After doing GCSE's in ICT and Electronics and an A-level in Computing, I have seen enough of flow charts and diagrams to last me a lifetime. However, Flowol brings it down to a child's level. There are only so many options, and with teaching input from the teacher, and the children having the time to interact with Flowol beforehand, can create some phenomenal pieces using this technology.
Children have to start by thinking logically to get the basic system to work. However it is good for promoting creativity. For example, the ferris wheel system is fairly simple to set up to go round and stop. However, children can think creatively to say how many turns, when to stop, how the lights will flash, and can have diagrams that cover the whole page.
I would certainly consider using this with older KS2 children, certainly as an option to push and develop children's logic and to some extent creativity through ICT.
Wednesday 1 April 2009
...that Interactive maps would be useful for Geography
After linking this topic to our presentation, and the wonderful feedback we received from Rachael and the group, it was felt that this worked really well in the topic and would benefit children's geographical skills!
However, one question that I would like to pose is, do we as teacher's have to ensure that there is one place to do it on? Is this empowering? Our task was to create an interactive map of the campus, however, one group went one step further and did a brilliant one of their home. It was funny, enjoyable and well made. Could children do this? Or would it take away from the possible skills they can build up from doing it in a specific place?
I think teacher's have to consider why doing something will benefit the child more so than anything else, but in todays world, where we wish to empower, we have to get children to being doing this critically themselves.
However, one question that I would like to pose is, do we as teacher's have to ensure that there is one place to do it on? Is this empowering? Our task was to create an interactive map of the campus, however, one group went one step further and did a brilliant one of their home. It was funny, enjoyable and well made. Could children do this? Or would it take away from the possible skills they can build up from doing it in a specific place?
I think teacher's have to consider why doing something will benefit the child more so than anything else, but in todays world, where we wish to empower, we have to get children to being doing this critically themselves.
...Interesting how an iPod won Carling Cup for United, no?
"Ben Foster revealed he watched videos of Tottenham players taking penalties immediately before his Carling Cup shootout heroics.
The final went into a penalty shoot-out after a goalless 120 minutes.
Foster studied an iPod with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele with footage of Spurs' spot-kick takers."
Imagine taking this information into the classroom with you. If you have any boys in the class who might not like ICT or using it, this is surely a fantastic way to proove that their heroes are doing it as well, and it works for them. Thoughts?
The final went into a penalty shoot-out after a goalless 120 minutes.
Foster studied an iPod with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele with footage of Spurs' spot-kick takers."
Imagine taking this information into the classroom with you. If you have any boys in the class who might not like ICT or using it, this is surely a fantastic way to proove that their heroes are doing it as well, and it works for them. Thoughts?
Thursday 12 March 2009
...it's time for Radio RicConor!!!!
Simple, effective news for you! Ric and I used a very simple program called Podium and a microphone to create a radio news show for you!
I would certainly use this in the classroom as it is a fantastic tool to change boring creative writing into an imaginative process of creative thinking and is certainly an excellent way of assessing children's learning.
So, without further ado, here is the Radio show, with accompanying video, as I got too excited on Windows Movie Maker again! Please enjoy...
I would certainly use this in the classroom as it is a fantastic tool to change boring creative writing into an imaginative process of creative thinking and is certainly an excellent way of assessing children's learning.
So, without further ado, here is the Radio show, with accompanying video, as I got too excited on Windows Movie Maker again! Please enjoy...
Tuesday 3 March 2009
...that his feelings towards Super Duper Music Looper are mixed...
As we were publishing a video of our song, we just decided to have some writing to keep the file size small and so that you could listen to our song!
Ric and myself worked on this piece, to try and create a satisfying piece of music to go with a radio show (podcast) that we would be creating later in the module. We found it fairly easy to use, with simple instructions to follow. However, I thought that depending on the age, there is going to be less understanding about layers of music, what instruments are needed and can go together etc. So we thought that this product could be used with guidance at a younger age, but it can certainly empower children at a slightly older age in the Primary School, perhaps in Years 5 & 6?
The main downside I experienced was the fact that it contained set loops. As a musician, I was listening to what I could hear and wanted to add parts, and children of all age can make music with certain instruments. So I would say as a project to create music, it is a good product, however it can be enhanced and empowered by say, using Cool Tools or Cubase to record children and brought together to create satisfying pieces.
...that video gaming has come a long way...
So, from playing Lemmings on the Amiga 500 to being able to guide a Kart around a course using sensor technology to sense your actiopns against 11 other people from anywhere around the World in real time is quite a large jump, considering it was only 15 years that this has happened!
However, for me, the biggest change in video gaming, (particularly on Personal Computer's) is the way that people can purchase games. No longer do you have to go off to HMV with your £40 to by a massive cartridge. No longer do you even have to go to your local supermarket with a tenner for the most recent game on CD-ROM, now all you need is an internet connection, bank card and Steam. You buy the game, download it, and play it. Even better, you can go onto ANY computer, log in with your personal details, download the game, as you own it by buying it, and play it there. You don't need to put in a CD everytime you play, or wait for it to be delivered or take it with you. Everything is on Steam.
Steam is a fantastic program, produced by Game Developers Valve, with the initial idea to sell Half Life 2 and any mods (Counter Strike: Source etc) to gamers. However, with the huge success of this, with that over 75% of buys of the game being over Steam, other Game Developers are jumping on the Steam bandwagon. Games likes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, Fallout 3 all sold in the Games Market, are now being sold on Steam.
The consequence of this for children, mean that if they know "Daddy's password," they can go and play any game, shooters, zombies, horrors, without needing a cd that can be hidden etc, and children have their ways of finding out passwords.
This means that for a gamer, playing any game is made much easier, however, care has to be made to ensure that it is not as easy for children to play some games. I think that as more and more technology advances are made in video gaming, some ideas towards protection for children has to be considered as an important factor.
However, for me, the biggest change in video gaming, (particularly on Personal Computer's) is the way that people can purchase games. No longer do you have to go off to HMV with your £40 to by a massive cartridge. No longer do you even have to go to your local supermarket with a tenner for the most recent game on CD-ROM, now all you need is an internet connection, bank card and Steam. You buy the game, download it, and play it. Even better, you can go onto ANY computer, log in with your personal details, download the game, as you own it by buying it, and play it there. You don't need to put in a CD everytime you play, or wait for it to be delivered or take it with you. Everything is on Steam.
Steam is a fantastic program, produced by Game Developers Valve, with the initial idea to sell Half Life 2 and any mods (Counter Strike: Source etc) to gamers. However, with the huge success of this, with that over 75% of buys of the game being over Steam, other Game Developers are jumping on the Steam bandwagon. Games likes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, Fallout 3 all sold in the Games Market, are now being sold on Steam.
The consequence of this for children, mean that if they know "Daddy's password," they can go and play any game, shooters, zombies, horrors, without needing a cd that can be hidden etc, and children have their ways of finding out passwords.
This means that for a gamer, playing any game is made much easier, however, care has to be made to ensure that it is not as easy for children to play some games. I think that as more and more technology advances are made in video gaming, some ideas towards protection for children has to be considered as an important factor.
...there is a really odd big deal about larger broadband services in England at the minute...
What is all the fuss over? Well after doing some research, it comes down to the problem of living in rural/urban areas of the United Kingdom. The closer you live to an 'Exchange' and how many people are connected to it, affects your up- and down-load speeds. Currently, some children are making great use out of this, as one school as broadband up to speeds of 80mbps which is phenomenal.
Videos 2 and 3 here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7131115.stm show how this is affecting some children in schools.
One of the things you can do, is check against your postcode what you can recieve, http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php which could be handy for schools.
There is clearly a push for faster speeds, as the UK is falling behind many nations in the World, however if we are to spend £15 billion on creating a fibre optic network for the whole country, surely an emphasis has to be made to make it available to all? People in rural places, schools, businesses, home users should all pay for the amount they receive? Or should there be a set price, and you get as much as you can depending on where you live?
Videos 2 and 3 here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7131115.stm show how this is affecting some children in schools.
One of the things you can do, is check against your postcode what you can recieve, http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php which could be handy for schools.
There is clearly a push for faster speeds, as the UK is falling behind many nations in the World, however if we are to spend £15 billion on creating a fibre optic network for the whole country, surely an emphasis has to be made to make it available to all? People in rural places, schools, businesses, home users should all pay for the amount they receive? Or should there be a set price, and you get as much as you can depending on where you live?
...that Animation is AWESOME fun!
This video is fantastic! As a simple taster for what children aged eight can do with ICT, it shows that we as teacher's who might be negative about ICT, shouldn't let it stop the children being pioneer's of the subject. Some people would say, "Year 4? Animation? Nah...Can't be done, don't have the resources! etc etc"
Peter's Problem shows what can be done, and there are obvious links to Religious Education. I have really enjoyed making our Animation as a group which is entitled, 'On Top of Spaghetti...'
I hope that this shows that as a group, we felt that animation was an excellent tool to be able to use with the children, and that we would consider using it ourselves in the classroom.
...that he should post about all of the thoughts and ideas he has had over the course of this ICT module!
As I have wained with my vigilance on ensuring that I have been updating this blog every week, I am going to go over all my notes and thoughts and ideas that I have jotted down, and bring them to you, the reader of my blog.
So, to become a 'pioneer' of the internet, you must be a user of Web 2.0 technology in this day and age. Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, Youtube etc, all sites that I use without thought. They are easy to follow and use, and can allow you to 'put yourself' in thoughts, videos, pictures, information etc to the World via the World Wide Web. Blogger is a fantastic tool, as I have seen from everyone's blogs, as it allows you to give simple videos, links and ideas to others, sharing what you have found out.
However, there are clearly some dangers with this in the Primary Classroom. You wouldn't give a 6 year old facebook for example. The benefits are huge, when facilitated properly by the school and the teachers, for children to be able to interact in a virtual world, allowing learning, interacting and socialising to happen outside of the everyday classroom situation.
So, to become a 'pioneer' of the internet, you must be a user of Web 2.0 technology in this day and age. Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, Youtube etc, all sites that I use without thought. They are easy to follow and use, and can allow you to 'put yourself' in thoughts, videos, pictures, information etc to the World via the World Wide Web. Blogger is a fantastic tool, as I have seen from everyone's blogs, as it allows you to give simple videos, links and ideas to others, sharing what you have found out.
However, there are clearly some dangers with this in the Primary Classroom. You wouldn't give a 6 year old facebook for example. The benefits are huge, when facilitated properly by the school and the teachers, for children to be able to interact in a virtual world, allowing learning, interacting and socialising to happen outside of the everyday classroom situation.
Thursday 22 January 2009
...that ICT in the Classroom will vary depending on the confidence of the Teacher
Having experienced ICT and the use of it by over ten teachers to date, I would certainly feel that the lessons, whether using ICT to aid a lesson or an actual ICT lesson, have varied from Exchange, all the way to Extend, while showing elements of Empower.
I feel that I have realized that a teacher's ability in ICT, begins with their own confidence in the technology they are using. If a teacher is unsure whether training, or bad experience, etc, then they will shy away and use it as an 'Exchange' rather than to actually 'Extend' and deliver excellent lessons using their own ICT skills and confidence.
I have found this video that is about a school that received bad marks from Ofsted for its lack of ICT provision in school. I edited it down to the most important parts, and it is just less than five minutes long, but will really help you to understand why I think it is so important for teachers to be secure and confident with the very technology in their classrooms.
I feel that I have realized that a teacher's ability in ICT, begins with their own confidence in the technology they are using. If a teacher is unsure whether training, or bad experience, etc, then they will shy away and use it as an 'Exchange' rather than to actually 'Extend' and deliver excellent lessons using their own ICT skills and confidence.
I have found this video that is about a school that received bad marks from Ofsted for its lack of ICT provision in school. I edited it down to the most important parts, and it is just less than five minutes long, but will really help you to understand why I think it is so important for teachers to be secure and confident with the very technology in their classrooms.
If you wish to view the original video, please click on the link at the top of this post which will take you to Teachers tv.
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