Joe Marshall Blog week1

Hi
My name is Joe, I used to be a grumpy technophobe who viewed bloggers as geeks with no friends sat in their bedrooms playing on their computers. How things change! I'm a computer convert, a budding blogger and a networking newbie.

               

In my first ever blog I intend to highlight the issues of E-Safety. I am sure that all of you have had it drummed into you time and time again the importance of being cyber-savvy. Well tough luck because here we go again

Only fools breaks the E-Safety rules:

Teenagers, I am well aware that you think you know

everything about everything. Well i am a London Cabbie, so i really do know everything about everything so sit down, shut up and listen. The world is not full of perverts and peadophiles, however the world does contain a few. These people, no matter how few, are out there and they are looking for you. Don't make it easy for them. Be vigilant, be pro-active, be cyber-savvy. Here are a few simple rules on how to stay safe when using modern technology..

Use a nickname: Do not divulge your true identity to online strangers

Save a copy of online chat: This can help if problems arise

Take care on who to trust: Some people online may not be who they say they are

When teaching E-safety to children in EYFS and Key Stage 1, I would take a more serious approach. Parents need to be aware that access to the internet is a routine part of a child's day and that there are many positives to the online world. However, just as in the outside world, the online world has websites that provide access that is suitable for adults only. 

Links to websites with additional information can be found below
CBBC stay safe 
Uk Council for child internet safety .

      Why does Powerpoint lead to a slow painful death?

Wlecome to this weeks blog. I shall start this week with an apology; I am well aware that I bleat on about my lack of computer knowledge and that as of two years ago had not even used email. However, even I had heard of the term "death by Powerpoint," although I did think it was something the US army did with a sharp stick to suspects in Guantanamo Bay. But after a year at college I realised that death by Powerpoint was far worse than I had imagined.

My first attempt attempt at a Powerpoint presentation consisted of a dozen slides containing line after line of text, with me standing out in front reading directly from the screen. I was so proud of myself. I then proceeded to watch my fellow students do excactly the same, and as the fog of boredom descended upon me I realised the true evil power of "Death by Powerpoint"

Note to self

                                    


Therefore, this weeks ICT lesson on mulimedia in the classroom was one that I felt I needed to pay attention in. We looked at the benifits of using Powerpoint in the classroom. The format of Powerpoint appeals to students and its compatability with the interactive whiteboard makes it an effective pedagogic tool. The format is attractive to students with a variety of learning styles with a particular benefit to those students who learn via a visual and auditory method.

In our session we covered the basic functions of powerpoint. However, the focus of the lesson revolved around how to make your presentation appealing to the intended audience. We then looked at another multimedia package, Clicker is an award winning literacy tool that enables pupils of all abilities to significantly develop their reading and writing skills. Clicker grids give pupils point-and-click access to whole words, phrases and pictures, helping them to construct their work more independently.This is something I would use in the classroom to help the children develop their Literacy skills.

A Clicker grid

                             





You may find the following websites useful:

Powerpoint for beginners

Clicker 6 website

LOGO

The instructions for drawing a square

Joe Marshall Blog 3

This week in our introduction to computing and technology lesson we again looked at the topic of programming. The main focus of the session was looking at the LOGO programme. Logo for Kids teaches kids step by step the basic of computers programming. LOGO has the children enter instructions via a basic computer programming language and it  is used for generating basic shapes using a turtle cursor.


It builds on from the simple programming used to operate a Beebot. It requires the student to have a firm knowledge of angles and degrees. As the image shows, to draw a simple square the child needs to know how many degrees are in a right angle.


 When usingLOGO children learn to:

• experimenting with Logo commands to understand them and be confident in their use
• planning their task and organize it into its various components
• writing a set of instructions to perform each small task
• constructing a program to perform all the tasks in the right order
• evaluating their program to assess whether the task is performed correctly
• debugging their program by locating and correcting errors or restructuring their approach 

 When the tehniques and skills of using LOGO are mastered children are not limited to drawing simple shapes. The following are examples of patterns drawn uding LOGO:

For a set of instructions to draw amazing shapes similar to the one above click here

LOGO is an effective tool for teaching children the skills of de-bugging. When using the program myself it was very rare for the picture on the screen to resemble my intended drawing. It required me to analyse the instructions I had entered and rectify my mistakes.

Another piece of LOGO artwork

                                           
In my teaching I would use LOGO alongside Beebots to teach children about programming and de-bugging. LOGO i sfar more advanced than Beebots and therefore could be used for older children or in a differentiated lesson

To find out more on LOGO click here

              

Programming and control

              Joe marshall week 4 blog

This weeks long awaited blog revolves around the subject of control and programming

My reaction on hearing I have to teach programming

Our lesson today initially worried me. As i have said before " I am a technophobe" and the prospect of having to teach children computer programming sent a cold shiver down my spine. However, my mind was soon put at ease after it was explained how we use programing on a daily basis. Inside the home we programme our washing machine, dishwasher, TV remote control, burglar alarm and the microwave. These are just a few of the household items that require the user to input instructions to attain the desired result. Programming is just entering a set of instructions into a machine which causes it to operate in a specific manner.


To facilitate our understanding we were given the oppurtunity to experiment with Beebots. Beebots are programmable bumble bees that follow a simple set of instructions entered by the user; forward, back, left and right with the option to enter distances. In our lesson we were put into small groups and given the task of designing an activity to highlight the functions of the Beebot. Our group consisted of the three men, therefore, we designed a football game.

A happy beebot

The game we designed is something that I would definately take into the classroom when teaching. It involves putting a small ball in front of a goal with a series of obstacles blocking the direct route from the Beebot to the ball. The children have to programme the Beebot to avoid the obstacles and push the ball into the goal.

Other useul  Beebot website links can be found below

http://www.bee-bot.us/
Beebot video clip
Beebots line dance

Welcome to the world of the interactive whiteboard

         Blog 5.  Welcome to Interactive White Board

Hello and thank you for taking the time to look at this week's reflective blog. Today we were introduced to the interactive whiteboard  (IWB) and looked at how it can benefit both teacher and student when used effectively. Long gone are the days of teachers using chalks and blackboards as the focal point of the classroom, the arrival of the IWB has transformed the way children are presented with information in school.

In our lesson we were shown a variety of methods to enhance the learning experience of the children using IWBs. These included:

1. Rub and Reveal

2. Using the magic pen

3. Transparency layering

4. Inserting animation

After being put into groups of three we were asked to use one of the above methods to facilitate a teaching method. Our group inserted a piece of animation to assist a phonics session; The word cat appeared slowly, letter by letter, to enable a child to use their phonic knowledge to blend the word.

During my day link visits I have witnessed the IWB used in every phonics lesson. The teacher has used games such as buried treasure and dragons egg, available at the phonics play website. Alongside this she has used the reveal function to add phonemes to an existing grapheme.

Pupil using IWB

There are many advantages to using interactive whiteboards. They provide electronically all the familiar features of a traditional classroom blackboard or ordinary whiteboard.In addition, they replace the scenario of a large group crowding around a single computer.The interactive whiteboard allows a large group to sit and participate comfortably in a presentation.Futhermore, you can enhance any presentation or lesson by easily integrating video, animation, graphics, text and audio with the spoken presentation. Consequently, they enable the children to participate in the lesson in a more hands on way. In a report to the Department of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University concuded " the use of an IWB increases the level of children's engagement with learning activities." (2007) However, there are some negative aspects to using IWBs in class. In my placement school i am in a reception class, therefore, the children are very small. In order for them to reach the IWB a set of steps have needed to be installed. Furthermore, when the children climb the steps they cast a shadow onto the IWB rendering the screen unreadable.


Click here to see a video clip of an IWB in use.

Reference
Manchester Metropolitan University (2007)
Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project