Week 9: Web 2.0

Hi guys and welcome back to my blog!

Today our learning objective was to understand the term Web 2.0 and associated applications and the implications for teaching and learning. We also critically analyse the web 2.0 applications in order to evaluate their meaningly uses across the Primary Curriculum.

According to Sherry (2010), Web 2.0 is the result of several evolutions which have happened at the same time:

• the personal computer evolved into an appliance that is found in many homes, schools and offices.
• Mobile phones emerged as devices capable of making phone calls as well as accessing the World Wide Web
• web-based applications were developed for use on many devices.
• Web 2.0 is characterised by fully featured applications that run within the browser and offer rich user experiences.
• Web 2.0 data is stored separately from instructions from how the data should be displayed so that the content can be accessible from a variety of internet-based devices.

Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

Here are some examples of Web 2.0 tools for school which we've looked at during this session:

• Wallwisher
• Wordle 
• Twiducate
• Prezi
• voki
• pinterest

Wallwisher

               

    

Week 4: interactive Whiteboard and Phonics

This session was very beneficial for the Early Years and Key Stage 1 classroom as it gave us ideas how to teach phonics by making use of the IWB. Essentially,the teaching of phonics involves the matching of sounds (phonemes) with letters or a combination of letters (graphemes) such as /ee/ /ea/ /ay/ /ai/, by a process of blending and segmenting which is commonly known as ‘synthetic phonics’. As soon as children learn to familiarise themselves with the grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs), they will be able to de-code written words into sounds and encode verbal language into written language. Obviously, teachers can use different techniques and activities to inculcate these basic ideas, but outcome should be the same. The point to be noted is that blending and segmenting are reversible processes. There are 6 phases of phonics, but I won't be going into too much details in this blog.

By using the magic box, I thought it would be a good idea to teach children about the letter 's' and check if they can recognise it with everyday objects. As you can see in the picture, I have added a magic box at the bottom and all the objects that start with letter 's', when dragged down, will be hidden behind the box whilst those which don't, will lie on top of it. In order to achieve this, I clicked on the objects and changed the order settings of each of them. It is great activity as it not only raises awareness of the 's' letter but at the same time it enables the students on practicing on sounding out the words.

Akilah.....

Week 3: Multimedia in the classroom

Today our lesson was based on the focus of multimedia and its impact on teaching and learning in the Early Years and Primary classroom. Not only did it provide an insight on how to professionally use them in promoting good practice but it we also discussed about issues such as developing an awareness of audience and the ability to present researched information in an appropriate manner to the intended audience. 

What is multimedia?
According to BBC (2014)a multimedia product uses a combination of images, words and sounds to present information. Multimedia is increasingly being used in education, advertising and entertainment.



Getting bored with PowerPoints? Why not try using Prezi, it is FREE and more fun to create. If you haven't signed up yet, just log in with your Facebook account details and you will be able to create the most magnificent presentations that will appeal to your classroom. You can still incorporate videos, sounds and pictures to it and the kids will love it. Try it!

Using Prezi, I have created a presentation on the place where I live. It was really simple to start with as I used my Facebook login details and began by choosing a design whilst choosing a few pictures from my locality. Once I have chosen the canvas design, I began to personalise my text font with the desired size, shape and colour.  I was also able to edit the zooming preferences and rehearsed my presentation before saving it.

BBC Active (2010) pints out that On the educational scene, Prezi is fast becoming the new kid on the block. Prezi’s unique slick “zooming” function offers an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional PowerPoint presentations in education and business alike. Prezi is an online, Flash-based presentation creator who shares similar functionalities with other information presentation programmes such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynotes. It is a visual learning tool which allows you to create maps of texts, images, videos, graphics, etc… and present them in a nonlinear way. The menu for adding elements has a very unique navigational approach and is easy to master. 

It also allows the children to stay focused as it is visually stimulating.

                        

Afterwards, we were introduced to some multimedia programs that are suitable for EYFS and Key Stage 1 pupils. This includes:

• Active Studio (Promethean IWB)
• Notebook (Smart IWB)
• Photostory
• Clicker 6
• Storymaker

We have used Clicker 6 to retell a story to the classroom by using images and sound, you can even record your own voice! This is a fantastic programme and I will definitely be using it in the Early years and Key Stage 1 settings. Crick (2015) points out that Clicker 6 will read any on-screen text in a clear, human-sounding voice, highlighting each word as it is spoken. This support enables many pupils to access a broader range of texts than they would ordinarily be able to read. It also helps children to vocalise their thought and unleash their creativity skills when it comes to writing their own stories with the use of a software.

Akilah........

Week 2: Using interactive whiteboard to enhance teaching and learning

In this session, we learnt about the different techniques required to enhance teaching and learning by the use of an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB). Clearly, it has various properties which eases the process of teaching in the classroom, but again this depends on the way the content is being structured and presented. We have also discussed about essential health and safety issues with regards to the IWB.



What is an Interactive Whiteboard?

According to Becta (2003), an interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-sensitive board which is connected to a digital projector and a computer. The projector displays the image from the computer screen on the board. The computer can then be controlled by touching the board, either directly or with a special pen. There are a number of manufacturers of interactive whiteboards, offering a variety of specifications and capabilities at a range of prices. 

In deciding for the perfect location for the IWB, as trainee teachers we should always ensure that it is easily accessible and that all the children have a clear line of sight of the board regardless of where they are seated. The font of texts and the clarity of the images are important considerations that need to be chosen accordingly to suit the learner. Another key aspect is to check the height of the IWB is at a level for the age group of the children because this will enable them to move their fingers up and down freely, thus developing their fine motor skills.You also need to bear in mind the access opportunities for wheelchair users as well as adapting text to suit dyslexia and visually impaired children.

Check out this amazing video for a clearer view of the advantages of having the IWB in the classroom:https://vimeo.com/78353856

Benefits of the IWB to students Becta (2003):

• it increases enjoyment and motivation
• greater opportunities of participation and collaboration, developing children's personal and social skills
• clearer view of difficult concepts
• different learning styles to suit the needs of different students such as EAL,  visual, kinaesthetic and auditory learners, making it multi-sensory.

Throughout the session, we learnt to familiarise ourselves with the essential tools of the Smart Notebook application. This included deconstructing images with the use of the camera tool; the activity toolkit; using the magic pen to make a spotlight; taking still shots from a video clip; sorting out the transparency between two images. I will be demonstrating to you how my group carried out the task which involved deconstructing two images. We decided to use a picture with bare trees depicting autumn. This resource potentially creates a link to a cross-curricular ICT and geography lesson with regards to weather and seasons. As I clicked on the camera icon, the small box appears. Then, I clicked on the first icon which enabled me to draw a square on the area of interest that I would like to point out to the children. Through this, they can also learn about the similarities and differences in the picture adding scope for the EAL learners as it is visually stimulating.

I hope this blog has been useful to you, and don"t hesitate to leave your comments below! See you soon.

Akilah .........

Week 1: E-safety

ICT can offer many positive and social benefits to young people, but unfortunately there are some dangers. This blog offers a snapshot of the current situation amongst young and vulnerable children, but the awareness of e-safety issues should be an ongoing process. Unfortunately these issues take place outside the school premises and has to be controlled by a responsible adult as children are somehow ignorant and unknowingly give confidential information to strangers. Therefore, these values have to be constantly reinforced to them not only at home and school but also amongst the wider community and media as a whole.

According to Barber, et al. (2012), many websites are now issuing an age-verification requirement before giving access to their content. This kind of facility provides another preventive layer for children and adults warning them that they might encounter unsuitable content. However, these features are extremely debatable in the sense that it is very easy to lie about their age when registering and usually access is given to a site by the mere clicking of a box. The following videos can help raise awareness in children and can educate them about keeping safe online. By teaching them how to remain confidential as well as think twice before talking or sharing personal information, these threats can be potentially avoided.

Bryon (2010) has established a digital code and a set of behaviours called 'Zip It, Block It, Flag It' - this is used by practitioners with children.

• Zip It  -' Keep your personal stuff private and think out what you say and do online'.

• Block it - 'Block people who send nasty messages and don't open unknown links and attachments'.

• Flag It - 'Flag up with someone you trust if anything upsets you of if someone asks to meet you offline'.

It has come to my attention that many children are relatively using social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram despite the fact that there is a certain age requirement in order to log on. Very often they just do so in order to be able to play games by using fake names and ages. By doing so, they are unknowingly indulging themselves to interact with a wide range of people who are not only able to send them either sweet or offensive messages but can can also access their status updates as well as their pictures and personal details. As part of the safety awareness measures, children should be taught not to share any such information on a social networking website and should only add people whom they are familiar with to their friends' list. However, there can be events when a person's account has been hacked. Should you suspect anything like that, please unfriend that person straight away.

The internet can be fun and fascinating tool whilst always bringing up new applications and various facilities. But if you feel that someone has been verbally abusive to you and has said something that has upset you in any sense, please click on CEOP immediately!
Always tell an adult that you trust and they will report it back to CEOP as this is a very serious issue.

Akilah......