After exploring a wide range of Literacy resources online, the value of these new technologies is apparent in achieving many aspects of the National Curriculum and reading, writing, speaking, listening targets throughout key stages one and two (DfES 1999).
There are a variety of uses that digital technologies can bring as explored by Halsey (2007). Halsey (2007) set up a website for her class to embrace technology whilst teaching. This is because children see using technology as a natural part of everyday life and learning (Northcote et al. 2007). The website that Halsey (2007) uses a variety of methods to enhance children’s motivation and enthusiasm for Literacy, including podcasts, book reviews, word banks and e-mailing which all incorporate reading, writing speaking and listening. The website itself is viewed by parents to see what their children have been doing in class each week in their own time and keeping up to date with topics and progress with the majority finding this a positive experience for themselves and their children’s education (Halsey 2007). However, this is not apparent in every school and class because not all teachers have the confidence of using technologies in the classroom, believing that children are much further ahead than themselves (Marsh 2005). This is something I can associate with because whilst doing an ICT after school club, the children were using paint to create Christmas Cards and this is something I had to spend a lot of time exploring before feeling confident in teaching. As well as this, the children seemed to know a lot more about PowerPoint than myself when presenting a book review.
To build confidence in using digital technologies in the classroom I think myself and other teachers need to make use of ICT more inside and outside the classroom to learn from the children whilst teaching them. The websites explored on the Learning Network are a great starting point in this development because they go further than Microsoft equipment and make use of creative ways of conveying aspects of Literacy such as storytelling and creating word banks.
DfES (1999) The National Curriculum London: DfES
Halsey, S. (2007) ‘Embracing emergent technologies and envisioning new ways of using them for literacy learning in the primary classroom’ English Teaching; Practice and Critique 6 (2) pp 99-107
Marsh, J. Brooks,G. Hughes,J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new Technologies University of Sheffield (Section 2.10 p.46; Sections 3.2 & 3.3 p48/49)
Northcote, M., Marshall, L., Dobozy, E., Swan, P. and Mildenhall, P. (2007).
Podcasting: Links to literacy teaching and learning. Practically Primary, 2(2),
17-21
I agree that digital techonolgies should be use within the literacy classroom to explore wider ranges not sticking to the conventional. From Hasley's artical these multimodal aspects not only seems to motivatea and stimulate children's intterest in literacy but seems to have given her, as a teacher motivation and creative thinking in looking 'outside the box' to allow all of her students, whatever their ability to get their 'teeth into' areas where they may have not been motivated prior to the digital interaction.
ReplyDeleteHalsey's website is such an interesting idea. I agree with Katrina that it can motivate children in a different way, such as the example of the child who was excited to write a book review for the class website. Also, I think it is really important that the parents of these children, particularly those who work full time, can see what they have been doing in class. This appears to give the children more motivation as they know people outside of their class can see their work.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it can be daunting for teachers to think that their pupils might know more about these technologies than they do, I think we should embrace technology, and even allow children to show us the extent of their skills. This may even mean children teaching us how to show us how to use some of the latest technology, as they are the digital natives growing up with it all.
I really like Halsey's idea of making a class website for the children to interact and engage with and it shows how a range of different technologies can be brought together to motivate and inspire children to become involved. The fact that parents can also access this website and explore what their children have created is a nice idea and will allow for a good home-school link and can give parents ideas of how to engage with technologies with their children at home.
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