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.
Aoife Clancy: ICT for Teaching & Learning 