Blog 11: Evaluation of the module

Prior to this module, my experience and understanding of using digital technologies in the primary classroom was limited which resulted in my lack of confidence and apprehensiveness towards using digital media with children. However, through both theoretical and practical learning, I feel better equipped to incorporate ICT into my future practice in order to provide children with opportunities to engage with a range of digital technologies to enhance their learning. The importance of improving teachers’ confidence in using technologies is highlighted by Future Lab (2010) as digital technology has become embedded in popular culture therefore it cannot be neglected. Teachers often find themselves at a disadvantage when pupils seem to be more ‘digitally literate’ than they are, therefore teachers need to master these new literacies and use them effectively in teaching and learning (Rudd and Tyldesley, 2006). Dean (2010) concurs by adding that it is important that teachers have opportunities to explore and engage with a range of technologies in order to build the confidence to use them with children. Having opportunities to explore and use a range of digital media during seminar sessions has broadened my knowledge about how to effectively implement ICT into the literacy curriculum which I hope to put into practice in my future role as a teacher. Therefore this supports the idea that teachers need training and professional development in using technologies in order to understand the effective use of such technology to support teaching and learning aims (Higgins, Xiao and Katsipataki, 2012; Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts and Wright, 2005).

The focus has not solely been on the use of digital technology with children but also the impact of popular culture and other types of media, such as comics and graphic novels, on children’s learning. Through discussions in seminars and reflections on blog posts, it is evident that the use of popular culture in the classroom is a key way of engaging pupils with literacy (Marsh and Hallet, 2008). Children are more immersed in their learning when it involves popular culture as they are growing up in a digital world (Higgins et al, 2012; Marsh et al, 2005) therefore teachers should seek to validate and celebrate popular culture as it is an authentic part of pupils’ learning experiences (Buckingham, 1998). The session relating to comics and graphic novels further supports this as comics and graphic novels are a major part of popular culture. They can offer children opportunities to be creative (Stafford, 2009) and they also promote reading for pleasure (Gibson, 2008; Krashen, 2004) therefore demonstrating their effectiveness in the primary classroom. These sessions have enabled me to develop my understanding of how to incorporate popular culture and popular texts within the literacy curriculum to enhance children’s learning experiences which I hope to pursue in my future role as an English subject coordinator. 

According to Lambirth (2003) teachers today are not aware of the variety and value technology and media can hold within the classroom, therefore having the opportunity to work with children in a school setting enabled me to gain first-hand experience of this. Teachers need to overcome the ‘fear’ related to using technology in the classroom (Future Lab, 2010) and need to inhabit this technological environment as it has proved beneficial to children’s learning (Higgins et al, 2012; Rudd and Tyldesley, 2006). Using a range of digital technologies with a group of children not only increased my confidence to use them in the classroom but also made me a more competent user of ICT which was a challenge I faced prior to this module. Therefore, I feel that this module has developed my understanding of how to incorporate ICT into the literacy curriculum in order to use digital media and other forms of media to develop children’s learning. In my future practice as an English coordinator, I will be able to use what I have learnt to achieve the aims of the National Curriculum in supporting children to become ‘digitally literate’ as they are active participants in a digital world (DfE, 2013).

Buckingham, D. (1998) Teaching Popular Culture: Beyond radical pedagogy. UCL Press Ltd.

Dean, G. 'Rethinking Literacy' in Bazalgette, C. (ed) (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms. London: SAGE

Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in England: English programmes of study. London: HMSO

Future Lab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: (Sections 3.5 – 3.6 Digital Literacy in Practice)

Gibson, M. (2008) ‘So what is this mango, anyway?’ Understanding Manga, Comics and Graphic novels. National Association for the Teaching of English. [Online] http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/3109/1/So%20what%20is%20this%20mango%2C%20anyway-%20Understanding%20manga-%20comics%20and%20graphic%20novels.pdf Accessed: 29/03/14

Higgins, S., Xiao, Z., and Katsipataki, M. (2012) The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A Summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Durham University: Education Endowment Foundation.

Krashen, S. (2004) ‘The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research’ Observations and Reflections from BEHS Staff. CO: Libraries Unlimited [Online] http://teachers.saschina.org/jnordmeyer/files/2011/06/The-Power-of-Reading.pdf Accessed: 29/03/14

Lambirth, A. (2003) "They Get Enough of That at Home" Understanding Aversion to Popular Culture in Schools. Reading Literacy and Language 37 (1) pp.9 -13

Marsh, J., Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S. and Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies. Sheffield: Literacy Research Centre.

Marsh, J. and Hallet, E. (2008) Desirable Literacies, Los Angeles: Sage

Rudd, A. and Tyldesley, A. (2006) Literacy and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach to English. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd

Stafford, T (2009) ‘Teaching Comics’ in Duncan, D. (2009) Teaching Children’s Literature: Making stories work in the classroom  Abingdon: Routledge