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!

e-Safety

I've just done some research on e-Safety in schools I wanted to look over. I found some really useful websites I could refer to for further advice on these issues, I've included them below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/topics/stay-safe
http://support.securus-software.com/user/71/281667.pdf
http://www.theschoolwebsite.com/healthandsafety.html

Who is responsible for e-Safety in schools?

• It is the responsibility of all members of staff in school to uphold a responsible attitude towards e-Safety. however, it seems common practice to have a designated e-Safety co-ordinator within the school, who monitors issues regarding e-Safety within the school and monitors the implementations put in place to keep the children safe.

What are the key issues regarding e-Safety in schools?

• Contact: children need to be protected from being vulnerable to making connections with strangers who may want to exploit them in some way via chat rooms, blogs and social media, and be made aware of how they can keep themselves safe in these realms outside the classroom and still be able to make the best use of them.

• Security: children should be educated about what information they should and shouldn't give away and what sources are safe and reliable to download from and which may contain viruses.

• Content: schools need to ensure that children are unable to access sites which are inappropriate or offensive due to their content.

• Cyber Bullying: this is an increasingly used form of bullying and needs to be discussed and made visible with the children, and policies related to how to deal with cyber bullying done on computers in and outside the school should be established.

How are parents and carers informed about e-Safety? Where can parents find out about health and safety issues regarding their children's use of the internet?

I found a site which gives advice to parents with regards to their children's e-Safety at home and how that bleeds into the classroom:

http://www.e-learningfoundation.com/e-safety

Other than online advice from sources like these, parents should be informed about their children's e-Safety within school through the school's policies.

What are the rules about photos of children on a school website?

This seems to vary depending on the school. But the consensus seems to be that children, if featured in photographs, should be in groups, with their names either anonymous or only first names included. 

How long should you allow a child to work on a PC (in health and safety terms)?

I couldn't find an definitive answer! But I would assume an hour or so is more than enough, as it seems most ICT lessons are planned in this sort of time frame in the schools I have worked in.

It is clear from looking at these aspects of e-Safety that as a teacher I will need to know my schools policies and implementations to ensure e-Safety, and remember the importance of educating the children about how to use the internet safely and sensibly.

Week 1 cont'd...How Can Web 2.0 be used in the Classroom?

I noticed after writing up all my thoughts about our first ICT session last night that I forgot to reflect on at a key reason why we looked at Web 2.0 as an idea in the first place! That was: 

How can this new form of technology be applied, used and useful in the school/classroom?

I covered these areas in my 'Web 2.0' mind map in a previous blog entry below, but just in case the image wasn't very clear, I thought I'd quickly go over some of the ways it could be used:

• You Tube - children are able to see the world in action, things they can't necessarily see at home or in the confines of the classroom. Also uploading the children's own films to share with friends and family is a new way for them to learn to express themselves, and film making for this context is an exciting potential tool for aiding the children's learning.
• Online Teaching Resources - there are a wealth of online resource and support networks for teachers  where I can seek advice, ideas and useful resources from other teachers around the world
• Online Learning Resources - similarly for children, there are lots of websites set up to aid children's learning outside the classroom - some examples being The British Museum Website and BBC Bitesize - designed to enrich children's learning and help them find their own answers and understanding of the things they learn in the classroom.
• Blogging - as discussed earlier, blogging, if done in a secure context, can be a great way to help children feel connected to their world and a way for them to practice and improve their literacy and ICT skills.

To name a few. All these potential uses of Web 2.0 demonstrate how widely and varyingly it can be applied in the Primary School.

Looking back on the mind maps I created, I think they seem to express more succinctly my relfections on the session than my written blog, but in the blog was able to provide the detail. I feel I need to work on a balance between these two forms so that my blog is not too detailed, wordy and essay-like , after all, this is supposed to be a reflective log, not a record of the notes I have already taken. But I also don't want it to be too brief. I think I also need some more pictures and other resources! I hope it is enjoyable to read thus far though!

I'm still pretty new to this blogging business so I guess it'll take some time... I think I'll be more organised next week and have one, more self contained reflection...

Until Next Time :)!

Week 1: An Introduction to ICT - Web 2.0 and The Bloggersphere

So, I've done a bit of tinkering, now I just wanted to take some time to look back on my first ICT session, and some of the things I've started to think about.

In 'The Cloud'

We began the session by looking at how ICT can be useful to us as trainee/future teachers. One of the most important things in today's fast paced wireless world is for us to be able to access information remotely. We looked at how this can be achieved in a number of ways through the use of the internet:

• Recording bookmarked websites and resources on an online bookmarking site such as delicious.co.uk - allowing you access teaching materials anywhere there is a computer and an internet connection.
• Uploading great images and pictorial resources onto Photo sharing/hosting sites like flickr.com
• Storing useful and important documents and worksheets on online storage sites like dropbox.com and google documents.
• Keeping record of all your appointments, lessons and meetings on an online calendar like google calendar.
• Being able to create documents on the go through use of free word processing/office software like that found on zoho.com
• Keeping track of great video and music resources through the use of online video sharing sites like youtube.com and spotify.com 

I was aware of some of these resources, but can say I use only a few of them. After discovering how useful they can be, I think I will look into using all these resources in some shape or form.

Web 2.0

We then looked at the notion of Web 2.0; What is it and what implications has it had on our lives?

What is Web 2.0?

It is new way of using and understanding the web:

• we are no longer just static consumers of the internet, taking information from it in a one way fashion. We now create the internet; we contribute to it's growth and content in a continual cyclical process of interaction.
• it is fascilitated by the creation of new kinds of applications and technology which allow us to share and connect with those across the internet.

Examples of Web 2.0?

• Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace)
• Storage and sharing facilities based in the Cloud (Dropbox, Flickr, iCloud)
• Wikipedia
• Video and Music sharing (You Tube, Vevo)
• Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing (MSN messenger, Skype)
• Blogging
• Online auction sites/retailers (Amazon, Ebay)

All these applications allow users to share information and interact with people through the use of the internet.

What are the implications of Web 2.0?

Here are some of the points discussed in the session that I wanted to reflect on:

Pros:

• the ablility to share, connect and interact with a vast range of people all over the world means that we can learn more about our world and those who live in it than ever before.
• being able to access pictures and documents from anywhere allows for optimum portability, security (to a certain extent) and convenience.

Cons:

• How accurate and reliable is the information we discover on the web, when it is contructed from a variety of authors from differing backgrounds of expertise and experience, unlike textbooks which have been thoroughly edited and moderated before publishing? (Wikipedia as an example of this)
• How safe is our personal privacy with our data in The Cloud?

I think I can relate to both sides of these arguments in relation to Web 2.0. 

I think it is incredible that I am able to get advice from people on the other side of the world about a new baking recipe I'm having trouble with, or research consumers opinions on a product I'm thinking of buying, and being able to share the joy of my new baby cousin being born through uploading photos of her on Facebook. 

But I also have concerns about how much information these kinds of applications and services require and acquire. How safe are documents I upload onto dropbox? How much do the administrators of facebook actually know about me and what are they doing with this information? 

The issues connected with Web 2.0 are particularly important when thinking about it's use by children both in and out of school. How, as a teacher, can I encourage the use of these resources for their positive traits, but still make sure the children are kept safe, that they are not compromising their personal safety and privacy by giving away information they don't need to? I think these are issues I will have to constantly think about when working with children and ICT in the school and classroom.

Blogs and Blogging

My reflections on the implications of Web 2.0 bring me on nicely to the next aspect of the session we explored; Blogging and it's use in Primary Schools. We watched a short film about the issues around using and encouraging blogging in school; the benefits, it's connections to the Curriculum subjects, as well is the concerns related to safety it raises and how these concerns can be met. Here is a summary of these issues and ideas:

What is a Blog?

A Blog is an online journal; a place where we, the author, can publish our thoughts, observations, pictures.

Why use Blogging in the Primary School?

• it gives children a voice - in knowing people are reading their blogs, they feel they have a presence in the world in which they live. 
• this sensation in turn encourages the children to want to work on their writing, to master how they articulate themselves - this effects their progress in other areas of learning such as literacy and all the other written work across the foundation subjects.
• it is a way for children to share their knowledge; with their peers, with family and friends, in a way they wouldn't have been able to previously. This can help with learning, as sharing and exchanging knowledge and experience with those around you can enrich that knowledge and nourish it's growth.
• it can help the linguistic development of EAL children - due to an increased exposure to the english language on a practical and everyday level, especially when it's content relates to a personal passion they wish to express and share
• it improves the children's understanding of the technology they are using; they become more familiar with the tools and knowledge they need to use computers and the internet generally.

e-Safety: How does the school deal with security issues?

This aspect of blogging was briefly covered in the film. The school outlined several ways in which they ensured the children could blog and be safe:

• Education: the children, before creating their blogs, were made aware of what information they could and couldn't include in their blogs and the reasons for this.  
• Filtering and Moderators: The school put in place a filter which allowed only friends and family to see and comment on the blogs through certain security measures. They also made sure that no email contact was made directly with the children and that comments were moderated by teachers and responsible adults.

In Reflection...

It is clear that the technological advances brought on by the Web 2.0 ethos have many great strengths and uses. I think it's important that I remember that this way of using the web is an everyday thing for the children I will be teaching, and that although they may have a better understanding than I do, it is important that I make sure they are conscious of the ways in which they use this technology and the effects this has on their safety, security and well being; that sometimes a bit of mystery and moderation in the views, opinions and information we put out there on ether can mean the difference between between being able to enjoy the excitement of connecting with the world and sharing things with friends and being vulnerable to those out there who wish to use our desire to share and interact with the outside world against us.

Mind Map Software in Action

I've included two mind maps I tried compiling on the MindNode software. Still think mind maps are a great thing, but not sure this is quite the right software to use. As the 'nodes' or branches get more complex it gets more awkward to use. Also it saves the mind map in an non compatible format, so these images are screen grabs of the maps. What's more, it's only downloadable on macs, which limits it's audience somewhat!

 However, the mind maps themselves summarise nicely the main points we explored in our first session, though i think I will create another entry with these ideas bullet pointed as I'm still experimenting with this whole blog interface and the mind map software...

Mind Mapping

I've been thinking about how I can reflect on my ICT sessions by using ICT. I'm a big fan of mind maps, I make them all the time on scraps of paper. I thought they'd be a great way to bring together my thoughts after each session.

There are some great mind mapping softwares around, I'm most familiar with one on the iPad called Mind Node. It's quite a simplistic piece of software, in that is doesn't have as many options as some other softwares I've seen (I should find some examples of these); like being able to order and number the branches and make more sophisticated sub-branches, but I think it's simplicity is also what makes it so effective. It's really aesthetically pleasing too, with each new branch a different vibrant colour and the font is lovely and easy to read.

I think something like Mind Node could be used really effectively in the classroom/teaching/learning setting. I've seen mind mapping used increasingly in schools, as a way for children to process and order their thoughts, which I think is really encouraging. Being able to make mind maps interactively with a class through the use of effective software would be a great thing. My mind maps can get messy, so being able to create them through a computer program would solve the potential issue of being unable to read a hurried scrawl, and similarly for the children, those who struggle with writing in certain contexts would be able to concentrate on articulating their thoughts, and do so far more easily.

I wonder whether there is any mind mapping software designed specifically for children, maybe that I could use on the interactive whiteboard?... (note to self: look into this!). I think the Mind Node software I use is friendly enough to use in a classroom ... maybe I should look into incorporating it into lessons (where appropriate) that I plan in the future... though I don't know how that particular software would work on the board... it would be nice to find some designed specifically for it.

Think I'll whip up a mind map tomorrow and upload it, and look into some other useful mind mapping software and make a log of that too, so it's all here for me to take from when I need it...