I am coming to the end of teaching a unit based around Google Sheets. The children have been learning how to enter data into a spreadsheet, and manipulate the data for a specific purpose. I decided to frame this unit around the context of a shop, and informed the children that they were going to design their products and create spreadsheets to show their sales. This was greeted enthusiastically, and has been a very popular series of lessons!
We have progressed from entering data and formatting cells, into the use of the SUM formula and the creation of charts and graphs. The children have learned how to smart copy, and create quick tables displaying their annual sales and revenue. They have been excited to share these spreadsheets with peers, and have embellished their spreadsheets with pictures, colours and typefaces. I have embellished this learning content with the inclusion of 'real life' spreadsheets every week. I have shared screenshots of spreadsheets gathered from my friends and family, and discussed how spreadsheet skills are used in the world of work. The children have been fascinated by this additional content, and I will continue to demonstrate 'real life' examples of Computing in future lessons!
0 Comments
Today, I have taught a very successful Science lesson using the school Chromebooks.
The children have been learning about food chains and habitats, and I have discovered a great simulation site which helps to demonstrate the effect of increasing and decreasing populations on the rest of the food chain. The children shared a Chromebook between pairs, and after an initial teacher input, used the website to develop their own learning and understanding. We discussed the e-safety issues related to using the internet, and the children shared their 'top safety tips' with the rest of the class. The class do not normally using computers beyond iPads in Accelerated Reading sessions, or during discrete Computing lessons, and so it was lovely to see their excitement. There are still some teething problems - forgotten passwords or email addresses, getting the Chromebooks in and out of their secure storage units, and simply navigating the touchpad and keyboard. However, I can see that their use of technology is developing, and really benefitted their learning in this lesson. I will look to be booking the Chromebooks again in future! The Food Chain Game: www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame Today, I have taught my first Computing lesson of FPP, focusing on Google Classroom and writing Google Docs. I would definitely recommend that teachers use Google classroom, as it has helped my class to become more digitally literate, and developed their peer-feedback and collaboration skills. Our LO was 'to add features to a Google Doc', and our success criteria were: I can / am beginning to… ….add a table to my report ….add new rows to a table …share and comment on work After handing out laptops and getting the children logged into Google classroom, we discussed the LO and SC, and how these link to the Building Learning Power skills. This approach is used across the school, and includes the main skill areas of resilience, reciprocity, resourcefulness and reflectiveness. We agreed that the children would be using the skills of collaboration, making links and perseverance. I like this approach, because it ensures that the children are really clear about what learning skills they need to be employing. Last week, the children wrote reports about our school trip to MOSI on Google Docs. They added text and photos. This week, they added tables and wrote a timetable of the day. After I modelled this on the board, they were very independent and created colour-coded, complex timetables. I also used this opportunity to encourage children to develop their report writing, and add key language features such as fronted adverbial phrases and more complex tenses. After adding tables, the children shared their work to our Google Classroom. They then peer-reviewed each others work against our success criteria, leaving comments in the shared work area. The children showed a great understanding of the criteria, and set suitable targets, including 'try to use more paragraphs to explain instead of just photos'. After this, I encouraged the children to respond to the feedback, and develop their reports even more. This was a great example of children taking on formative assessment, and using peer feedback to develop their work. There are a few children in the class who are particularly able when it comes to Computing. I targeted them by requesting that they included hyperlinks in their report, and used the thesaurus tool to develop the vocabulary. The extension of the children's vocab is currently a big target in year four, and so this tied into this focus very nicely.
Today, I had the pleasure of attending the Inclusion and Inspiration conference at Manchester University. The conference was attended by students from every ITT course at the University, and also by NQTs from the programme last year. Two groups of students from local schools provided powerful speeches about inclusion in action, whilst a signing choir from a local special school gave a moving performance.
One of the sessions I attended was on the use of Mindfulness in schools, and the effect that this can have on emotional wellbeing of both students and staff. Mindfulness emphases using attention and awareness to focus on the present, and draw the thoughts away from rumination on past events or worry about the future. The practice, often involving sitting and focusing on the breath, feeling of the body, noise of the environment or a repeated mantra, needs to be practiced and can help to train the brain away from stress. If repeated regularly, mindfulness can help children with stress, anxiety, focus, emotional literacy and management of behaviour (Hofmann et al, 2010; Williams and Penman, 2011). As an evidenced intervention, research has shown that it can sustain and retain mental wellbeing, and help with physical pain (Fontana and Slack, 1997; Burke, 2009).
The talk led me to think about Mindfulness apps, and the part that they could play as part of sessions. I know that these are popular amongst adults, and have seen them trending on social media in recent months. Calm and Stop, Breathe and Think use music, images and instructions on how to sit, breathe and concentrate. Apps such as these are meant to be used every day, and claim to achieve the same effect as traditional, offline mindfulness techniques. A new app, Headspace for Kids has been specifically designed for children. When released, the chief executive of the Mindfulness Foundation told the Huffington Post that 'given young children’s obsession with technology and Headspace’s first class reputation, we believe this meditation app for children could be the answer to parents’ prayers'.
It would be interesting to see how tech could be used to deliver mindfulness in the classroom via use of this app, and if it does really work as a substitute for a traditional, teacher led session. This is perhaps something that I could try on FPP.
Links
www.calm.com www.stopbreathethink.org www.headspace.com/kids/subscribe Huffington Post article on Headspace for Kids - www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/headspace-for-kids-meditation-app_uk_5797646ee4b06d7c426daf34 A summary of research into mindfulness in schools (published 2012) - www.mindfulnessinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MiSP-Research-Summary-2012.pdf Bibliography Burke, C. (2009) ‘Mindfulness-based Approaches with Children and Adolescents: A Preliminary Review of Current Research in an Emergent Field’, Journal of Child and Family Studies, Springer Netherlands. Fontana, D. and Slack, I. (1997) Teaching Meditation to Children, Dorset: Element Books Ltd. Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169-183. Williams, M. and Penman, D. (2011) Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world, London: Piaktus.
I have just spent a week in KS3, observing lessons across the curriculum and learning about transition from KS2. This week included a whole day observing Computing lessons from Year 7 to 11, and completing the Hour of Code qualification. We have also had the opportunity to speak to the subject lead about the transition days provided for local primary schools, which include drap-and-drop coding games, use of Microbits and an e-safety session.
The school tries to ensure that every child leaves with a qualification in Computing; either a GCSE, BTEC or ECDL. Computing is a timetabled lesson for every child from years 7-9, and many of children will opt to continue study in KS4. Two large ICT suites, with 35 computers in each, are used for both Computing and cross-curricular lessons. An IT team support the school systems and provide technical support. The school also has a range of other resources, from Raspberry Pi kits to iPads. Google Classroom is used to provide homework tasks and support outside lessons, although this is not in place in every subject area. The Computing lead admits that the level of integration of Computing with other subject areas is still dependent on the confidence and skill-level of teachers in different departments. We observed a great lesson on Microsoft Excel, introducing If algorithms within the context of a shop. Students became shop managers, and could choose which products to sell. They recorded 'sales' within a table, and altered the table so that it would record 'met' or 'not met' if the sales exceeded a certain level. This lesson was engaging because students were able to make their own decisions about products - most picked tracksuits and trainers - and take ownership of sales targets. They then used Microsoft word to write an evaluate of their table and explain what they had learned. Self-assessment was recorded in individual Computing journals, and the teacher could use these to assess understanding at a glance. Although similar to Primary Computing in some ways, it was interesting to see how self-directed the lesson was, and the emphasis on independence. There was an unspoken understanding that the children were already very competent and confident in using the computers, and very little of the task had to be explained. A strong link to literacy was demonstrated in the use of a Key Words wall, and the emphasis on punctuation in the written evaluation. I will try to ensure that my lessons also include a strong link to Literacy, and hopefully Maths. This could be a great way to support core development, within an engaging foundation subject area. I was able to take photos of the displays around the classrooms and corridors. These provide a variety of information and showcase work across all three areas of digital literacy, computer science and information technology. E-Safety advice is prominent, reflecting the enormous amount of work done within the school. Every lesson contains an E-Safety lesson, and each school year is started with a specific unit on staying safe online. We were shown a fantastic video, Can I be your friend? which helps students to understand how abnormal some interaction on social media can be. Another video, Let's Fight it Together! is a powerful exploration of cyber-bulling, and the steps that can be taken to find help. I know that could use these videos with a mature Year 6 class, and will save the resources for the future. Use of videos is a great way to introduce these issues to children - I know from personal experience that simply listening to an adult can seem detached from the realities of life online. Video content is relatable, and children can even watch them again online after the lesson. I was placed with three other trainees, and we were all able to complete the Hour of Code qualification. I have previously seen this within a short placement in a Year 3 class, although the website www.code.org includes resources for children from the Early Years upwards. The qualification is formulated around drag-and-drop coding based on Javascript, and can be completed within several exciting games. These are based on popular films and existing online games, from Moana to Star Wars. I completed my Hour on the Frozen game, which uses code to create snowflake patterns in ice. The game was very intuitive and enjoyable, and I became much more adept over the course of the hour. We are all delighted to receive a certificate at the end, and I now feel much more confident in teaching coding. The hour has also shown me how effective it can be to link popular characters, films or tv shows to potentially tricky topics; engagement is practically guaranteed.
Finally, we got a chance to learn how to use a Micro:bit. These pocket-sized computers can be coded using free online software, and include input buttons, sensors and an LED display. They can be connected to other hardware, including speakers, and used for everything from designing games to playing music. We used the Micro:bits by themselves, to produce simple LED displays. We plugged the device into the USB port of a computer, and used Microsoft Block Editor software to drag-and-drop code elements. After getting to grips with the program, I designed a simple code based on emotions. Children could use the buttons to display a happy, sad or neutral face. I can see how this could be useful with a non-verbal or upset child, and help develop awareness of emotion in others within the EYFS. Another student created a fantastic code which displayed times tables. When the Micro:bit was shaken, the device would display the next number in a times table sequence. I filmed this code in action, and have included the video below with her permission.
Links wwwwclassroom.google.com - Google Classroom www.old.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullfilm.aspx - Let's Fight it Together film www.microbit.org - Micro:bit resources, coding and e-safety advice www.code.org - Hour of Code I taught a great lesson today, introducing the concept of algorithms and computational thinking. After explaining the vocabulary and linking it to our work on instructional writing, I used an idea from Barefoot Computing to demonstrate how algorithms work. I made a costume for my mentor, and she entered the classroom as 'TeacherBot3000'. I explained to the children that I wanted to have a jam sandwich as a snack, but had designed a robot to do it for me. I used unclear instructions, and the children saw how the robot was unable to make the sandwich. However, after discussing the idea of accuracy and debugging, I took some advice from the class and we formulated four clear stages of the algorithm. We orally rehearsed these stages as a group, and made up actions.
1. First take two slices of bread. 2. Next spread jam on each slice. 3. Then put the slices together. 4. Finally eat the sandwich. The children were then able to make their own sandwiches, working in pairs to follow the algorithm as it was read out. This caused great excitement, especially as they were able to taste their sandwiches at the end! This simple offline lesson was a great way to introduce the notion of computational thinking. I have planned a subsequent lesson which extends this work. The children will be drawing 'monsters' and trying to create algorithms for their friends to draw the same characters. I also found this lesson idea on Barefoot Computer, which I have found to be a fantastic online resource. After these offline lessons, the children should hopefully move onto computers and use different resources to create algorithms. Links Barefoot Computing - www.barefootcas.org.uk I teach Phonics every morning. My group is currently on Phase 5 phonemes, and we are about to move onto split-digraphs. The children are very excited about this, and are speeding through the last remaining sounds so that we can progress onto the 'Year 2 work'. My group is comprised of 11, higher-ability children, and our lessons are half an hour long. We occupy a large table just outside the main classroom The school has a very set teaching structure for Phonics, almost a script, and Powerpoints which follow a strict progression. Each lesson begins with a review of the previous work, introduction of a new or alternative phoneme, practice reading and writing that phoneme, word writing, and finally a few 'tricky words' to memorise. The powerpoints have been created by the English subject lead, and I display these from a laptop. This consistency does seem to help the children to learn new sounds - they all chant along 'We have learnt the /igh/ soung - i-g-h'. I would be interested to use interactive games in Phonics lessons, or possibly try assessment using tech. I know that my FPP school follows a more interactive strategy for Phonics, and so I will make sure to observe this when I move placements. I have previously taught Phonics within an EYFS setting, using the Jolly Phonics scheme. This lends itself to integration of Computing, and I downloaded the app to support my teaching. The scheme includes songs, rhymes, video content and associated pictures, and the app can be used on-the-go to support learning. Although I have never used them myself, there are also many other popular apps including Teach Your Monster to Read, Alpha Writer and abcPocketPhonics. As many parents - and increasingly young children - have smart devices, these apps could be used anywhere to aid work in school. There are also several popular online videos, especially Mr Thorne's Youtube Channel, which features the Geraldine the Giraffe videos. Geraldine, a hand puppet, teaches Phonics in a series of videos following Letters and Sounds. I have heard from other trainees and staff that these are very popular in some schools, and the videos are quite entertaining - I have even watched a few at home!
With the ever-changing world of tech continuing to mark inroads into teaching, it will be interesting to see how early reading and writing are taught in coming years. I will ensure that I ultimately cater my teaching to my students. No approach suits every student, something that I am definitely learning on GPP. Recommended Links Jolly Phonics Onine - www.jollylearning.co.uk Teach Your Monster to Read - www.teachyourmonstertoread.com Mr Thorne - www.youtube.com/channel/UC7sW4j8p7k9D_qRRMUsGqyw Today I solo-taught my first Computing lesson, and focused on e-safety. I adapted a plan that I saw online to create a story based around George, a young hippo who receives a tablet for his birthday but runs into some issues with pop-ups, social media and unkind messages from strangers within a game. The core message running through the lesson was that children should always tell an adult if they are unsure about the internet, or encounter any problems. After listening to the story and discussing the content with their talk partners, the children drew the adult they would ask for help, and some also wrote about this. I was very pleased with this lesson. The children loved the story and were rapt with attention throughout. I brought in a hippo plush toy, and this 'visit from George' helped to bring the story and message to life. Telling the children that George was very shy and nervous about coming to school helped with behaviour management; the class were quiet and conscientious when moving around the room. I employed the technique of encouraging the children to speak to George about his experiences, rather than to me. This seemed to help them to link their experiences with his story, and we got some really interesting work out of the session. The inclusion of a song - 'Before you click, click, click; you've got to think, think, think; and tell somebody quick, quick quick!' helped to consolidate the message, and all children were able to contribute and explain their thinking during the plenary. I was surprised to discover that not all children had used the internet before. Experience ranged from avid Playstation gamers who play online, to four children who claimed to have never used the internet. Most children had some limited experience of the internet, with Cbeebies iPlayer and Youtube as the most recognised and discussed websites. Some mentioned their awareness of social media through parents or siblings. The children do not yet use the tablets or school computers to access educational content online, although this is in the long term planning for next term. I have included below some of my story slides, and some examples of the children's responses. These will expand from the gallery when clicked. Adults that the children picked included parents, the class teacher, the teaching assistant, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles - and myself! This stage in my GPP placement is proving to be incredibly hectic - I am currently juggling university tasks, school planning, marking and evaluation, day-to-day file admin, the school nativity play, ongoing CPD and preparation for a looming school inspection! However, it was great to see my Year 1 class use the app PicCollage the other day, as part of their work on Diwali. Children use this app throughout the school, from manipulating shapes in EYFS, to producing anti-bullying posters and science displays in KS2. I led the input of this Computing lesson, using the visualiser and an iPad to demonstrate how to open the app, choose a new page and get started. As before, my teacher and I deliberately let the class work it out for themselves, in pairs. This was an effective strategy, and children were helping each other across the classroom. They learned how to use stickers, add texts and images, take their own photos and change the background colour/pattern. Although we may not have learned too much about Diwali in that session, the children quickly became adept and were delighted with their own work. It is fantastic to see them becoming digitally literate, and their apprehension of technology is being increasingly replaced by excitement and curiosity. Images are included with kind permission of the headteacher. I have enjoyed watching an episode of the BBC programme Click, entitled Back to School. The episode deals with how tech is being used in education - from using Minecraft to teach children about logic gates, to apps which provide on-demand tutors for students, and educational toys for pre-schoolers which mesh physical play with tech. I was most impressed with the Osmo kit, which teaches early coding through the use of physical tiles, and the programme shows how this can be used in a school coding club. Osmo's Youtube channel also has content showing how the tool can be used in schools.
The episode can be watched here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07v8l39/click-back-to-school |
|