The Final Reflection

Discuss any aspect of the educational appropriateness/relevance of iPads in the Irish Primary Schools. 

This semester the theme of creativity is running concurrently across all modules on the B.Ed programme. We have been looking at the work of Ken Robinson, Maxine Greene while also exploring the how the publication of the PISA results has marginalised the role of the creative arts.This raised the question when I received the iPad as to whether visual art and the iPad were possible.

 

It is outlined in the curriculum that ‘Information and communication technology can be used to broaden  and enhance the child’s experience of art.’ (ICT curriculum p.6) To investigate whether or not this is the case I went to Ballyea National School and spent a day in the Junior Infant room. I selected junior infants as I thought it was important to see how the children engaged with the iPad, from the offset.

 

The strands I decided to focus on were paint and colour and drawing this was primarily due to the availability of apps, with the main aim of of my lesson being to develop the child’s sensitivity to colour. ‘Paint is an ideal medium to develop the child’s sensitivity to colour.’ (Art Curriculum)

 

There are a list of ten concepts on the curriculum all of which are introduced with junior infant classes. An important issue to highlight  is that texture cannot be developed through the iPad. Although the children’s experience was tactile they were not provided with the opportunity to work and manipulate different fabrics.In terms of their engagement with the art ask it proved a success. As you can see from the pictures the children created vibrant scenes which are representative of spring, illustrating some form of awareness with regard to colour, form and pattern.

 

 

 

In order to help the children decide whether or not they preferred iPad art. I linked in with the work of the teacher who had covered the the theme of spring under three strands – Fabric & Fibre, Paint &Colour and Drawing. This provided the child with a comparative framework.I think the children’s view of iPad and visual art is probably the most important so I interviewed the children after our lesson. The graph below is a summary of my findings:

 

 

The general consensus was that most of the class preferred drawing on the iPad,  but in terms of painting, the children liked taking a trip to the art room to work with an array of paints, brushes and sponges. Those who preferred painting on the iPad liked the fact that there was no clean up and dirty uniforms going home to their mam and dad!

 

I worked with a child with severe & profound disabilities for  approximately a 15 minute lesson. I used the Paint Sparkles app which allowed the child to use large brushes and all icons were clearly visible on the screen. Each time a colour was selected, their was a corresponding sound clip improving the child’s colour recognition, something which the class teacher was working on. For a child with SEN, this app was a means of gratifying the senses. It was kinaesthetic, visual and auditory.In contrast doodle buddy was not appropriate, the icons were too small, there were no audio clips and its background wasn’t as child friendly.I also used the assisted learning facility which allowed me to lock the iPad on one particular app, maintaining the child’s attention on the task at hand.

 

With regard to assessment, the iPad facilitated the 4 areas as listed in the curriculum:

Teacher Observation

Teacher Designed Tasks

Curriculum Profiles

Work Samples, Portfolios and Products

The added advantage of the iPad is that their work can be saved electronically to share with the parents and also for future reference through apps such as Dropbox. Although most apps I used had options for saving work through the app itself. Central to the process of assessment is language. ‘Language helps clarify ideas and expand the child’s conceptual framework.’ (Teacher Guidelines)

Therefore, the teacher needs to look at the broader picture not just the finished Art product on the iPad but does the child understand this particular concept? This can be used through simple mechanisms outside of the iPad  e.g. questioning/discussion/TPS.

 

Like all subject areas Integration is a fundamental part of visual art. ‘Integration provides opportunity for creativity and inventiveness.’ (Curriculum)As illustrated last week literacy apps such as toontastic allow for exploration of certain concepts e.g. colour and tone through designing backgrounds. The question the teacher needs to pose to the child is – Are the scenes representative of the overall theme or mood of the story? This will reiterate the elements explored in the art lesson and consolidate the learning for the child.

 

The big question teachers will ask is are there apps available? The answer is Yes, there are apps which facilitate the development of curricular content but an important element to address is that not all strands can be covered. These are construction, fabric and fibre and clay. However the iPad can be used to chart the pupils progression by capturing and sharing pictures of the work. As stated in the curriculum Photography can be ‘used to compliment the work of strands.’ (Curriculum) Also the iPad facilitates the area of looking and responding to art e.g. The Art Authority app allows the children to engage with the work of world renowned artists and  place their art work within a cultural context.

 

 

To look at the iPad within the broader school community, I asked three schools similar in size what they spend on paper a year, this averaged at  €800. This can be significantly reduced through the integration of iPads while also fulfilling objectives for the green schools initiative:

Ltter and Waste

Water (Through reducing the need to wash up art supplies.)

Katy Schrock, outlined on her blog that schools that use iPads have reduced photocopying by 50%. In our current economic climate, the iPad appears to be a long term investment.

 

 

To view the iPad within art culture I selected David Hockney, a renowned British artist who traded in his sketch book and paint palette for the iPad, describing it ‘as a new medium with fresh possibilities.’ The work you can see here was carried out using an app called Brushes, which is €4.99 and his work has been displayed around the world, his most recent exhibition was in Paris. This is a significant change in the world of art as the most talented are turning to the iPad in their creations.

 

 

Also, Apple have appointed an ambassador for iPad creativity, this  is an indication that the iPad and the creative arts will possibly be the way forward in the future and that more explicit links will established with the curriculum.

 

In summary, it is important to remember that if schools invest in the iPad, it will not primarily serve visual art, it can be integrated across all curricular areas. The average expenditure on art and craft supplies in schools is approximately €3,200, this can be significantly reduced by utilising the iPad. It also facilitates the processes of integration, differentiation and assessment and most importantly this device faciliates all styles of learners the visual, kinaesthetic and auditory.

 

Einstein once said – ‘Creativity is contagious, pass it on.’ I believe this can be achieved through the iPad.

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