Session Two – 30th October 2012: Interactive Whiteboard

Following the trend we have come to expect on our Primary PGCE Programme, learning and teaching input was taken up another notch this week as we were introduced to the wonders of the interactive whiteboard (IWB).  UK schools have embraced this technology and about 93% of UK classrooms now have them installed.  Like many other computer applications, they are sometimes underused with only a fraction of their potential being used and explored by teachers and their pupils.  By using my learning from, and prompted by, this session I will ensure that I do not fall into this trap. 

My learning from today’s ITC module session included:

• Increased understanding of the potential of the IWB.
It can be used as an alternative to virtually all other classroom resources.  It can bring the world to the children in my classroom

• How the IWB can make me a better teacher.
A good teacher with an IWB will always outperform a good teacher without an IWB

• Developing specific skills for the IWB
such as using the tools Magic Tunnel, Magnifier Glass, Checker Tool, Click to Reveal, Erase to Reveal, Random Generator, Pull Tabs and Balloon Pop Tool
• The need to adapt the IWB to my children and my class.

Reflections on learning – Implications for my teaching practice

1. By putting time and effort into using the IWB well, I can maximise its potential to support multi-sensory learning.  It supports visual learners through its images, auditory learners as you can add sound and kinaesthetic learners because of its interactivity.

2. The IWB is a great tool for supporting EAL and SEN pupils and developing children’s literacy, ICT and thinking skills.

3. The IWB helps children to get used to talking about their thinking and explaining their reasoning and actions – very important skills in core curriculum
                                         subjects such as mathematics and science.

4. It will always be important to have a back up plan in case the IWB technology fails during my lesson

5. I need to be aware of other considerations when using the IWB such as:

                Positioning    making sure natural light does not obscure the view

                Access          making sure that the IWB is not too high for children to reach

                Visibility         making sure that text on the IWB is large and that the overall content is  not too cluttered

Reflections and key learning points from this week’s directed task

1. Make sure I engage the children who may be sitting furthest away from the IWB e.g. by asking them questions or selecting them to come up to the board
2. Multimodal approaches to teaching offer a variety of modes to deliver and reinforce learning to minds that respond best to different stimuli.  IWBs offer a powerful tool for the delivery of such approaches
3. NQTs often confuse teaching about ICT and teaching using ICT, especially if there is a lack of clarity in the purpose of their lessons
4. Children coming up to the board could slow down the pace of a lesson so these elements need   to be carefully planned
5. On the other hand, when used well IWBs quicken the pace of a lesson as they reduce interruptions between the flow from one teaching point to the next
6. An IWB allows for interaction during the lesson and so can respond well to children’s feedback and ideas/learning needs during the lesson
7. An IWB should be used in all parts of the lesson (starter, main, plenary) but its use in group work is often neglected
8. The full potential of an IWB is achieved when it encourages the user to think in the context of an activity that they are conducting.  Drag and Drop, Matching and Hiding are all good examples of this
9. People generally remember 10% of what they read and 90% of what they do (Dale’s ‘Core of Experience', 1946)
10. An IWB can be used to assist handwriting development by making a record of the ways in which letters were formed and then playing it back to a pupil in slow motion

Research has shown that IWBs have the power to:

- Make learning fun and exciting for pupils Levy (2002)
- Make lessons more engaging for teachers  Smith (2001)
- Encourage children to pay attention Education Action Zone (2002)
- Combine serious intentions with fun Cuthell (2005)
- Help develop the language skills of deaf pupils Clark & Cooper (2003)

There are several Interesting case studies on the use of IWBs in primary schools:

• Primary school students' perceptions of interactive whiteboards - Ian Hall & Steve Higgins (2005)
• From 'bored' to screen: the use of the interactive whiteboard for literacy in six primary classrooms - Arthur Shenton & Linda Pagett (2007)
• How is the interactive whiteboard being used in the primary school and how does this affect teachers and teaching? - Julie Cogill (2002)
• The use of the interactive whiteboard for creative teaching and learning in literacy and mathematics: a case study - Ruth Wood & Jean Ashfield (2007)

Session One - 23rd October 2012: Web 2.0 and Blogging

 

All Systems Go!  The Information Communications Technology (ICT) module of my PGCE Primary course started this week.  Over the next six weeks, I am going to learn a lot about how ICT can be used effectively to support teaching and learning in Primary schools.  This weekly blog will share and provide a record of: the topics covered in each session, my learning from the session, my reflections on the implications for my teaching practice and a summary of my wider learning and additional reading prompted by the session.

My learning from the session included:

• New technical skills such as the use of the 'print screen' key to insert a screen shot into a word document.  Also, how to set up a blog and the features of a good blog.

•  An understanding of the term 'Web 2.0' (a trend in the use of the internet reflecting its use for interactive communication) and that it is a world that children know.  The internet is relevant and positive to them because they can't compare it to a time before its invention.

• Increased awareness of web sites used by children such as Bebo (used for social networking) and Crazytalk (used to make an Avatar of yourself etc).

• Learning about best practice on the use of blogs in Primary Schools (for example in assemblies and at 'blog clubs').

• The importance of health and safety and in particular making sure that children are aware of the potential dangers of e-communications and the precautions that they can take so that they are 'safe' when communicating on-line.

Reflections on learning - Implications for my teaching practice

1.  The print screen facility is a very handy tool and it will be useful when creating user-guides and instructions for my  pupils, especially those that are predominantly visual learners.

2.  The opportunities blogs provide for me to support children in my class who may have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, especially those on the autistic spectrum.  Blogs can be a means of helping them to organise their ideas and to express themselves better.

3.  Make use of blogging as a means for children to publish their work so that others can comment on it.  This will support pupils feeling proud of their work and also develop team working and pupils' ability to provide to others, and take on board themselves, feedback and ideas.

4.  I must keep up to date with the rapidly changing landscape of computing tools and applications for learning to ensure I am making the most of available ICT in my classroom.  It provides a means of making learning across all subjects in the National Curriculum (except perhaps PE) engaging and interactive.

5.  I need to be on the look-out for any instances of cyberbullying in my school and take appropriate action when instances are drawn to my attention or come to light.  According to Ofsted, one in four schoolchildren have been subjected to cyberbullying and their 2012 schools inspection framework (available to download at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-schools-september-2012) places an emphasis on e-safety.  The recent (June 2012) Ofsted report 'No place for bullying' highlights the growing problem of bullying in both Primary and Secondary schools.  It is available to download at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/no-place-for-bullying.

6.  As a teacher, I have an important role to play in drawing children's attention to the importance of e-safety.  The BBC has produced a series of short interactive DVDs based on the popular children's series 'Horrible Histories'.  As bonfire night approaches and younger children might be learning about Guy Fawkes, this DVD in which Guy Fawkes finds sharing personal information over the internet can leave you in trouble would be a good one to show:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/clips/p00nxz6y 

2012 Ofcom Study of computer habits of children

On the day of my first ICT module, 23rd October, Ofcom published their annual survey on the media habits of parents and children.  It is an interesting read and reports that internet use by 5-15 year olds has risen from 64% in 2007 to 82% in 2012.  

The report also claims, for example, that over a third of all three and four year olds now use the internet at home on a regular basis, spending about six hours a week on-line.  The report also comments that "Texting and smartphone use by children is growing at a rapid pace and far outstrips the rest of the population.  An average 8-11 year old sends 41 texts a week, double the number in 2011."  

The report goes on to say that "Over a fifth of 8-11 year olds are on a network such as Facebook or Bebo and have an average of 92 friends, 11 of whom they have not met in person."

The report can be viewed in full at:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/oct2012/main.pdf%20