding of how they enhance children’s learning. The visits to the school have also allowed me to demonstrate my ICT skills from the sessions to support children’s learning.

The assignment has allowed me to develop my thinking and reflect on my understanding and learning from sessions, my readings of literature and my school and personal experiences. I was able to demonstrate the links to the theory and my personal experiences of working with children in school. In addition to this, the blog entries have enabled me to present the texts I have created in the practical sessions of the module. I have also enjoyed learning from my peers’ reflections to deepen my understanding of topics for example, the drawbacks of using comics and graphic novels. The sharing of ideas and resources has supported my future practice and development of ICT.

The understanding, experiences and skills that I have gained from this module will positively support my teaching. However, I need to further develop my understanding for example, of using apps effectively because we briefly explored the apps in the practical sessions. Therefore, I would need to carry on developing my skills and becoming more confident with using apps to support my teaching (Prensky, 2001). By gaining, an insight into a range of technology will positively support my future role as an ICT coordinator because it will support me to make decisions on what technologies should the school invest in to support the teaching of digital literacy.

Overall, I have gained positive learning, experiences and skills from this module that will support and enhance my teaching and children’s learning.

Bibliography

Davies, H. and O’Sullivan, O. (2002). ‘Literacy and ICT in the Primary Classroom: The Role of the Teacher’ in Loveless, A. and Dore, B. (2002). ICT in the Primary School. Buckingham: OUP.

Futurelab. (2010). ‘Digital literacy across the curriculum’. [pdf]. Available from: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf  (Accessed:  31/03/2014).

Prensky, M. (2001). ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Really Think Differently?’ On the Horizon, 9 (6) pp. 1-9. [pdf] NCB University Press. Available from: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf (Accessed: 31/03/2014).

Winch, G., and Holliday, M. (2010). In Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. and Holliday, M. (Eds). Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's Literature. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

A reflction on my learning, throughout the module.

At the beginning of this module, I lacked confidence in trying different ways of working with digital technology, a fear held by many teachers (Prensky, 2001). This may be due to self-doubt of my own functional skills, due to the assumption that young people are digital natives with a far greater understanding of digital technologies that of their teachers (Future Lab, 2010). This had consequently caused me to question my ability to teach digital literacy. I felt anxious about the implementation of digital technology and the incorporation of popular culture within the primary curriculum. However, as a result of seminars and our time in school its presence has been found to be invaluable for motivating, and providing an opportunity to share knowledge and expertise in the classroom (Marsh, 2000). It can therefore facilitate a dialogic classroom which enables children to create shared meanings and therefore create more memorable learning experiences (Kenner, 2006).

This module has additionally influenced my interest in my dissertation; improving year two boys’ engagement with writing, through the use of visual literacy. In particular, the sessions concerning the use of comic books opened made apparent the undeniable surge in the popularity of comic books and graphic novels, as well as their validity as an art form that is as satisfying and effective a reading experience as any other form of literature (Stafford, 2011). The visits to a primary schools, and working with a group of children when developing multimodal texts has reinforced the motivating effect that digital literacy can having on a learning experience.

The skills knowledge and understanding of digital literacy are becoming indispensable as young people grow up in a society in which digital technology and media play an even more important role (Future Lab, 2010). Therefore, through completing this module and the on line blogs, my ability to become an effective English subject module leader has been heightened, for it has developed my awareness of effective learning tools and experiences. In the light of teaching English, I must ensure that the interests of all children are reflected in the texts made available within the classroom, for it has been found that there is an increasing gap between student preferences and materials that are provided by schools (Worthy et al, 1999). It is therefore important to provide motivating classroom opportunities, including all types of multimodal text; particularly comic books (Versaci, 2001).

Bibliography

Future Lab. (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum. [pdf] Available from: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf(Accessed: 28/03/14)

 

Marsh, J. (2000) ‘Popular Culture in the Classroom’, Literacy Today Available at: http://www.nationalliteracytrust.org.uk/pubs/marsh.html (Accessed : 25/03/14)

Prensky, M. (2001) ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II’: Do They Really Think Differently University Press, Vol.9:6, pp.1-9

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

Versaci, R. (2001) How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher's Perspective The English Journal, vol 91, pp.61-67



Worthy, J., Moorman, M. & Turner, M. (1999) What Johnny likes to read is hard to find in school Reading Research Quarterly, 34, pp.12-27

Blog 8: E-Safety & Ethics

Sixty percent of British teenagers that use smartphones admit to being addicted, 47 percent even admit to using it in the toilet and smartphone users are getting younger. Fear of being without a phone, and thus not connected to the global network is called 'nomophobia', and is a real thing. No matter where these digital natives go, they are connected in some way, and through this network they manage their relationships, reputation and recreation (Katz, 2012). This isn't necessarily a negative trait, in fact many of these children are capable of creating impressive and astounding feats with technology, even just using it for the first time. They are coming to rely on this instant connection in order to attain much of the information they require to live their lives (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008).

It is sometimes right to promote the use of this technology, even in the classroom, however, the related responsibilities should not be forgotten. ICT can be abused with relative ease so it is clear that digital natives should be given opportunities to learn how to remain safe and not make the wrong decisions online (Giant, 2013). Katz (2012) points out that the launch of smartphones and their capabilities made the current e-safety messages seem out of date. She highlights the changes in cyber-bullying in particular, from the growth of texting and camera phones, to the now constant internet connection and even GPS. As boundaries are being dropped, it is important that children learn to use and keep their own when necessary.

The Byron Review (2008) summarises that children may be confident in the use of this technology but are still developing the critical thinking required to use it safely, and parents who are digital immigrants may not feel well-equipped to help their children. The report calls for the empowerment of children through a national strategy for child internet safety in order to keep them safe. Modernising e-safety is not an easy feat, there is a great deal of technology to be understood and this is continually evolving. The range of vulnerabilities or ethical choices children face are also vast (Giant, 2013). Some of these vulnerabilities and ethical conundrums may apply to some children more than others, and the factors that determine a harmful or beneficial experience online are as individual as the child (Byron Review, 2008).

At the minimum, the responsibility of schools by law is to ensure that adequate web-filtering software is in place (Giant, 2013). The Department for Education (2013) also states that children need to be taught to use technology safely, to be safe online and have options if they are concerned for their safety, however, this is not specific. The Byron Review (2008) states that any e-safety education in schools should be rooted in a whole-school approach, developing an attitude towards safety online that is in consensus. Schools need to play a key role in creating a culture of responsibility between teachers, parents and children, aimed at equipping children with the skills they need, not just limiting their access.

Bibliography

Byron Review. (2008) Safer Children in a Digital World. DCSF Publications.

Department for Education. (2013) Computing programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2. [online] Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239033/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Computing.pdf (Accessed: 31/03/2014).

Giant, N. (2013) E-Safety for the i-Generation: Combating the Misuse and Abuse of Technology in Schools. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Katz, A. (2012) Cyberbullying and E-safety: What Educators and Other Professionals Need to Know. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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

Blog 7: Multimodal Texts

Multiple Literacies and Multi-modal Texts

Unfortunately I missed this session, however, I have been doing a lot of research into a new wave of games on tablets, based on choose your own adventure books. The idea I have in mind is that this could be used in the classroom, hooking the children with a map before giving each child a portion of the story to write. All of this text could then be used to create a multi-modal text adventure based in Powerpoint, using hyperlinks to make choices. This would likely best suit older children or be used in a creative writing club and would not be possible unless adequate time was given to learn about adventure books prior to starting the project. However, the reward for children would be great as the finished product could be used in a variety of ways in the school to promote the learning of others and celebrate the accomplishments of the creators.

Evans (2004) expresses that relating topics to children's interests can greatly improve the motivation to complete it, I would therefore take this into consideration before beginning the project and allow the children to decide on the type of adventure they would like to write. There is also multimedia to consider; Allen, Potter, Sharpe and Turvey (2012) discuss the importance of using sounds within Powerpoints, and Evans (2004) highlights the usefulness of pictures. From previous sessions and experience in school I have learned that it is a good idea to ensure that multimedia such as these are pre-prepared and readily available to the children in order to keep a good pace.

The major problem to overcome would be time. This could be managed by ensuring that there were restrictions within the story limiting the amount of choices and making sure that paths quickly led to the same place. 




Bibliography

Allen, J., Potter, J. Sharp, J. & Turvey, K. (2012) Primary ICT: Knowledge, Understanding and Practice. [5], London: SAGE.

Evans, J. (2004) Literacy Moves On: Using Popular Culture, New Technologies and Critical Literacy in the Primary Classroom. Abingdon: David Fulton Publishers.

Blog 6: Digital Literacy in the Digital Age

Why should teachers care about digital literacy and childhood in the digital age?

Digital natives spend a great deal of time online in one form or another. They do not distinguish their identity between offline and online, rather they represent their one identity on various platforms. For these children technology is their primary mediator for socialising. Ultimately this means that digital natives express themselves, make friends and develop their understanding of the world in an entirely different way than a great deal of teachers did when they were young. This drastic change in lifestyle has an effect on the way in which children think, digital natives multi-task naturally, are creative of mind and act intuitively, requiring more interesting stimulation for learning (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). This could mean that a classroom that does not incorporate this new way of life is an unnatural environment for the digital native; this is something that teachers should care about.

Adapting to the way of the digital native and using digital literacy in the classroom is something teachers can understandably be apprehensive about. The teacher may question their own abilities and there is a large amount of opposition against some technologies in the classroom. Palmer (2006) points out that overuse of technology can also have detrimental effects on learning and that children may develop problems with sleep or become disconnected with the outdoors. It is clear that a balance must be reached between more traditional learning and modern techniques, technologies must be chosen carefully for their merits in aiding relevant learning.

In the areas of language acquisition, science, mathematics and social studies computer games have a greater affect on learning than traditional materials, and Minecraft is one of the most important games for learning right now (Hudson, 2013). Teachers can even use a modified version of Minecraft called 'Minecraftedu', which is currently being used in over 1500 schools. In terms of learning, the game is useful for programming, setting up servers, modifying programmes and for using video for such things as guides or presentations. The Minecraftedu mod even incorporates a writing feature so that children can present their work in the digital world. Most importantly, Minecraft has become a somewhat unifying agent for children's social interactions, it has the power to give children a great deal of social capital where they may otherwise be lacking (Ward, 2013).

ICT offers children a real context for writing, digital natives are accustomed to sharing their thoughts online (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). Schools are already realising this and many publish their children's work on school websites, however, teachers are starting to realise the potential of blogging in developing children's writing. The primary benefit of using blogs for writing is the effect it has on engagement, children become passionate about making their blog the best it can be (Evans, 2004).

Bibliography

Evans, A. (2004) "The Joys of Text." in TES Magazine. 

Hudson, A. (2013) Angry Birds Game Fires into the Classroom. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24228473. Last accessed 01/10/2013.

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

Ward, M. (2013) Magazine. BBC.

Informal Blog Task 10 & 11: Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practice (Part 2)

Informal Blog Task 10 & 11: Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practice (Part 2)

It was great to be back in school working with children. It really puts into context all of the learning we have been doing in university and allows an opportunity for me to experience the problems that may be encountered.

Turning up to school not 100% sure what you’re doing reminded me of my days on placement. We spent a little bit of time preparing before the children arrived. It was great to be using the technology with the children; however, we did encounter a few problems.

At first I and the other teachers with me found it hard to work alongside the children. We had spent time planning and preparing and had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve, to begin with it became very much us directing the children. The children seemed engaged but I am not sure how much learning was going on at this point. However, later in the morning, as we developed more confidence, we began to work better with the children. Listening to the ideas and thoughts and allowing them to make decision about the project and to discuss what was working well and what was not.

A couple of things became difficult during the morning. The children were very enthusiastic and at times they could become too excited by using the technology, this lead to disruption and difficulty. This could be due to the fact that we are not actually their teachers and they had never met us before.

Also during the morning we came into a minor technical problem when one of the iPads we were using would not Airplay on the screen. Although a minor problem, it just highlights the issues or situations you could be in when the technology fails. If this had been a class project we would not have been able to all huddle around the small iPad screen and it would have resulted in the teacher having to majorly alter the session.  If technology fails it could cause periods of wasted learning time, I believe this is an issue easily overcome by teacher’s being trained in the technology so that can fix any problems that may occur and they won’t have issues due to user error. It is also important that teachers have a back-up plan if something does go wrong, for us we were all able to be able to see the iPad screen but this won’t always be possible.

We ended the day having worked with the children to create an effective two page spread about one of the UNCRC articles. The children and us had a lot of fun and I feel we really learnt a lot from the experience.

Informal Blog Task 9: Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practice (Part 1)

Informal Blog Task 9: Multimedia and Multiliteracies in the Primary School: Linking Theory and Practice (Part 1)

It was great to get back into school and to see how a school can really effectively use technology in everything. I strongly believe that I learn the most when I am able to see and experience the theory we have learnt at university in action at school.

The school is one where technology is used in every aspect of the school life. They have a large quantity of iPads and have the capability of connecting these to the computer screens. The school has an attitude and relationship with technology that encourages, promotes and permits its use in all areas of the curriculum. This really challenged me to think more closely about the attitudes of the schools I am in especially when it comes to deciding on the sort of school I feel I could be part of.

ICT has a major link with literacy, inside the school. They fully accept and promote the new national curriculums digital literacy strand and promote this throughout the school, ensuring children are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through many forms of digital literacy (DfE 2013). Not only do they use technology in literacy but also within all other areas of the curriculum. We spent some time watching videos they had previously made, in which pupils to advantage of the green screen,  video technology’s the school had made available. These videos were not only liked with literacy but also to many areas of the curriculum ranging from history to PSHE. In the next few weeks we will be making digital books with them about the UNCRC. This has really made me think about the way in which I make ICT a part of all areas of the curriculum, not just as a standalone subject or as part of literacy.

The school also had some other incredible uses for technology that range outside of normal curriculum boundaries. The school houses its own radio station which broadcasts online daily. I am used to seeing these as part of modern secondary schools but it is rare to see these in primary schools and being used in such a creative way. It makes me think about the ways in which the schools I have been in have used their technology and the capabilities of what they could do. Although to install a fully functioning radio station does require a lot of money and expertise.

I think the main aspect of the school that surprised and challenged me was the whole school approach to technology. This was mainly seen through the training that every individual had access to. All the teachers and teaching assistants were fully trained in all the technology available in the classroom, and even some of the support staff and lunchtime assistant have been trained in some aspects of the schools technology. I believe, in my experience, that one of the major reasons why technology is avoided in the classroom is due to fear. Teachers have limited to no training on how to use the resources the school has access to. I think the school really emphasises how training is important to ensure teachers have access to the resources that have and to make this available to the children.

Bibliography

Department for Education (2013) Primary National Curriculum 2014. DfE: London

Formal Blog Task 8: E-Safety and Ethics

Formal Blog Task 8: E-safety and Ethics

Due to the massive advancements in technology and access to the Internet, the area of Internet safety is becoming an increasing concern for all those involved with the well-being of children. Livingstone and Bober (2005), in the UK Children Go Online research project, found that over 75% of 9-19 year olds had internet access at home and 92% had access at school. It is a positive step that many children have access to such a powerful learning resource but it also means they have access to a very destructive and potentially dangerous resource.

30% of 9-19 years olds claim to have had no teaching on how to use the internet (Livingstone and Bober 2005). This highlights an important part of internet safety in school. The curriculum and every individual school must ensure that pupils are taught how to use the internet safely and any potential problems they may face when venturing online. I have seen this done by children being shown how by going online is like going outside, it can be dangerous but there are some amazing discoveries to be found. Most if not all children would know not to give out personal information on the street and this should be the same online.  However, 46% of children claim to have given out personal information to someone who they have met online (Livingstone and Bober 2005).

The Department of Education (DfE) (2011) found that 34% of children had been affected by cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is now becoming one of the major issues relating to internet safety. Teachers need to be aware of this, teach children what to do when this happens and be prepared to deal with issues that come into school. Schools should also be prepared to support and inform parents of the potential issues relating to the internet. Teachers should also ensure that in their classroom life internet safety is promoted and children are shielded from inappropriate material. Cennamo et al. (2013) argues that teachers should lay out It suites so that the teacher can monitor what the children are viewing continually as to support and protect children from what they may come across inadvertently.

However, as teacher and as parents we must not exclude children form the positive aspects of the internet. We must not scare children away but must make them informed consumers of the online world. Livingsotne and Bober (2005) argue that as exposure to positive elements of the internet increases so do the negative aspects. It is impossible to avoid them in the current context of the web therefore we must ensure children are prepared to be safe online.

Bibliography

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. and Ertmer, P. (2013) Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (2^nd Edition) Stamford: Engage Learning

Livingstone, S. and Bober, M. (2005) UK Children Go Online [online] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_04_05_childrenonline.pdf (accessed 30/03/14)

DfE (2011) The protection of children online: a brief scoping review to identify vulnerable groups. [online] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181476/CWRC-00085-2011.pdf (accessed 29/01/14)

Informal Blog Task 7: Multiple Literacies and Multi-modal Texts

Informal Blog Task 7: Multiple Literacies and Multi-modal Texts

In this week’s session I used PowerPoint to create a multi-model text. My text was on the story of ‘Finding Nemo’ but allowed children to imagine and create part of the story. This text used many features such as word banks, the ability to edit/adapt picture and to add in your own text. I have used PowerPoint before and thought I was very capable to use all aspects of the programme. However, during the session we developed skills in a few things that I didn’t even realise PowerPoint could do, Such as, the capability to add text during the presentation being in presenter mode. At the end of the session, I felt much more confident in my ability to use PowerPoint to create multi-model texts myself and in school.

I can see how using these types of multi-model texts can have positive outcomes in the classroom. For one they can help to engage and bring excitement into the classroom (Stafford 2011). Children would be much more excited being able to be actively involved in the story than just being passive receivers of the story, this links in with the positive characteristics of storytelling over just reading a story to the class. They are also useful because they can easily relate to the children interests (Evans 2004). Children can set about creating multi-model texts on whatever topic they wish and can therefore act to engage some of those pupils who may otherwise be disengaged. Multi-model texts are also important as they act to help make children digitally literate by allowing them to experience and use information in multiple ways (FutureLab 2010).

There are some issues that could arise with these texts. It may take children a considerable amount of time to construct the texts and to come up with the ideas (QCA/UKLA 2004). I found this in the session, when faced with an infinite choice of ideas of what I could do I struggled to choose any, I feel if I was to do this in the classroom I would have a tighter focus and support struggling children in generating ideas.

Bibliography

FutureLab. (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum. [online] http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf (Accessed: 25/03/14)

Stafford, T. (2011) Teaching Visual Literacy in the Primary Classroom London: Routledge

QCA/UKLA (2004) More than Words: Multimodal Texts in the Classroom. London: QCA

Evans, J. (2004) Literacy Moves On: Using Popular Culture, New Technologies and Critical Literacy in the Primary Classroom. Abingdon: David Foulton Publishers

Formal Blog Task 6: Childhood and digital literacy in the digital age

Why should teachers care about digital literacy and childhood in the digital age?

The handbook, Digital Literacy across the curriculum (FutureLab 2010), gives a very helpful insight into the role of digital literacy across the school and help teachers to understand how and why digital literacy is important for children in the digital age.

They define that for children to be ‘digitally literate’ they must be able to share meaning through communicating, collaborating and by knowing how and when is best to use different digital tools, this emphasises a mixture of, not only, skills but; competencies and an awareness of the implications of the uses of technology. They also credit digital literacy as an entitlement for all children. It is something all children have the right to access and therefore it is the teacher responsibility to provide the opportunity to become digitally literate to all children.

They believe it must be an entitlement because for children to become effective members of the digital age in which we live. Digital literacy is the tool that allows children to take advantage of a wealth of opportunities. A major part of digital literacy is what they define as digital ‘savvyness’, the ability to understand when is best to use technology and its limitations.

They state how this is even more essential due to the fact that children are already classed as ‘digital native’ (Buckingham and Willet) they have been born into the digital society and have grown up with. They concur with Ito (2009) who states “We can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Young people today expect to be able to appropriate and circulate media for their own self-expression.” Children have been accustomed to the world of technology so it is important that this is reflected in the primary curriculum.

The handbook challenges teacher and policy makers to ensure that young people are taught to gain understanding and benefit from their engagement with technology and to foster a positive attitude to digital literacy in the classroom. They identify, in relation to research, that there can develop a ‘participation gap’ where children who are unable to participate in the digital world at school and home can become unaccustomed to the digital society we live in.

Bibliography

Ito, M (2009). Media literacy and social action in a post-Pokemon world. A keynote address for the 51st NFAIS Annual Conference.  www.itofi sher.com/mito/publications/media_literacy.html

Buckingham, D and Willett, R (eds) (2006). Digital Generations: Children, young people and new media. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers

FutureLab. (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum. [online] http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf (Accessed: 25/03/14)

Blog 5: Marketing at the Consumer Child

How far do you think advertising influences children’s perceptions themselves? Should children be viewed as consumers? Should children learn about advertising in school and if so, what do teachers need to understand about the way in which children engage with advertising?

In the last couple of decades, marketing to children through advertising has seen considerable growth, marketing companies have invested time and money into researching how best to advertise to children (Preston, 2004). The reasons for this growth in targeting children could be twofold; an increase in the spending power of young children and time spent interacting with forms of media (Gunter, Oates & Blades, 2005). On the other hand, it could be a result of children's growing media literacy in the 21st century and the requirement of industry to develop and expand marketing techniques in order to reach their target audience effectively (Livingstone & Helsper). It is, however, difficult to define any advertisement as being strictly aimed at children as such adverts more often than not contain information aimed at parents, there is even some argument that peer pressure is actually the major influence in children's buying habits. This may be the case, but it is still clear that much of the colour, imagery and exciting use of adjectives is effective in stimulating the desire of ownership in children (Preston, 2004).

Targeting children in this way allows them to be decision-makers and reinforces the idea that they play a role in consumerism. Because of this, there has been long-standing concern over the potentially exploitative effects of advertising (Gunter et al., 2005) and disquietude with food advertising in particular with claims that a focus on the marketing of junk food is contributing to childhood obesity (Livingstone & Helsper, 2006). Successful advertising may lead to the pestering of parents and those that become annoyed by this pestering will blame this form of marketing (Preston, 2004), however, it is often not single advertisements that lead to this. As stated previously, peer pressure plays a large role in the level of obsession with products or brands and this in turn usually stems from larger marketing techniques involving toys or games in connection with popular television shows, making the consumerism a social and cultural activity (Gunter et al., 2005). This could lead to anxiety in parents, making decisions based upon the pressure they feel about the socialisation of their children.

There is some argument to support the requirement of educating children about marketing techniques in order to make them aware of how they might be manipulated by advertisements and that this is increasingly important as children are becoming more media aware, exposed to it for longer periods of time (Preston, 2004). Although there is already some evidence of this concern within the National Curriculum, it is important that teachers understand age effects in terms of responses to advertising. It is generally viewed that younger children are more susceptible to advertising, however, Livingstone and Helsper (2006) state that it is in fact media-literacy levels that are the key determiner in children's susceptibility to marketing. Children with lower levels of media literacy are more easily persuaded by bright images, jingles and celebrities, whereas older more media literate children are persuaded by well presented arguments. It is important that teachers enable children to become more media-literate at a younger age and continue to develop their critical thinking when presented with advertisements. It has been shown turning the tables and involving children in the creation of advertisements evokes the critical thinking that enables children to become more aware of what they are exposed to by the media. 

Bibliography

Burrel, A. & Beard, R. (2010) Children’s advertisement writing. UKLA,  44:2, pp.83-90.

Gunter, B., Oates, C. & Blades, M. (2005) Advertising to Children on TV. New Jersey:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp 1 – 13.

Livingstone, S. & Helsper, E. (2006) Does Advertising Literacy Mediate the Effects of Advertising on Children? A Critical Examination of Two Linked Research Literatures in Relation to Obesity and Food Choice. in Journal of Communication. 56 (3), pp.560-584.

Preston, C. (2004) Children's Advertising: The Ethics of Economic Socialisation. in International Journal of Consumer Studies. 28 (4), pp.364-370.

Observations and reflections from working with the children.

Following the first visit to the primary school, I had apprehensions about how much the children would comprehend in terms of the apps and various technologies that would be associated with making a multimodal text. However, when working with the group of five, year one children it became apparent that the children held a significant understanding and knowledge of technology. It seems that this is a result of their teachers providing the opportunity to negotiate information in multiple modes and therefore create a high level of pupil excitement and engagement (Stafford, 2011). As stated by Versaci (2001) it is the role of the teacher to provide motivating classroom opportunities. I feel the children’s motivation was reflected in the task, through their willingness to participate and offer their ideas.

However, although motivation was a positive it also links to a challenge that myself and my colleagues faced. The children were each eager to hold the iPads and be involved with the project, which meant that it was sometimes difficult to negotiate roles with the children. Therefore, when I next work with a group of children, involving technology I will lay down ground rules and duties for the children at the very beginning so that they understand the roles they will have. This way, it will ensure each child has an equal opportunity to interact with the technology and learning opportunities.

On the other hand, having the children working in groups seemed to have a positive effect on the learning as the children were able to challenge each other and therefore promote learning. This is supported by Cohen, Manion, Morrison & Wyse (2004) who state that group learning is far more effective than child-adult learning. It was evident that the children were building on each other’s ideas and therefore provide effective ‘scaffolding’ for learning (Vygotsky, 1962).

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the year one children and I look forward to viewing the final edits of our collaborative work in week twelve.

Bibliography:

Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K. & Wyse, D. (2004) A Guide to Teaching Practice (5^th edition) London: Routledge

Stafford, T. (2011) Teaching Visual Literacy in the Primary Classroom London: Routledge

Versaci, R. (2001) How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher's Perspective, The English Journal, 91, pp.61-67

Vygotsky, L.S. (1962) Thought and language, Massachusetts: MIT Press

Week 11: Group 2; Post-School Visit, Informal Blog Task

I am going to reflect on my experiences from the visit.

After working with the children, I was surprised by how much the children knew about the article we were looking at. The children at first were reluctant to share their ideas. However, once they felt confident to share their ideas they were all learning from each other. Therefore, the children could give ideas of why it is important to use our own language (Article 30) (UNICEF, 2012). Although, the children did not have much experience with using the iPads they had strong speaking and listening skills, which were demonstrated in the discussions and sound recordings of their ideas. Griffiths (2010) argues it is important not to underestimate children’s ideas especially in-group discussions. Griffiths (2010) argues children are extremely intelligent, you can learn so much from their ideas.

The challenges I experienced were that it was hard to assess the children against the learning objectives we had planned. One of our learning objectives was for the children to be able to use different features on the iPads to create their book. We could not assess the children fully against the learning objectives because they did not experience using the iPads as much as we had wanted them to use them. This was because of time constraints. The children did not have much time to use the iPads such as, moving the text around the book. The children did however take pictures and type text using the iPads. I felt if there were more time, I would teach the children how to use the apps: Book Creator, iMovie and Veescope Live (green screen) amongst other skills. This will allow me to assess what the children can do after them knowing how to use the apps confidently.

At times, I observed that the children did not have much to do whilst their peer was working on the iPad. Next time, I could overcome this challenge by giving more iPads to the children because I would know the children are able to use the apps confidently because I would have gone through with them how to use the apps fluently (Smith, 2013). From the previous blog post that I wrote, I said that it would be a challenge for me to know what skills the children have, as I did not teach them beforehand. In this session, I felt I could assess what skills the children had to support them accordingly for example, with sharing their ideas, or helping them find the letters on the keyboard to type the text. 

From the experience, I have learnt that the children really enjoyed working with the apps. Overall, this was a positive experience because learning from the children’s ideas was extremely fascinating. However, next time I would teach the children how to use the apps and allow them time to explore using the apps. This would enable the children to broaden their ICT skills by having experiences to create and present their ideas (Beauchamp, 2012).

Bibliography

Beauchamp, G. (2012). ICT in the Primary School, From Pedagogy to Practice. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Griffiths, F. (ed). (2010). Supporting Children’s Creativity through Music, Drama and Art. Abingdon: Routledge.

UNICEF. (2012). ‘A summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ Unicef United Kingdom. [pdf] Available from: https://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/betterlifeleaflet2012_press.pdf (Accessed: 25/03/2014).

Smith, J. (12/08/2013). ‘Meet your child’s new teacher: the iPad’. The Telegraph. [online]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10230335/Meet-your-childs-new-teacher-the-iPad.html (Accessed: 25/03/2014).

Reflecting on the use of technology within a primary school.

Since beginning this module and completing the blogs and visits to a primary school, the importance of integrating technology and media within the curriculum has become clear. As supported by Medwell, Moore, Wray and Griffiths (2012) digital literacy is important to the learning of digital natives in society. In a school setting, developing digital literacy means giving students the opportunities to use digital technologies as well as encouraging active and creative uses of digital technologies. As a result, the digital literacy and subject knowledge of a child will significantly improve (Future Lab, 2010).

Despite this, before entering the primary school I had not expected digital literacy to have been integrated so much within the curriculum.  This is because commonly, when technology is used in some school classrooms it can sometimes be limited to making basic use of a computer (Future Lab, 2010). However, following the visit, I was pleasantly surprised with the implementation of digital literacy within the curriculum. It seems the school believes fostering digital literacy is an ongoing process and should be part of a students learning as they progress throughout their education (Future Lab, 2010). The tour and the talk about the schools use of digital literacy demonstrated a passion for the adoption of digital literacy, in order to motivate and engage children with their learning (Carrington and Robinson, 2009). It was delightful to see that digital literacy had been made a priority across each year group and was fostered effectively in terms of going beyond the functional and the presentational uses of ICT, giving students the opportunity to use a wide range of technologies collaboratively, creatively and critically (Future Lab, 2010).

In addition, the ease of producing multimodal texts also surprised me as I have always assumed they would be time consuming to produce.  The visit has convinced me that there are many digital literacy apps such as ‘Tellegami’ that are quick and easy to adopt and incorporate in to a lesson. This has therefore encouraged and ensured me further that digital literacy benefits both teachers and pupils due to their ability to generate a high level of pupil excitement and engagement (Stafford, 2011). 

A challenge I face will be filming and making a talking book with the children during my next visit to the school as I am apprehensive about how much the children will understand, given their age. It is therefore vital that I offer support accordingly in order for the pupils to feel confident with the task as well as enjoy producing the multimodal text.

 

Bibliography:

Carrington, V & Robinson, M. (Ed) (2009) Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices London: Sage Publications Ltd

FutureLab. (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum. http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf(Accessed: 18/03/14)

Medwell, J. Moore, G. Wray, D. Griffiths, V. (2012) Primary English Knowledge and Understanding. London: Learning Matters.

Stafford, T. (2011) Teaching Visual Literacy in the Primary Classroom London: Routledge