My next Pick n Mix module focuses on a variety of topics. These are:
I will be focusing on 'learning through games' in this blog post. The first section covers the topic of games in the classroom. These can be a great motivator for children, especially those who are reluctant to engage with traditional written work. The module has introduced me to two services, EducationCity and Espresso. The former provides an online learning environment, populated by games and content linked to lessons. Teachers can download interactive whiteboard content, and set up classroom areas online. Interaction with this website could be used as an add-on to work, or even be used as homework. Espresso is a similar service, and schools can buy into'engaging short videos, weekly News Bites bulletins, interactive games, images, sounds, fact-files, articles, printable resources and prepared assemblies.' Both services suggest that their content can save teacher's time, increase engagement and attainment, and provide resources which teachers may not be able to produce independently.
I was directed to www.mrandrewsonline.blogspot.co.uk, a blog run by a teacher who advocates the use of iPads and games in the classroom. His posts promote the use of technology to aid learning, although it is interesting to note that several of the projects - including a 'design your own car advert' - are intended to take place in the summer after SATs. My favourite post details 'New Star Soccer' a free app which uses a football manager scenario to boost reading skills. With a similar premise to the popular Football manager video game series, users choose players, make management decisions and (hopefully) lead their team to victory. Children must use their reading skills to interact with the game, and a continuous text commentary provides a constantly changing, immersive textual element. The post suggests that this game could be used for children who struggle to read for pleasure, especially in upper-KS2 and KS3. I would be interested to trial this with my Year 4 class.
The issue of being 'entertained' while learning can be seen as at odds with a traditional classroom model, as games and apps could be seen as a distraction. Skinner (1976) famously argued for the effectiveness of dry, rote learning, and the use of entertaining games contradicts his view of education. However, I believe that technology can be a very useful addition to the classroom, when managed alongside traditional paper and oral-based learning. Children can use games to collaborate, investigate problems and explore a topic in greater depth. This approach is more aligned with Vygotsky (1978) and Piaget (1962), whose emphasis on investigative, talk-based learning has influenced much of modern education. More recently, Casey et al. (2012) have linked technology use to Vygotsky's emphasis on play, and propose that technology should be used to facilitate play in early years and KS1-level settings. It makes sense to integrate some tech into the classroom, as children now live in a world saturated with its influence, and need to be able to engage with devices. The use of games will therefore help to prepare children for the future. Most of today's children will spend the majority of their adult lives working with computers, and the careful introduction of tech can help to improve their digital literacy.
Links and Bibliography
EducationCity - www.educationcity.com Espresso - www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/what-we-offer/discovery-education-espresso Mr Andrews Online - www.mrandrewsonline.blogspot.co.uk Casey, L, Reeves, K. and Conner, E. (2011),Using technology in the world of play, in Blake, S. (ed.) (2012) Child Development and the Use of Technology. Pennsylvania: IGI Global. Piaget, J. (1962) The Language and Thought of the Child. London: Routledge & Kegal Paul. Skinner, B. (1976) About Behaviourism. New York: Vintage Books. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
0 Comments
|
|