Keep Blogging!

When I first started this blog I had no idea what to write, but actually got the hang of it. I also found that when I starting writing about things that we had done in our ICT sessions and resources that we used I rambled on for ages! (sorry about that!). It's something that I've actually enjoyed doing and may carry on with once this module is over as I find it's sometimes good to have a rant about something and get your opinions across!!

I think blogging is a really good activity to use with children in schools. Obviously there are the interent safety issues, but these can be addressed by creating a designated area on the school portal which is made secure. Blogging is an excellent way for children to develop a number of skills. They will obviously be using and developing their ICT skills, as well as Literacy and any other subject- as the blog could be linked to a topic they are studying at the time. I also think it gives the children the opportunity to take control of their learning as they can talk about and review their experiences.

Keep blogging!!

Flowol- argh!!

I found the lecture on control technology really interesting and think that it's amazing that all these resources are available for use in schools. Children can really control their own learning while also enjoying themsleves with resources like 'Go Robo' robot.

Unfortunately, I really struggled with the Flowol activity- I just couldn't get my head around it! I probably chose the wrong activity for starters; I attempted the big wheel whereas I should've probably stuck to the traffic lights! I'm obviously not a logical thinker!! I do see the benefits for use in the classroom though as it teaches children about flow charts and processes that make technology work. It also develops logical thinking skills. Anyway, I had a go (got quite frustrated!) but in the end managed to get the big wheel to do something! Basically, it turned round forwards and in reverse, a few lights went on and off and when the gate opened the whole thing stopped!! If I was to use this sort of activity in the classroom I would need a lot more practice, but I think it would be beneficial to do.

Geography Resources

This is a video from Teachers TV which reviews some ICT resources which are available for Geography:

Geography and ICT

I think that ICT can really support children's learning in Geography as there are so many programs and internet resources which can really develop children's understanding. Google Earth is an amazing resource that allows children to look at any part of the world and can link to any topic such as rivers, mountain environments, famous landmarks etc... ICT can also play a part in furthering children's understanding of maps- such as the symbols used and contour lines.

I think that creating an interactive map like we did in our session is a really beneficial and also relatively simple activity. It was a lot easier to do than I thought it would be especially when we had found the information that we were going to hyperlink to our map. We got most of our media from the internet, but with children you could gather information from field trips by taking photos and videos etc... Using Microsoft PowerPoint to create the interactive map was easy to do and is something I would feel confident doing with children. There's just one thing to remember- save all the videos and photos etc... into the same place as the map or else it won't be able to find the file!- we forgot to do this initially but soon realised and sorted it out!

Podcasting

I didn't have a clue about podcasting before these sessions- hadn't ever listened to one, didn't really know where to find them! But now I realise that they're actually all over the place! You can get podcasts of news, interviews, poetry- whatever you'd want! The video we were shown in the lecture helped explain what they were and when I started thinking about it I realsised how beneficial they could be when used in the classroom.

I think podcasting is a really good way of improving speaking and listening; children can really get involved in activities such as creating a radio show without realising that they're developing loads of important skills. Podcasting could even be a good tool for teachers- audio learners may find listening to a lesson beneficial as would children with hearing difficulties.

I actually enjoyed making our podcast- I really didn't think I would 'cos I hate the sound of my voice when it's recorded! haha! But I think it turned out well. We used the software Podium which was very simple to use and a good program for use in the classroom. It had some useful features such as creating a script (more Literacy links!) and I found it useful separating the podcast into chapters as that lowers the risk of making a mistake and having to do the whole thing again!

Here is a link to a case study of one schools approach to podcasting:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/casestudies/casestudy.cfm?id=611