Week 6: Simulation/Programming cntd. and Playful Learning

Today was the penultimate ICT lesson, which makes this nearly the final blog! Thanks for tuning in.

We were focusing on programming again at the beginning of the lesson, looking first at Kodu - which is normally used in KS3, however it can be used with KS2 if your children are advanced (which increasingly I believe they are when it comes to ICT).

As Education Scotland say 'Programming is a creative medium' (link to webpage) and programmes like Kodu allow children to build and play their own computer games. The programme allows children to be introduced to 'key concepts in object oriented programming and logic' (www.educationscotland.gov.uk). As Nikki Maddums (dubbed ' Queen of Kodu') discusses not only is Kodu a fantastic way of introducing computer programming into children's education but it can be used in a cross curricular way, as within literacy a teacher could use it as a way of supporting story-telling  (link to website). Have a look at the below video to see Nikki talking about how she uses Kodu.

When I had a go on Kodu I did struggle to create anything worth using, you can see from the picture below that my progress was limited. However, I will ensure to revise my Kodu skills if I plan to use it in the classroom. 

We also looked at a game called 'Myst III Exile'. This could be used in a similar way to Kodu as during the game you are taken through a beautiful, magical and mystical world which should inspire children to write stories that developed their language.

Games in the classroom
Game playing is being promoted within the primary classroom as research suggests that British schoolchildren are the 'unhappiest in the world' (link to article). This research looks at children's attitudes to their whole life, not just in school, but when they are in the classroom it is important to develop ways that will keep them interested in learning. Schools are increasingly using technology such as Nintendo Wii's in the classroom and we looked at how you can use a dance mat.

I have to say when I walked into the classroom and saw the dance mats on the floor I struggled to see the educational value however after a short demonstration from my fellow students Elena and Philip I was convinced. The programme that was used was 'Dance to Advance. You can either use existing subjects such as Phonemes, Spelling or Body Parts (see picture). Or there is an option to add your own subjects. I would use this game at the end of a topic to see if children remembered what I had taught them. The advantage of this game is that it can be used across all subjects and it won't feel like a test to children, and with two dance mats it can become competitive. Linking back to programming (see previous blog) this could also be used with older children to design their own dance mat game. I am currently working in a Year 1 classroom and I am going to talk to their ICT coordinator to discuss if there is a possibility of getting dance mats as I think it would be a brilliant revision tool for the class.

We also explored an online simulation game, Machinarium. This is a game that involves problem solving as you are given hints and tips on what to do next (it definitely challenged me!). There are also elements of science in it, as in the first scene you are required to use a magnet to move to the next stage. I would see this game as another way of getting children to learn without them realising.  

Final look at programming
In our final whistle stop tour of ICT we were quickly shown 'Wordle' and 'Voki'. Wordle is a word based programme that is great for word showers, and Voki, which creates an online character that children can get to speak by typing text to it.

I found some ideas on how to use Voki in the classroom (Reference: http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/Voki)

• Students can use Voki to create a class introduction, recording a message and using an avatar that resembles themselves.
• Students connect with others, by exchanging these Voki recordings with other classmates, and with other students in other schools.
• Foreign language students can use Voki to speak “in character” for different role-play assignments.
• Students can orally share their “writing pieces.”
• Anyone can use it for a classroom “newscast.”
• Can be used as an item in a student electronic portfolio
• As an “authentic” foreign language experience, students are writing, reading, revising, and speaking to an audience.
• To aid resource students, teacher can record oral pronunciation of vocabulary words as a review-guide for upcoming assessments.
• Teachers can get attention by letting their VOKI give the instructions.  

And so as it nearly comes to the end of my blog! I hope you've enjoyed reading it and that you've learned a thing or two about ICT, about me and my aims for teaching!

THANK YOU!