Week 3: Computers are taking control!

The User-Friendly Age

 We began this weeks' session by exploring the notion of 'Digital Media'. This can be defined as:

"any type of information in digital format including computer-generated text, graphics and animations, as well as photographs, animation, sound and video." (http://www.imcca.org/resources/glossary)

Our use and interaction with these kinds of media have changed in recent years. It is so much easier to use and access this kind of technology now. Once upon a time (not so long ago!), if we wanted to connect a camera to a computer it would take a tool belt's worth of screwdrivers (perhaps a bit of an over-exaggeration, but still, it was fiddly!) to attach the appropriate wires.

Nowadays, we live in a "Plug n' Play" culture; with the introduction of  the USB it has never been more simple to connect devices to our computers!

In some cases, we no longer even need wires (yippee!); wireless connectivity allows us to transfer files and information between devices without the nuisance of having a the right USB cable at hand, and sometimes even without us even having to actively go through the act of transferring! An iPod, for example, can now 'Sync' with iTunes whenever it locates the computer it's linked to on a wireless network!

Software is much more user-friendly these days too; gone are the days of clunky graphics and interfaces which needed a computerphile at hand to help you navigate them. Using software has never been so simple!

Both these recent changes mean that technology is not only more convenient in the home, but in the school setting too. Children don't need to spend weeks learning how to use a new software, or how to connect different devices; they can most of the time figure this out for themselves due to everything being so much more accessible. This means that technology can be used more readily in the classroom, by teachers and pupils alike.

Computer are taking control!

We moved on from this to look at how technology is a now part of our everyday lives, not just in the sense that most homes have a TV or computer, but that computers are now a part of so many objects and infrastructures we use everyday.

What is 'computer control'?

We use computers to 'control' certain contexts through programming them to behave in a certain way. Examples of this can be seen all around us, both inside and outside the home. Here are some we came up with:

Inside the Home:

• Microwave
• Central Heating
• Sky +
• Washing Machine
• Burglar Alarm

Without the use of computer programming in these devices, they would be useless. It is a computer 'program' which tells a microwave how hot to get and for how long to heat a certain food. Though we press the buttons, without the programming nothing would happen!

Outside the Home:

• Traffic Lights
• Central Locking 
• Automatic Doors
• Barcode Scanners
• Train Depature Screens/Timetables
• CCTV

What became clear to me after we highlighted these examples was actually how much we depend on programmed computers to keep not only our household gadgets going, but the infrastructures of our society and contemporary world! If a computer conected to a traffic light system goes down, chaos ensues! That realisation really struck a chord with me.

Why use computers to control things?

We then went on to look at why we should, or do, use computers to control things at all. Here are a few ideas we brainstromed:

they are:

• accurate (I thought that was debatable! Though it was pointed out to me that you could say the failure of a computer is not the computer's 'fault' but a human fault of/in the human who programmed it!)
• speedy
• efficient/consistent
• convenient
• cost-effective

How have computers taking control affected our lives?

This last point, of computers being cheaper and more cost effectiveness, led us on to think about the effects this proliferation of programmed computers in our everyday infrastructure have had.

The Job Market

Clearly the increased use of programmed computers has had a detrimental effect on the job market. As we so often hear, people are being 'replaced by computers' in so many areas of work.

Gone are the days when a single human being was responsible to press a few buttons and pull a few levers to keep something going, or assemble products on an assembly line. These days computers do that all for us. This has meant that many people who's lives and careers were in industry have lost their livelihoods, and what's worse is that those jobs are not open to people who would have taken them in the future.

This has obviously affected the job market, with those people no longer able to work in the areas where computers haven taken control, having to look elsewhere for work and often not finding it.

Too Reliant on Technology?

For me, this question highlights a very sobering aspect of the ubiquity of technology in today's world. It would be fair to say that our world now relies heavily on technology to function. Programmed computers are everywhere, controlling all kinds of aspects of our lives. I hadn't realised the extent to which this was the case until we explored it in the session.

My question is: is there a point where this control goes too far? Are we too reliant of technology these days? Even more scary is the thought of what might happen were technology to fail us one day? If we run out of power tomorrow, could our world survive, or would it fall into chaos? Perhaps we need to look to sustaining some of our human skills, so that if technology fails, we can survive without it!

 Computer Programming in the Classroom

 Moving on from that slightly apocalytpic note, we began to look at how Computer Programming is featured in the classroom, most particularly in Primary Education. 

We discovered it was explored in a variety of ways, most of which were addressing computer programming, but without being necessarily aware of it. I liked this as it encourages children to see computer programming as part of their everyday life and learning environment, and for them to start to think about computer science as a much more approachable thing that they can contribute to the future of, as opposed to use passively in the old consumer sense. 

We looked at several different gadgets for use in the classroom which inadvertently (and sometimes not so inadvertently) require the children the program them in order to use them. We got a chance to have a play with all of them, to see how we might use them in the classroom.

• BeeBot

this simple device needs to be programmed with directions of either forward back left or right and told when to move to get around. the challenge is in the fact that these directions need to all be programmed in one after the other in one go; a couple of times we lost our way half way through! We had fun getting it to move alongside other BeeBots and trying to work out how many moves it would take to get round something, as you can see from my videos!

• Pippin

This much less interesting device worked in the same way, except this time the instructions we could program into it were much more varied and complex. We could tell it how many times to repeat the sequence, what degree angle to turn and for how long a distance. This could be used with older children. We thought it a great tool to use when looking at shapes and angles in maths. We were also able to rest a pin within the device so could draw shapes on paper.... we had a go at drawing a house, quite successfully I reckon!

Monitoring

We also looked at some devices which are programmed to monitor things. We thought these would be useful  in Science, Geography and DT.

• Digital Microscope

This was very easy to use and a great way for children to get up close with the world around them without the need of too much adult supervision or a technician looming over them. Linked to the computer with a simple USB cable, the images captured are recordable on an accompanying software, so children could record their findings without having the hassle of having to draw what they see.

• Data Logger

This user friendly device could measure sound, temperature and light levels. We thought this would be perfect for use in Science or Geography, as the data collected, again through a piece of software when connected to the computer, is turned into graphs and charts with ease. 

Overall, it's clear there are some really useful devices which use computer monitoring and control which children could use across their curriculum subjects, but which still require children to use and improve their ICT skills.

This weeks entry is a bit of a long'un, hope it's been interesting though!

Till next time!

Week 2: The Interactive Whiteboard

We had a very hands on session this week! We were introduced to the Interactive Whiteboard; What it is and how we can use it in the classroom. Here's this weeks mind map highlighting the main points of our discussions:

Hope you can read it ok! 

What is an IWB?

An Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) has the layout of your everyday computer screen, and performs the same functions you would with a computer, but this time it is projected onto a large interactive screen, which instead of navigating with a mouse, you navigate with a sensored pen or your finger! This is an interesting video introducing the ways in which the IWB can be used in the classroom:

In my primary school days during the 90's, we had normal whiteboards with no interactive qualities at all. Since their introduction in the mid-noughties, IWB's have become pretty common place. In less than a decade they have become an integral part of children's everyday learning in the classroom. The most common kinds of IWB are Smart Boards (you often hear them being referred to as this, as opposed to 'Interactive Whiteboards').


Why use an IWB?

As you can see from my mind map, in the session we discussed the uses of the IWB, what to consider when using one, and what benefits it can bring to teaching and learning. These are some of the points I think were most important:

• variety of uses: it can be used for a range of activities in the classroom. From demonstrations, to class games, for accessing internet, video and music resources across the entire range of curriculum subjects! 

• addresses the needs of all learners: through using the IWB we as teachers are able to address the needs of different kinds of learners through a single source. Visual, Audible and Kinesthetic learners can all be catered for through the use of the IWB. The IWB can also be effective in helping EAL and SEN children with their particular needs through the variety of ways it can be utilised in lessons; e.g using images for helping those with english as a new language and using audio and interactive elements for a child who is dyslexic or a child with ADHD who has difficulty concentrating on learning when sat still in a classroom.

• note to self: is it being used effectively? - one particularly interesting point we explored was the importance for us as future teachers to ensure that we are making the most out the IWB in lessons. Are we using the appropriate software/resources? In using the IWB are we enhancing the child's learning? Or is the IWB being used in a way that makes it no different at all to a normal whiteboard? Are we utilising this resource as much as possible? These are essential questions we need to ask ourselves when designing resources on the IWB and using them daily in lessons.

The Lesson Activity Toolkit:

We went on to look at the SmartBoard software itself. We learnt the basic skills for using the IWB, like how to use different pen functions, insert text and images and change background colours:

I was particularly impressed with the 'Gallery' section of the software, which had useful images for every subject area of the curriculum. I also liked the 'record the page' facility, which you could use to record how things changed on the whiteboard and how the resources were interacted with. This could be a really great way of assessing the effectiveness of the resources you have designed by playing the lesson back and watching how it was used, or actually in lessons to demonstrate the different stages of a process or skill.

We then, in groups, looked at certain interactive tools available through the software and how we might incorporate them in everyday lessons and shared our tests and ideas. Here are the 'lesson activities' we looked at:

• Magnifying Tool: where you can reveal hidden words/text by running a magnifying glass over them. I found this tool simple but incredibly effective; I can see it working as a great starter to a lesson!

• Page Recording:  this is the tool I commented on earlier, where you can record how the resources on the board are interacted with. This could be great to use in Maths when writing out a formal calculation step by step.

• Click to Reveal: this tool could be used as a way for checking what children remember of what they've learnt from a previous lesson. Button shaped icons are placed over answers to conceal them, and clicked on, to then fade and reveal the answer.

• Checker Tool: this was one of my favourite tools. It works by creating a question with multiple answers. Each answer is then dragged into the answer box until the correct answer is revealed. 

• Erase to Reveal: this is a tool where you hide pictures or text by colouring over them in the same colour as the background, only then to reveal them by erasing away at the screen. 

• Random Generator: this tool is used to pick or generate numbers or words at random. It could be used as a great maths starter where children have to relate something to the number generated.

• Pull Tabs and Grouping:  this is a very visual tool which involves hiding pictures or information from view by placing them just off screen attached to tabs, and pulling the tabs into the middle of the screen to bring them into view. This could be used in all sorts of lessons to introduce children to topics and ideas.

• Magic Tunnel: this less simple tool seems to be well worth the effort considering it's effect. It is essentially an optical illusion where you push a question through a cylindrical tunnel and pull out the answer on the other side. This is done by cleverly colouring the question and answer in two contrasting colours, and after some complex grouping of shapes, with the effect that, for example, the purple coloured font of the question seems to transform into the yellow font displaying the answer.

• Balloon Pop: I was part of the group which looked at this function.You can conceal an image or information with a balloon, writing the questions you want to ask on the balloon and tapping on it to reveal the answer to that question. We looked at it in the context of a Maths lesson: concealing the answers to questions about the number of sides a shape has. Here is a short clip of it in action:

I think overall we looked at some really interesting ways to start using the IWB. I can see the benefits of using one in the classroom;  it's exciting and engaging for the children, there are a wealth of resources and ideas for lessons and models of explanation to use without having to dig through a props cupboard only to find half the stuff you want missing. 

However, I don't think the IWB should replace real life experiences; handling a real snail, counting up numbers with real bricks, getting a bit mucky with real paint! 

But I can see some of the ways in which it can be invaluable in the classroom setting.

On a practical note, I think the software will take a little while to get used to; it did get quite fiddly at times, but I'm sure soon enough I'll get the hang of things! I'm looking forward to seeing what we do next with it!

Until Next Week!