VLE/MLE and Learning Platforms

This week we looked at VLEs/MLEs and Learning Platforms and how they can be best used within the classroom.  Now before I go any further I think I should start with an explanation as to what these acronyms actually mean.

A VLE stands for 'Virtual Learning Environment'.  It could be best described as the schools personal website.  Teachers, parents and pupils all have access to it and through this everyone is aware of what is going on within the school.  Teachers can upload homework for pupils to complete, or even put up a schedule as to what is going to take place within the classroom in the coming weeks.  Parent's can also be kept inform of any necessary information about the school.

A screenshot from a Primary Managed Learning Environment

A MLE is a 'Managed Learning Environment'.  In essence, it is pretty much the same as a VLE but with one major difference - it is completely connected to the schools network and all types of information can be accessed from it.  As well as pupils being able to download and upload homework, attendance numbers can be access so parents can find out if their child is actually in school.  Behaviour diaries, or behaviour management information can be accessed also.

Both of these learning environments are known under the umbrella term of 'Learning Platforms'.  They enable member s of the school community to stay in contact and, unfortunately for the children involved, they will always have access to the school work, wherever they are.

While I have tried to explain what they are as best as I can, I think the following videos will provide an even simpler explanation:

                                                           

For the purposes of this blog I'm going to refer to VLEs/MLEs as VLEs just to avoid confusion.

These Learning Platforms (LP) have a variety of online activities available to pupils to help enhance and further their learning: there are Discussion Threads/Forums, just like on other websites, where the children can get involved in debates about a topic they are studying in school all the way to what they had done at the weekend or on holiday.  These are a good place for teachers to see who contributes and who doesn't.  A lot of the time some pupils may become 'lurkers' (someone who reads the thread but doesn't actively participate in the discussion) and these pupils can be seen as being on the thread by the teacher who can subsequently encourage them to get involved by asking a direct question to them on the thread.  This will hopefully encourage children to get involved and make them realise that their opinions do matter.

As I have mentioned before, work can be downloaded, completed and then submitted all via the VLE.  It is also a place where that work can be celebrated.  Teachers can upload pupils work for everyone on the VLE to see.  Children love to be recognised for the hard-work they have done and by putting it up on the VLE, not only does the school get to see what they have achieved, but everyone at home gets to see as well.  The VLE is a place that allows parents to stay in contact with the school, or even with a specific class teacher, in order to stay updated with their child's progress.  I believe that it is a great way for home/school communication to remain strong.  Below is a video from the BECTA youtube channel.  It looks at what pupils and parents think about the VLEs and how they help the home/school link, please note that those featured from the video are from a secondary school setting but all the points raised can be transferred to a Primary situation.

There are many types of VLE in the market today: Fronter, KnowledgeBox and Kaleidos just to name a few.  Each one offers an online education experience and depending on which school you visit will depend on which LP you see.  In our workshop we were looking at the KnowledgeBox LP.  Personally, I have never interacted with VLEs before, despite spending time in Primary Classrooms; I have been shown the VLE by the class teacher, what the class used it for and what information is kept on it, but I was not given the opportunity to really explore it.

From my experience briefly using KnowledgeBox during the session, I find it to be very easy to use.  I believe that it was designed specifically for the Primary stage as it presents itself with bright, bold colours and large, easy to read fonts.  I will admit that, at first, it was a little confusing to navigate, but I'm sure could be said for all LPs the first time you use them.  I really liked the idea of being able to group your class however you wanted, depending on the subject and attainment ability.

I wish I could make a more informed decision about VLEs, but right now, without experiencing them within the classroom setting, I am unable to.  In the next few weeks, we will start the beginnings of placements and through this I hope I can discover more about the VLEs and maybe report back what I find.

Later Days,

Interactive White Boards

Technology in the classroom has come along leaps and bounds; blackboards to whiteboards, and the introduction of the Interactive White Board is helping further the educational experience for pupils.

I have not really used an Interactive White Board (IWB) before this course.  I have seen it being used in classrooms, but I've never had the opportunity to give them a try.  From my own research and talking to other trainees, there are different options when it comes to using an IWB, as a number of companies provide software and hardware.

For the purposes of this blog, I am going to focus on the SMART Technologies software and equipment, mainly because this is all I have had the opportunity to use and explore.


The software - SMART Notebook - is fairly easy to use. I personally found that having a few minutes to play around with the software, exploring what it had to offer, was very helpful.  I was able to learn how to do a number of things that may have taken me much longer to find out if I had not been given the initial opportunity to explore the software.

The following video (created by SMART Technologies) gives a teachers view of why the SMART board is so easy to use.

The Software


The SMART Notebook software can be described as being very 'Paint-like' in the way slides or pages are created/presented, but this I guess adds to the simplicity of its use. Even though I do say that it is simple to use and to create resources, this doesn't mean it isn't susceptible to going wrong.  Files may not load, or aspects of the file may not work; because of this it is important that teachers are prepared for every eventuality.  Having a lesson plan with a contingency in place, appropriate resources that do not required any technology in order for the teaching to take place, is key to ensure that the children's learning does not get disrupted or interrupted.

There are a number of different ways you can use the SMART Notebook software to create resources.  In our recent ICT workshop we were given the opportunity to create a small interactive resource to give us a chance to acclimatize ourselves with the software.  We were introduced to the 'Rub and Reveal' method of creating a resource.

This would involve placing pictures or words onto the slide and then 'painting' over a word or picture so it is hidden.  What would happen next is that the class would be asked what is missing; after some discussion and a decision on the answer, the teacher would then remove or 'reveal' the answer using the eraser tool on the whiteboard.

This is a very good resource for younger pupils and would hopefully encourage discussion within the class.  I found that creating this resource from scratch was challenging, especially given the time constraints we had.  I came up with a resource that used the 'Rub and Reveal' technique we had been shown; but also incorporated images that also had a sound attached to them.  I felt that this would add another dimension to the interactive element of the resource - having the picture covered over, playing the sound attached to the picture and then having the class guess what the sound is representing.  It's a simple idea that I believe would be perfect resource for a Foundation Stage class or even a Yr 1 class, due to the simplicity of its presentation and the task it sets out.

The Hardware

The SMART board hardware has been making its way into classrooms for some time now and the majority of schools in the UK now have an IWB as part of their learning resources.  The board gives you the opportunity to write on top of the slides, adding notes and children's contributions to the screen so everyone can see them.  This will give the class the time to take in what other members of the class have said and hopefully inspire them to also contribute to the discussion.

Again, the IWB hardware is not free of issues.  The main problem that most teachers come across is the calibration being off on the board and not everyone knows how to fix this.  An issue like this isn't the end of the world though; it may just be that when writing on the board the image you create appears to the left or the right of where you are writing.  This isn't the end of the world though, it would just be a case of adapting, and knowing where your writing will end up on the board.

And finally.........

In the end, I believe that Interactive White Boards are going to be around for a long time to come and hopefully as time goes by, this technology is going to get better and better.

Later Days,

Web 2.0 and Blogging

Right, on to the summary of my first ICT workshop.

This session looked at the web and blogging - and since you are reading this, I can safely believe that you know something about the nature of blogging, so we will get to that later; but what about the term Web 2.0?

Now what do we mean by Web 2.0? Well, according to all sources this is just the name of the internet as it stand today; no fancy changes or upgrades, just the way it is and the way it is used.

It is the way that the internet encourages creativity, information sharing and collaboration amongst its users.  This ‘era’ of the net is predominantly recognisable due to the number of social-networking sites, wiki’s [online sources of information – very similar to an encyclopaedia] and blogs.

See my previous blog about eSafety to read about the implications of this type of internet usage.

In The Classroom

As technology becomes more and more integral in our everyday lives; it is only understandable that it takes a bigger place within the education system. 

PCs have been part of classroom learning for many years now – even I remember using them to creating words for displays and other similar projects – but computers are now seen as an extension of child’s ‘pen and paper’* work when it comes to creating projects and other classroom work.

With the introduction of the Interactive White Board, classes can access the internet while still sitting on the carpet during the lesson, accessing information instantly.

*when I say ‘pen and paper’ I just mean the average classroom activities that we used to do without the aid of computers.

Schools could use all this technology in a number of ways to help enhance the learning of pupils.  


A lot of schools now have a Managed Learning Area to keep home and school more connected.  Each class has their own 'room' on the network and from here class teachers can let everyone know what's in store for the coming week or term; and even present work from the students.


This is a great way of showcasing children's work - especially because they can share it with their whole family no matter where they are in the world; all by giving out a web link to where their work is displayed.


There are a number of ways that schools can use the internet to enhance the learning experience for children; but I believe that the most effect use of the internet - apart from for researching topics and homework - is using it within the Managed Learning Areas, sharing the work of the class with their families.

Digital Identity

Everyone likes to keep their personal information personal but how far can you go to really achieve that when online?

What is your Digital Identity?
Your digital identity is anything and everything that you have ever put online - names, addresses, photos - that can be accessed by anyone across the world.

So I have a Facebook page, what's wrong with that?
Having a Facebook account to keep in contact with friends is great and even using Skype to call your cousin in the States is amazing, but have you ever wondered what happens to all the information you put in to sign up to these things?  What happens to all those photos you put up on Facebook?

Yes, they are available for you and your friends to share, but sometimes they wind up elsewhere if you don't know how to protect them.

Again, so what?


Believe it or not, the way you portray yourself in any situation can have repercussions.  Most employers these days are using the internet to scan and research potential employees, and what you have on your facebook profile may be what decides whether you get the job - or not.



So be careful with those pictures from that last night out you had OK?


But everyone's got one......
This is true, so the main rule is - BE CAREFUL!

The majority of people in the world today have some kind of Web presence in some form or another.  But what about the people who don't?

People like this, most likely, don't have access to the internet or are not too sure how to get started in the first place.  Right now I could say that these people we are talking about are too old to understand the internet; but I know plenty of older people who in some instances know their way around a computer and the internet better than me!!!

People in positions of responsibility, let's say a parent or teacher, for example, have to be even more careful with what they put online and they also need to watch over what is being publish by those under their care.  Children especially are prone to putting up very sensitive information with regards to their location, age, sex, and their name.  It is imperative that you watch over children online as you never know who they are talking to on the other end of the conversation.

So what can I do?

I will be the first to admit that I have encourage people to sign up for countless websites, where they have to continually input their personal information.  Some people have been known to change the odd digit of their phone number or even give a false name entirely, but if you can't do that, you need to know how to hide your information.

• The first thing is to check the websites FAQs or help section - these usually provide information about how to protect your identity.
• Secondly, be aware of what you are signing up for.

In essence, you need to be vigilant to everything you see and hear online.  If you want an interesting exercise, just to see how well you have or have not hidden yourself, go onto Google.

'Google yourself' and see what comes up.  Often people are surprised at what they find.

Well that's all for this outing, at least it wasn't as long as eSafety.  Hope to have you visit again soon.

Later Days,

eSafety

What is eSafety?

The health and safety of online domains is pretty important these days.  Just like how personal information has to be protected in the real world - the same thing needs to be done in the virtual world.  This isn't more apparent than when it comes to the safety of children online - at home and in school.

People often ask who is responsible for the eSafety of children within schools [at home it is the responsibilty of the parent or gaurdians - so no need to look at that just now]  Within schools it is the responsiblity of everyone who has access to a computer to watch over and stay vigiliant when it comes to online safety.

The following weblinks have some information on this if you wish to look further:

http://support.securus-software.com/user/71/281667.pdf

http://www.childnet-int.org/kia/

But basically the main concerns come from 3 areas :

CONTACT - involving online abuse, grooming or cyber-bullying
CONTENT - children gaining access to content that is not suitable for them like adult orientated websites, finding images or videos of violence or hateful messages.  It also covers premium rate services that children could possibly be tricked into signing up for - for example: signing up to buy one ringtone without realising that they actually signed up for a lot more.
CONDUCT - taking part in illegal activity such as illegal downloading of music or films; or creating misleading information on the internet to cause harm or distress.  These sort of activities can place the child in a vunerable position.


But how can parents/carers keep on top of eSafety?

Most parents/carers or gaurdians these days would probably be searching on the internet themselves to find out how to keep their children safe.  For those who don't know where to start there are a variety of websites out there made to educate and inform adults on the dangers of the internet and how to protect children and young people while they surf online.

The best website that I have found so far is this one:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
There are probably others out there - but that's where exploring the internet and learning comes into play.


Bu what about photos of children online?



Putting photos of children online has always been a bit of a taboo - no one knows who could be out there looking at these pictures and the child's welfare could be at risk because of it.

As a result of this, school's implement rules and regulations about the taking of pictures in school, and the way in which they can be publish. 

Parental consent is needed for any picture going onto the school's website and the pictures must be of an appropriate nature - so this means kids in school uniforms, not in PE kits or swimsuits.  Children that are the subject of a court order should not have any photos taken or publish, in order to keep the child safe.

The storing of these photos is liable as much scrutiny as the photos themselves.  They need to be stored securely with access only possible by authorised personnel.  Files name too are not allowed to identify which children are in which photos just in case.


Don't worry we're almost at the end..........

What about the health of the child using the computer?

We don't want children to become slaves to the computer monitor - slowly rotting, turning into zombies, so when is enough, enough?

Many sites have suggested that 3 to 7 year olds should spend around 30 minutes a day in front of a screen (computer or TV).  This is extended to an hour for 7 to 12 year olds and up to an hour and a half for children up to the age of 15.  Now bearing in mind that these are just suggestions, it is ultimately up to the adult in charge as to when enough is enough.

The following link is to the direct.gov.uk site - going directly to all the issues about child health:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/index.htm

This link sets out risks about using the internet and guidelines for children's use of it:
http://www.getsafeonline.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1123

The site from the BBC focuses more on the amount of time children should watch television, but the same idea applies as a screen is a screen and has the same effect whether you're watching TV or surfing the net:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/family/family_relationships/you_tv.shtml




And Finally.......
I think I've bored you long enough this time round so I will leave you with this information to digest and hope you will join me at a later date for some more ICT discussion.


Later Days,

Introduction

Hello!

Before we get started, jumping into ICT Across the Curriculum, I thought I would do an extremely quick introduction and then get the ball rolling.

I'm Sam, and at this point in time, I'm 26 and studying a PGCE Primary at Middlesex University (but the majority of people reading this will already know that!)  Basically, I like books, films and a bit of TV and anything else that takes my fancy.

This blog is going to be a reflective process for the ICT workshops we are undertaking and my thoughts and ideas on them.  Plus if I find anything interesting that I feel will be of benefit to anyone with regards to teaching and technology I let you know!

Right, I think it's time to get to work and plan for the first proper blog!

LLAP

$am