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