Lego Education

Lego Education

On Thursday, we explored the world of Lego and how it can be incorporated into the curriculum.  The opportunities to develop an integrated approach to learning in conjunction with Lego are endless. Undoubtedly, this form of teaching and learning would appeal to both the kinaesthetic and visual learners as it involved the manipulation of Lego pieces using visual images on the laptop to support the construction process.

The benefits

Evidently, a collaborative approach was adopted as we worked in groups of three to construct a spinning top. Therefore, this methodology developed fundamental life skills such as communication, cooperation, listening and team work skills. As outlined by the Learn-It team, ‘it is about creativity and collaboration, motivation and self-direction. It is about improvisation and discovery, and interacting with meaningful tools that expand mental capacities.’ (www.learnit.ie)

The presenter of the work shop clearly illustrated that Lego Education is not primarily focused on the cognitive development of the child. It endeavours to develop the child’s capacity to exercise their creativity. This is clearly illustrated in the video below which was shown in our workshop, as Lego can be viewed as a piece of art work:

The lego channel on YouTube is also an excellent site to see authenticity, originality and creativity through the use of Lego – http://www.youtube.com/lego

The correlations between Scratch and Lego are evident in both educational and creative capacities. However, Lego perhaps has the advantage as the children can manipulate the objects and enjoy an aesthetic experience when viewing the finishing product as it appeals to all of the senses.

To further investigate the use of lego in schools, I looked at the project the CBS in Monkstown engaged in which was ultimately enjoyed by all involved. The following is a testimonial from the school with regard to the Learn It project:

”We had Learn It visit the junior school for science week. They had different projects for the different age groups from jnr infants to sixth class. Each class had a great time building their lego projects and then seeing them operate – from spinning tops to walking insects!  The Learn It team were very professional and well orgainised.  We had a great few days with Learn It and the boys are looking forward to their next visit.”

This clearly illustrates the enjoyment element associated with Lego education, as the learning process is child centred, active and innovative. The pictures below vividly show the fun had by all involved:

Week 7 – Benefits or Lack of in terms of Computer Programming

Discuss the benefits (or lack thereof) of computer programming initiatives such as Scratch in the Classroom to develop the personal and professional attributes of students in initial teacher education?

Areas for discussion may include –

• Planning & preparation
• Classroom management
• Teaching and learning strategies
• Assessment & evaluation
• Personal qualities & professionalism

Planning & Preparation

‘The successful integration of ICT within the Primary School Classroom will depend on effective planning for ICT use by teachers and children.’ (ICT Curriculum) Undoubtedly the effectiveness of Scratch is premised on a well prepared lesson and classroom which is based on the child’s pre-requisite knowledge and fuels their desire to learn. This was a fundamental aspect to be considered when engaging in planning exercises. Admittedly, the first week was a process of trial and error with regard to planning as the children shared a computer with their partner. This required extra focus in our preparation as we had to decide how to ensure equal participation of all children. This was achieved through assigning the letters A and B to the pupils, setting an online timer, monitoring pair work and their interactions etc.

Also we were fortunate to have children who attended Coder Dojo in our class, this required extra attrention as the needs of these children had to be challenged and ultimately attented to. This added an additional pressure as these particular pupils’ had a vast knowledge of Sratch programming. However, we gradually realised that we should use their knowledge to our advantage, allowing them to model and demonstrate their computer programming skills in a whole class setting.

In terms of preparation with regard to computer programming, a teacher must personify organisation. Each week, I made a PowerPoint which contained clear instructions, the outline of the challenges to guide their investigation and also images to provoke discussion and promote originality and creative thinking. Also the room had to be arranged effectively to enable all children to view the whiteboard. Prior to the classes we ensured that all computers were turned on with the Scratch software open to maximise our use of time with the children. Inevitably, Scratch can develop and indeed enhance a teacher’s competence with regard to planning and preparation as computers add an additional element with regard organisation.

Classroom Management

The aspect of Classroom Management had to be attended to with care and consideration. The children worked in pairs and in order to ensure a collaborative relationship developed we had to be strategic in our planning in order to position children in mixed ability groupings. This provided a recipe for success, however we had eo engage in effective observation on week 1 in order to  ‘allow children to act as peer tutors for others in the class.’ (ICT Curriculum) To ensure the participation of all children each child was assigned letter A or B and were given a specific task with the time clearly illustrated on the board. The pupils were eager to learn and experiment with the software  therefore maintaining their attention during demonstrations and discussion tasks proved probelematic at times. A simple instruction was given to ensure effective mangement of the task – when the children heard  a beat performed by the teacher e.g. clap, click, stamp, they had to repeat the beat and place their hands on their head. This was a successful strategy to recapture their attention, however its implementation required practice.

In relation to this area the curriculum acted as a valuable resource as a range of problematic areas were addressed and solutions to rectify these probelems. e.g. ‘Provide children with headphones to reduce the noise levels, when the volume is on.’ (ICT Curriculum) Consequently, addressing areas which I may not have considered in planning, preparing and managing the classroom. The children were not distracted by others and their sound clips and remained firmly engaged in the task.

Teaching & Learning Strategies

(The images above show the pupils engaged in Scratch tasks, on our placement at Donoughmore NS)

Computer programming lessons are similar to your standard lesson in the class as it requires a structure of flow and continuity while simultaneously building on the childs existing knowledge and skills. The following is a prime example of a structure of a Scratch lesson:

Introduction:

Revision of Skills through the use of an interactive PowerPoint, assessing their prior knowledge with regard to certain buttons/tools.

(The Powerpoint containing questions: Scratch Wk 4)

Setting a revision task to allow the children to recall areas explored from the previous lesson.

Development:

Modelling a new skill and the parts of the script required, showing an example and discussing possible solutions in terms of a whole class setting.

Setting a challenge, providing the children with the opportunity to explore, experiment and uncover new elements associated with computer programming.

Conclusion:

Allowing time for ‘Show & Tell’ and responding according to the SAM strategy:

Say something Positive/Ask a question/Make a suggestion.

Revising key areas explored, through the use of the pupils work, while further reaffirming and praising their work and contribution.

Assessment

Computer Programming can facilitate the student teacher as both formative and summative assessment can be used to assess and address specific areas of learning. ‘ICT tools can support the teacher in developing amore complete picture of the child’s learning needs and progression.’ (ICT Curriculum) For example, on our final day of Scratch placement, we asked the children to create a ‘comhrá beirte’ as we were celebrating Seachtain na Gaeilge’. Accprding to the teacher this was effective as she was able to address the students who still had not grasped the eiseamláirí teanga associated with her theme of the week.

Formative Assessment: As outlined above, by simply creating a scenario through the use of an animation/game  and asking the children to describe how they would create a script to correspond to it, can aid the teacher with regard to formative assessment as they will be able to determine where their is a deficit in terms of knowledge.

Summative Assessment: A teacher can engage in summative assessement at the end of a lesson by setting challenges and monitoring the children’s engagement with software and allowing the teacher to determine whether or not objectives were achieved.

As highlighted over all of the reflective exercises, Scratch is a one-dimentional piece of software solely concerned with the development of ICT skills. As outlined in the curriculum, ‘children will acquire  ICT skills in a meaningful and relevant context rather than in isolation from curriculum content.’ This illustrates that ICT can be used as an assessment tools as children can use Scratch to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a particular area e.g. after exploring the country of China, the children could create an animation documenting the cultural practices of China.

Personal Development & Professionalsim

The use of new and innovative initiatives such as Scratch can foster the trainee teacher’s growth and develop a sense of competence and confidence in relation to their teaching ability.  Scratch can allow the teacher to incorporate a collaborative approach and extend their knowledge and ability with regard to managing group work situations.  In order to enable the child to use computer programming, clear and concise instructions are essential further developing the teacher’s ability as an effective communicator.

Week 6 – Scratch in the Curriculum

Select any three of the learning principles and discuss in detail (with specific examples from Scratch School Placement if possible) how the use of Scratch has served/failed to support your chosen principles?

‘Collaborative Learning should feature in the learning progress.’

Undoubtedly, the software Scratch can foster and indeed promote collaboration within the classroom. This was evident from our first week on placement, as the pupils in our class had to work in pairs while learning the art of computer programming.  Both pair and group work can be problematic for the student teacher as pupils’ noise levels can rise during the interaction and subsequently they can become lost in the task. Surprisingly, however, the children maintained their focus and Scratch appeared to fuel their desire for learning while developing their ability to work in collaborative situations.

The 5^th class children at Donoughmore National School have become effective collaborative learners, as the challenges we have designed develop some of the following skills:

1. Communication
2. Co-operation
3. Listening

In terms of communication, the children must discuss the challenges with their partner and compromise with regard to certain elements e.g. designing the sprite, backgrounds, selecting music etc. This fundamentally enhances their ability as a team member as they must respect the opinions expressed by others.  To develop this skill further, we have used questioning throughout and allowed the children to model how they created particular scripts. The aim of this is to illustrate to the class how collaboration can result in attaining goals and also allow the children to articulate their own response to certain scripts and develop their ‘Oral Language as they talk and discuss the possible outcomes of their programme.’ (ICT in the Primary School p.96)

Co-operation is essential in both pair and team based tasks. In terms of Scratch, the children must take turns and share control of the computer. An aspect which I have noticed over recent weeks is the children’s desire to uncover what their partner thinks of their ideas – ‘What do you think of this costume? How could I make the sprite move over here? What way would you do it?’  It is evident that the children recognise the benefits of collaborative learning as the opinions and suggestions of others can enhance their project. Each week, we provide the pupils’ with an experimentation period in which they look at their classmates work and make recomendations through the SAM strategy.

The children are placed in pairs, allowing the more able child with an extensive knowledge and understanding of Scratch, to support their weaker counterpart to reach a shared learning goal. This idea of scaffolding the learning is indicative of a collaborative approach and the benefits are evident to both the principal and teacher as they believe levels of participation and productivity have significantly increased.

‘Higher Order Thinking and Problem Solving Skills should be developed.’

Scratch is an education outlet in which children can develop and heighten their ability to engage in higher order thinking and problem solving skills. After carrying out extensive research Mc Coy found that children ‘who have programming experience score higher on measures of geometry knowledge and problem solving.’ (Using Technology in the Classroom – Bitter & Pierson) In reference to last week’s lesson, the children solved some of the following questions indicating the nature of their thinking:

Which axis will I use in order to make the sprite use left and right or up and down?

Why will I add a minus before the 10?

What is a quarter, half, third of a second?

Is that a line of latitude of longitude?

Is the sprite moving in a clockwise of anticlockwise direction?

In order to develop this form of thinking, questioning is key to provoke the children into thought. The curriculum outlines that ‘facilitating the development of higher order thinking skills can be achieved by modelling ‘What If…’ processes.’ (ICT in the Primary School) Engaging the children in challenges and allowing them to develop their own solutions promotes high-order thinking. Also, by showing the pupils an example of work and hiding the script we can encourage them to collaborate with their partner and apply their existing knowledge to arrive at the answer.

It is outlined in the curriculum that ICT develops ‘higher order thinking skills, including problem solving, investigating, evaluating and analysing, critical and creative thinking and communication skills’ . (ICT in the primary Schools p.17) These skills are fostered across the curriculum and promoted and further developed through Scratch  making it a revolutional tool for the teacher and their class.

‘Learning is most effective when it is integrated.’

Scratch is like a puzzle which pieces together all curricular areas into one programme.

After a significant period of working with the software of Scratch, I recognise the role it plays in learning as it can reinforce, reiterate and enhance the learning across all curricular areas. This was evident from the outset even by simply looking at the module descriptor:

Assessment Guidelines 2013

After the class teacher saw our first lesson, she decided to explore the strand of Data to reinforce the concepts of the x and y axis and also look at map work in relation to geography as we dealt with lines of latitude and longitude and the language of location. Consequently, through the medium of Scratch, their interpretation and understanding of the above areas was significantly enhanced. Scratch can enter into all curricular facets and to illustrate the value and importance of an integrated approach to learning,  I searched the website – www.scratch.mit.edu for a range of projects which correlate to particular subjects at the various levels:

English: The Story/Game of Little Red Writing Hood – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/afropickles/3091355

Irish: Is cluiche teanga é agus cuirtear béim ar an t-ainm briathar – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/summer12mayo/2655279

Maths: A counting game – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/Ms_I/1334857

History: A quiz which tests the children’s knowledge on Ancient Egypt – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/alexander71343/3023046

Geography: A project which looks at the climate in America – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/nature9/3009048

Science: An animation which looks at the area of forces/pressure – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/sennajnuet/1771209

Music: A project which looks the piano and the various keys associated with it – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/StarlightDragon/2935457

Physical Education: This project looks at Hip Hop dancing – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/blfender/2940452

SPHE: ‘The Friendship Story’ – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/keepcool3/158980

Religion: The Story of Creation –http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/dsdude10/42830

Art: In all projects a sense of creativity is expressed through designing sprites/backgrounds/costumes etc. Evidently, ‘gains in non-academic areas such as creativity and self concept’ are associated with the programme of Scratch. ( Using Technology in the Classroom)

After spending three weeks teaching Scratch, I recognise that providing a suitable context for their project work is key and by creating links with other areas in the curriculum we are providing a place where the children can articulate their knowledge with regard to a particular area through Scratch e.g. create a quiz for their class, animate a story in history, design a maths game etc. As outlined by Loveless ‘Effective learning takes place in a context which has interest, relevance and purpose.’ (The Role of ICT, 2003) In my opinion Scratch is a prime example of this context.

Bibliography:

ICT in the Primary School Curriculum

The Role of ICT – Avril Loveless

Using Technology in the Classroom – Bitter & Pierson

Week 5 – Reflection

The educational potential of computer programming using applications such as Scratch is regularly celebrated as affording learners opportunities for a ‘‘mental workout’’ of cognitive and collaborative skills. Briefly discuss the truthfulness (or lack thereof) of this statement by drawing on specific examples from your own Scratch placement experiences to date.

The truth of this statement cannot be denied as computer programming is an effective tool which can exercise and indeed awaken children to think creatively and analytically.  This has been evident on our scratch placement as children are exploring concepts such as angles, distances, lines of latitudes and longitude while concurrently developing the language associated with computer programming. It is has been noted by both the principal and class teacher, that this software has challenged the children to work with their partners to create a script which matches the task at hand. This was evident during the ‘Trampoline Task’ as the children had to explore the x and y axes in order to get their sprite to jump up and down on the trampoline.  The children needed sufficient time to digest this task and a period of experimentation to arrive at the answer. This simple task was indeed a ‘mental workout’ which promoted collaborative work and developed higher order thinking skills.

The images below outline the task set and an example of one of the children’s creation.

However, in response to this question, I would like to address the fact that very few schools and teachers are aware of the ways in which ICT can enhance the learning process. I think the fault lies mainly with the curriculum as it explores the potential of ICT in a broad and idealistic context which does not relate to the typical teacher. For example – ‘The creative use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education has the capacity to increase the quality of people’s lives by enhancing teaching and learning.’ This quote proclaims that ICT is indeed an invaluable tool but fails to state how it can be incorporated with particular subject areas. I feel the general consensus from the teaching force in Ireland is that practical curricular examples are required, rather than convoluting statements which provide little or no help to the teacher. The curriculum guidelines should be an aid for the teacher not simply a piece of reading material which rests on a classroom shelf and should attend to the computer literacy needs of all teachers. However, the diagram below as illustrated  in the ICT curriculum shows how the implementation of ICT in schools can be executed effectively and I personally believe that this simple diagram can resonate with us all, suggesting that there are three key procedures associated with this process.

An interesting element to note from my placement was that the majority of the staff were eager to discover what this phenomenon ‘Scratch’ actually is and appeared to have an appetite to learn, illustrating that teachers are open to the incorporation of ICT into the classroom domain. The staff at this particular school believed that they were trained insufficiently and did not want to tackle something that they were clearly lacking knowledge in. Also I believe another issue to address here is that the use of ICT in a class depends on the teacher and their own experience and familiarity with computer software. Unfortunately, the reality of this is that many of the children attending schools today do not have access to Scratch or develop their knowledge around ICT.

In the minister’s report on ‘Investing effectively in Internet and Communications Technology in Schools’  it clearly outlines that ICT will not benefit the children in their learning if it is not applied and integrated successfully. ‘Integrating ICT in school life hinges largely on its successful curricular application. Schools must take a learner-centred, rather than a technology-centred, approach to ICT in order to create positive learning outcomes.’  Therefore this issue needs to be addressed through the provision of teacher training, a comprehensive curriculum with practical examples and essentially funding.

To conclude, I feel that ICT and computer programming are not ‘celebrated’ but procedures are being put in place to increase the computer literacy of teachers. Teachers are gradually recognising that there is much more to ICT than a PowerPoint presentation and a positive fact to focus on however is that there is a demand for this form of professional development within the teaching domain, suggesting that in the future our pupils will be immersed in an ICT enriched classroom. The only obstacle obstructing this development is the funding. In our economic climate, ICT belongs on the periphery in terms of education, therefore, teachers will have to become resourceful and intuitive in order to fulfil the child’s desire to explore the world of ICT.

A video clip which I feel celebrates the art of computer programming is ‘What most schools don’t teach’. In this video the importance of computer programming and indeed technology as an entity is highlighted by some of the worlds most famous people Bill Gates, Will. I. Am,  Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey. It emphasises the fact the having the ability to computer programme is similar to having the powers of a wizard, suggesting that the world of computers is almost a majestic place in which billions of people can access something by a simple click of a button. ‘The programmers of tommorrow are the wizards of the future.’