Fife Education Digital Literacy and ICT session

This week we had a visit from a few people from Fife Education team. In the session they did with us we learned about a number of areas of ICT including how we can use Games based learning, Animation through Comic Life and Pivot Programmes, Handheld devices and Music ICT software such as Sequel and the Skoog to enhance teaching and learning within the classroom.

This was an extremely informative and practical session as we were not only taught the basics of how to use different software but were even provided with our own Netbooks for the session which I found really effective in allowing us to explore different software, become familiar with how to use the different programmes and consider how I could use these in the classroom with children to support them in their learning. During this we looked at software which could be used for a range of subject areas including maths, language, music but not only these but how some of the resources and programmes could be used as a context for cross-curricular learning.

The way in which cross-curricular learning could be achieved was to me seen most evidently through the games-based learning input. In this we looked at how the game could be used as a context and all aspects of learning in the different subject areas could come from this. One of the main principles of Curriculum for Excellence refers to the concept of breadth (Scottish Government, 2009a). To me, breadth is about a wide range and in learning I believe this is achieved through a number of subject areas being taught. Through cross-curricular learning coming for a games context, children can learn a range of subjects and these can also be linked through the context making learning more relevant and meaningful which also draws upon another of the main Curriculum for Excellence principles ensuring what is being taught is relevant.  

Music ICT

The main area I have chosen to reflect on is the Music ICT software we learned about as part of the input. One of the programmes we were shown was Sequel. This software allows children to select a range of instruments to create a piece of music of their choice. Within this children are given the opportunity to personalise their piece of music through making their own decisions either individually or in groups choosing from different instruments, when they want these to be played and what kind of music they would like it to be choosing from different categories. Use of this software is also supported the principles of Curriculum Excellence (Scottish Government, 2009a) through bringing in elements of personalisation and choice whilst allowing children to develop decision making skills and their ability to work as a team if working as part of a group. As a piece of software, I think it would be effective to use in getting children to become familiar with the sounds of instruments and ways in which they differ to allow them to distinguish between them. In addition to this children can begin to start thinking about how a piece of music is arranged considering what instruments go well together and thinking about tempos and pitches of the different instruments. This is something I think children would quite enjoy as they get the opportunity to have free reign and decide themselves what they want to do. They can become responsible for their own learning which aids them in developing into successful learners and responsible citizens, two of the main aims of Curriculum for Excellence as referred to within the four capacities (Scottish Government, 2009b).

This is a picture of what the sequel software looks like on the computer. Down the left hand side shows the instruments that have been selected and the different coloured bars show when each of the instruments will be played.

Another interesting piece of equipment we looked at which involves learning about Music through the use of ICT is Skoog. The Skoog is a box with a range of coloured buttons on it which each play different instruments and sounds. The box can be connected to the computer using a USB cable which allows it to make music when the buttons are pressed which can then be put onto the computer. Here is a brief video which gives a basic overview of how the Skoog can be used.

"Designed to adapt and fit with your own natural movements, the Skoog sets you free to explore sounds and music in your own way," (Skoog, 2011, no page).

The Skoog is a resource which can be used with children of a range of ages and needs which was drawn upon in the video. It can be extended for those in the upper primary stages or those who need challenged further through not having the sounds already set on the Skoog but getting the children to find sounds and record these or record people playing instruments and make a piece of Music from these recordings. It can also be used with those who have additional needs allowing them to have something which is easy to hold  and explore allowing them to learn through the sensory element which is not found at the same level in individual musical instruments which they may struggle to play. This is a resource I think would be particularly effective with children in Early years, especially in Nursery. As part of the 2CM8 module I have learned that children in Early Years learn a lot through using their senses at this stage and as a resource this offers children the opportunity to touch the different buttons, hear the sounds and instruments and see the colours and shapes on the box. This can allow children to become more familiar with different sounds and what musical instruments sound like. Duffy (2006) draws upon the way in which young children love to explore and how using their senses is important in allowing them to find things out and learn. Through using the Skoog, I believe children would get a lot of enjoyment through the visual elements and listening to and putting together different sounds. They also get the opportunity to personalise what they are doing through picking their favourite sounds and playing these together to make their own music. All of these elements reflect some of the main principles of Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Government, 2009a).

Overall, I found this session with Fife Education team extremely useful as I was introduced to a range of programmes and software I had not used or heard of before. I was able to try these out myself and realise how easy a lot of these are to use and also have the support of the Fife team to help us on areas of the software we were unsure of and also tips and advice from them on other ways we could use the software or how to make things we were doing easier for us to do. A lot of what we learned was really appealing to me and I am definitely considering trying out some of these ideas and downloading software. I hope to try out some of these ideas with future classes I work with to hopefully see the positive affects these can have on teaching and learning within the classroom.

References

Duffy, B. (2006) Supporting Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years (2nd ed.). Berkshire: Open University Press.

Scottish Government (2009a) Curriculum for Excellence: Principles for Curriculum Design.

Available at http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum/howisthecurriculumstructured/principles/index.asp 

[Accessed 04/02/12]

Scottish Government (2009b) Curriculum for Excellence: The Purpose of the Curriculum- The Four Capacities. Available at
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/thepurposeofthecurriculum/index.asp
[Accessed 04/02/12]

Skoog (2011) What is a Skoog?
Skoog Music Ltd. Avaialable at
http://www.skoogmusic.com/skoog#whatisit
[Accessed 04/02/12]