BSE1 ICT

My placement was in a Reception class and unfortunately there was not much ICT embedded into their curriculum. The ICT coordinator was keen to make some changes and towards the end of my placement. They were considering bringing 1 computer/laptop into each Reception classroom but had limited space and some teachers hesitant to make this change. They had some Beebots and voice recorders (suitable for early years) but many of them were in poor condition or out of battery and were kept in the cupboard. The school had iPads for teachers to record observations and take pictures in early years but they were rarely used for anything else.

During my lessons and provisions, I often used the IWB for interactive games and play transitioning music. The children were easily excited by this and enjoyed the instant feedback and gratification a digital game provided. However my class teacher did not believe that we needed to teach ICT or make use of the resources. She believed that the children had access to enough technology at home and the fundamentals like holding a pencil needed to be focused on therefor she was reluctant to bring use technology in a similar way. This was difficult to overcome as the teacher would often make negative comments in my observations for using the IWB (rather than real objects, story books, CDs and board games) so therefore I had to adapt.

 

Maria’s Computing Blog

I have had no previous experience using interactive whiteboards (IWB) so I found the session extremely useful in familiarizing myself with the software. I was unaware of all the features and templates you could use. In the past, I have observed others writing on the IWB using IWB pens, playing videos and showing PowerPoint slides. It seems a shame IWB’s are used so naively in schools.

By experimenting and exploring all the features I was able to see how flexible and creative it can be. Children learn better through interactive activities and that is rarely seen in the classroom using technology. The children we will be teaching are constantly exposed to technology and have an expectation associated with it. They expect it to be multi-use, multi-sensory and touch screen to say the least. They are growing up and being introduced to technology so quickly that it is important to update our mode of teaching and utilize our resources. Although I found the session challenging (in designing my own game) I will be continue to practice and broaden my possibilities in teaching.