Another week and another ICT
workshop!
Today we continued looking at
digital media and how it allows for opportunities to improve a child's speaking
and listening skills. Many children who have trouble expressing themselves, can
find comfort in using a media device. It can be used a portal for expression,
inclusion or independence, however Kaiser,
H (2006) discusses how children are using too much media, and it is
therefore proving sleep deficiency, poor cognitive ability, poor judgment,
'bad' behaviour and physical health problems. The media in question consisting
of using the television, Iphones/Ipads, electronic gaming and internet.
Children nowadays are able to access, engage and understand so many more
technological devices compared to what I knew and could access 20 years ago.
Digital
media within School
·
As
mentioned in my previous blog Interactive White Boards (IWB) are a great use of
digital media as they promote a chance for the child to explain their
thinking/logic behind the answers they provide. They can go up to the board and
physically interact with it to prove a point they want to make thus expanding
their communication skills.
·
Children
also have the opportunity to use webcams or Skype during particular lessons.
This is a great tool for allowing children to reflect on themselves or the
environment around them. This is closely linked to Pod Casting. Pod casting is
a wonderful way of allowing children to share their work and experiences
(basically giving them a voice) with a potentially huge audience over the
internet. A podcast is like a radio show. However, instead of being broadcast
live, a podcast is recorded and then distributed over the internet, so that you
can listen to it whenever you please. Listen to the link below for an example
of a school in Milton Keynes talking about Antarctica:
http://www.radioanywhere.co.uk/displayStory.php?story=2962#
- Talking photo albums is something I have never come across but from looking at them yesterday in the workshop I will defiantly be wanting to use them when I teach. They are albums which can hold pictures or photos (just like a normal photo album), but the twist is that there is a button at the bottom of each page which can hold a recorded message. This is a great resource to use with SEN or EAL children as these children usually find it difficult to express themselves through written work. Other activities could include storytelling, phonic practice, memories of school trips or as a comfort to reception when going through attachment difficulties. Parents/family can leave pictures and messages which can be referred back to by the child while at school.
- The following three devices are very similar and all have the same effect. Talk tins, talk time cards and chatter box will all help improve a child's speech. These are devices that can store recorded messages and be played back at any point. They can be used to explain instructions or extension activities to groups (when left of different tables), helping SEN understand outside noises and turning it in to a game or even talking displays throughout the school.
Software
used in schools
-
Next we looked at different software's that can be downloaded and used in schools. The first I looked at was Audacity which is free to download. Any year group can access this piece of equipment as it can differentiated depending on the class. The main purpose of this software is to record and edit sounds.
I also briefly looked at digital imaging. This involved a tuff
cam which can be used to take photo images of scenes created out of play dough,
or images from outside and then put them on the computer to create a moving
picture. This is usually a big hit in schools as it involves a lot of
creativity, communication and ICT skills. The video below shows a group of
primary children learning how to use the tuff cam.
The software which my group (Megan, Conrad and James)
focused on was photo story 3. This can also
be downloaded for free .It involves using a digital camera to take photos of
people, environments, animals (pretty much anything) and uploading the images
on to the computer and turning it in to a story. The software shows the images
in a slide show and the child has the opportunity to crop, change colour or add
effects to each picture. They can then add text and sound (from themselves or
background music). The final product is a short video clip completely produced
by the children, which will help build their self-esteem, communication,
creativity and listening skills. Below is a clip my groups 'final product: .................as
a spoiler I can tell you that all ends well (just in case anyone was worried).
This tool and software can be used in most lessons for example
during a science lesson children can take pictures of the environment and
discuss the differences. In English it can be used to create non-fiction
stories, factual clips or help with phonics practice. In R.E or P.E it can be
used to remind children of places visited (temple, museums etc) or activities
that took place outside (athletics, obstacle courses etc). The purpose of this
software is to teach children a new way of expressing themselves with the use
of digital cameras, building on prior knowledge of ICT and allow them the
opportunity to use/build upon their group skills.
This task can be extended by getting children to change
different aspects of their story for example the colours, fonts, recordings
etc. It can also be differentiated for higher years by making the learning
objective harder. For example a Key Stage 1 class would have the learning
objective of making a photo story about themselves and their family. Where as a
Key Stage 2 class could use the learning objective of, creating a story based
upon WW2. This will be more stimulatingly harder and will involve more
creativity, compared to the KS1 task. The assessment criteria can depend upon
the task set. These can include uploading photos, editing the photos, adding
appropriate text/recording and of course producing the finished product of a
photo story.
There are not many practicalities involved with using the
Photo Story 3 software, however when gathering the images with the digital
camera, children may wish to venture outside as there will be a larger variety
of difference scenes to capture. One of the health and safety aspects to
remember when carrying out this activity is of course children sitting at the
computer for long periods of time will probably endure headaches, bad body
posture and….. Square eyes!!
Hope you enjoyed this weeks' blog.
Bye x
Bye x
Caroline Haslett Primary School (2007) Antarctica description by Isobel (online) http://www.radioanywhere.co.uk/displayStory.php?story=2962#. Assessed November 2012
Kaiser, H (2006) Children's media use and sleep problems: Issues and unanswered questions. Washington: KFF
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