Blog 9 - Visit to Shirley Warren (Part 1)

My visit to Shirley Warren Primary School developed my knowledge and understanding of how ICT and media can be used within literacy and other curriculum subjects. The different forms of technology available at Shirley Warren highlighted the importance that the role of ICT and media can have in education, as children grow up in the 21st century which is centered on digital media and information (Noor-Ul-Amin, undated). This is supported by Hague and Payton (2010) who agree that subject learning in schools needs to be relevant to a society in which growing technology use is changing the way that both adults and children represent and communicate information and meaning and participate in cultural life. Through my experience at Shirley Warren Primary School, I believe that this is focused on and achieved.

During my visit to Shirley Warren Primary School, I was given a tour around the school and I was surprised and excited to see a studio available for the students to use and also a functioning radio station. Due to this, I became aware of how this can be used to provide many learning opportunities, including develop children’s skills in sound effects, songs, dramatizations, comic sketches, and other performance conventions which will compel the students to listen and become more involved in the their lessons and activities (Noor-Ul-Amin, undated). Also, as the studio is very interactive and engaging, it increases children’s motivation levels which could lead to enhanced performance in subjects (Oliver, 2000).

At Shirley Warren I became familiar with different apps on ipads that can be used to support curriculum subjects. I was particularly interested in the use of the app ‘Veescope’ which enabled teachers and students to use green screen. This is something I had never thought of using before my visit and I gained an understanding that it can be used to support children’s overall learning experiences by being motivating, fun and engaging, as well as professional. Also, it can help develop ICT skills as children can learn to design and edit backgrounds including lightening and shadows, dragging and importing.

However, a question that needs to be discussed in relation to my visit to Shirley Warren is, how confident do teachers feel in embedding unfamiliar technology into their lessons and how much support is available for them? Marsh (2003) suggests that teachers may lack in confidence due to lack of own experience and lack of knowledge. Cuban, (2001) states that classroom teachers are simply using the technology to do what they have always done because they are worried they do not have the knowledge to embed it into their lessons effectively. Therefore, this implies the need for teachers to have opportunities and access to training of how to use and embed different technologies into the curriculum (Marsh et al 2005). Luckily at Shirley Warren, teachers are given the opportunity for specific support and training in order to help develop their skills in using and embedding ICT within their classroom. However, do all schools provide this? In relation to my own future practice, although I have an understanding of how different technologies are available to support children’s learning, I am anxious about how to embed ICT into my own lessons. Due to this, more experience and research is needed so I can progress as a teacher in this area.

To conclude, although this week I became familiar with different ICT based learning opportunities for children in schools, I feel I need practice with working with children in order to gain a better understanding of how children feel about using ICT and what they already know and don’t know about specific technologies. This will be explored in my next visit to Shirley Warren.

 

Cuban, L. (2001) Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom (Cambridge:Harvard University Press).

 Hague, C, & Payton, S (2010) Digital Literacy across the Curriculum, Futurelab, Available at http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf

Marsh, J. et al, (2005) ‘Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies’ Literacy Research Centre, University of Sheffield

 Noor-Ul-Amin, S., (undated) ‘An Effective use of ICT for Education and Learning by Drawing on Worldwide Knowledge, Research, and Experience: ICT as a Change Agent for Education’ University Of Kashmir, Accessed online at http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/waoe/amins.pdf (29/03/2014)

Oliver, R. (2000). Creating Meaningful Contexts for Learning in Web-based Settings. Proceedings of Open Learning 2000. (Pp; 53-62).Brisbane: Learning Network, Queensland.