Day 21 - Café Culture CPD

With a cup of coffee and a chocolate digestive in hand the the teaching assistants were invited to attend a 20 minute 'spotlight on digital skills' session. They had all been released together from their usual duties so that they could increase their own skill level using iPad.

In order for any digital strategy to fully embedded in the school needs to be embraced by the whole staff. More and portly it needs to be understood and accepted as part of the vision for the school. Therefore, the development plan or the digital strategy needs to have been discussed and agreed by staff so that they can understand why it is they are being asked to change or modify their skill set. In my experience if this has happened change is managed much more smoothly and with understanding.

It is in this climate that our first digital skills session was held. Last week all the school's iPads were taken in under the umbrella of the MDM. Although the staff enjoy greater flexibility and less restrictions on their iPads they are part of the schools agreed use a policy and therefore need to appreciate how they work in the classroom with the students to educate them to be responsible and discerning digital citizens.

Our first app was Book Creator (those of you following my blog will also have seen the myriad of ways that the creator is utilised within the curriculum already). The best way to learn any new skill is by doing. So using airplay in one of the classrooms we set about creating our own book from a temp late. After just 15 minutes, and a lot of laughter, each of the TA's had completed a page of their book using all of the features on the + menu. 

 We also had looked at searching for images with the correct usage rights as it's important that the TA's to reinforce the responsible use of the technology whether they are on iPad, a PC or another device at home.

Having shared and published our very brief new book our allotted 20 minutes were up. The attendees went away with the confidence to have a go themselves - and with half term coming up it's a timely opportunity to explore the possibilities of using this particular app. 

An added bonus in this close quarter training is that one of the ladies wanted to ask a 'how do I?' question. She wanted to show a slideshow of images of the work the class had been doing. This was easy as in Photos once an album is created the option to show as a slide show is inbuilt. Having showed the TA's this feature,  I was very pleased that on walking past the year two classroom on their screen was being air-played a slideshow of images of the proud students making salt dough. An activity that they had undertaken that very morning! I'd call that on side! 

Day 20 - Vertically Grouped Opinions

The school which I currently work has three classes of children which are vertically grouped. This has huge benefits when deciding to discuss individual topics and support new ideas. It also can be limiting in its capacity to provide each specific year group with the learning outcomes that they require.

I was confident that year 1 could build on the foundations of their introductory familiarisation with the language of coding lesson and go on to perform much more complex and demanding tasks.

Today, was their second lesson on the introductory steps to coding. Last week we talked about giving unambiguous instructions. I based it on the perennial favourite of making a jam sandwich. To my amazement the children were really enthusiastic about being able to sample a jammy piece of bread at the end of the lesson! So much so,  that I thought this would prevent them from understanding the concept of an algorithm. I was happy to be proved wrong.

This week, we began our lesson by rearranging a large set of photographs from each stage of the algorithm that we created last week. The Year 1's were very proficient at recalling the steps even being able to recall when a mistake or bug was discovered. But why should this be useful in vertically grouped Year 1&2 class?

With my Year 2's, who also have not, as yet, had a great deal of experience using the language of computing. I modified the jam sandwich task for them. They had to debug the set of images Year 1 had taken depicting their jammy algorithm. 

The class were able to proficiently identify where mistakes were made but also to discuss with their year 1 counterparts the likelihood of an algorithm actually working even with a different variable... Was the knife always needed before the butter was opened?

Discussion about the way the bread and plate, knife and jam needed to be organised gave rise to the opportunity to deepen the understanding of each year group. Providing me and them with a rich experience in the need for clarity.

I was impressed by the way the children were able to discuss and move their own learning on through the discussion of the different variables.  Photo Collage app allowed me to very quickly collate the series of images into a format that could be used by one group and debugged by a second.  

The foundations have been laid for this group of children to move into comprehending simple programming. Beebots here we come!

Day 19 - Perfect match

 Apple crumble and custard are perfect together. But, it is very rare when you get a perfect match of task to expected outcome in the classroom. Sometimes, no matter how meticulously you've planned the task, what materialises doesn't quite turn out the way that you had expected. 

Today however this was not the case. I was looking for a way to motivate the students as writers in my year 5/6 class. Their teacher had asked me to cover the learning objective "I can box up information text and include interesting descriptions". Always mindful that my role at school is to include technology where ever it is appropriate, it's important that I always evaluate each task to see whether the iPad can be utilised to enhance learning.

Although I am already a devotee of Book Creator, the new templates which include the comic strip layouts are perfect for this particular lesson. Not only did I need to introduce how to create a book in Book Creator to the students but also to enable them to explore how to separate up information text in the 'box up' method. 

So with the context of being invited to contribute to 'The Dragon Hunter's Guide' we set about writing descriptive passages on dragons. I approached the lesson step by step, or should I say box by box. Each of the information text skills were explained, discussed and explored with the work being transferred directly onto iPad. The 'boxing up' of the text was literally echoed on the box in the template. Equally importantly were the digital fluency skills that needed to be modelled and introduced. By using AirPlay and the Clevertouch screen, this was easy and could two sets of skills could be practised consecutively. This was the beauty of a perfect match. The task allowed me to moderate the way the students learnt whilst at the same time enhancing their digital literacy skills. 

By The end of the lesson every single child had a five point example of how to box up information text. I would go further to say that many of them had included interesting descriptions and had a real image in their mind of their particular Dragon; in short the activity burst into life.

Because the students were so confident with their skills and were able to navigate the app so easily they were able to include a workflow that would not have been possible without the aid of technology. Interactive maps, images of habitats and even some sounds that the dragons made were included. At the end of this lesson I was confident that every child had made the steps to success they knew how to box up the information text and were able to include interesting descriptions. They may not all have extended their writing as fully as I would've liked. As their work was distributed via Showbie and their finished work quickly posted as a PDF direct from Book Creator back to their Showbie file, the children have a copy of their work instantly available to improve as the week goes on. So polishing pens at the ready! 

Day 18 - Responsibility v Restrictions

When considering a mobile device management (MDM) system it's vital to have a clear understanding of how you want to build the foundations of your project. I have always advocated an honest approach. Aiming to educate the pupils and their parents with the realities of using the Internet so the students become educated and aware of their responsibilities online. I prefer to make the minimum amount of formal restrictions to allow the students to experience a real life scenario. Filters in school are appropriate and additional precautions on iPad will ensure a relevant  degree of protection.

This comes with a huge responsibility for ensuring that the pastoral/ safe guarding aspects of the deployment are kept in the forefront and regularly visited and updated in the classroom. 

Our school was the first to enrol with the new Apple device enrolment system. Now students no longer require their own Apple ID. This solves the underhand way that parents had to falsify a birthdate to allow their child to create an Apple ID if they were under the age of 13. It never sat comfortably with me. An updated acceptable use policy will need to be activated. 

The consequence however if the new system is that services that require an Apple ID such as FaceTime, iMessage and iCloud are no longer made available in the classroom. This requires a robust

strategy for backing up work on iPad. Showbie and other file sharing apps will cushion this need but it does, at first glance. seem limiting to the learner. Perhaps as it is only the first wave of deployment, these glitches will be ironed out. 

What was equally clear when going through the process of managing the devices, was that deployment of apps is quick and easy preventing wasted time in the classroom waiting for apps to download. Our school took the step to not download any games so that the purpose of the device was clear. Their iPad is a tool to enhance their learning. Time will tell if this decision has any adverse effects on motivation or usage.

Day 17 - Clean slate

Today was a pivotal day in the journey of using mobile technology in the classroom. The hundred + iPads in the school that were previously under a different management system were all brought in line under the same MDM. The slate was wiped clean. 

It's the central aim of the school to provide for their students needs. The children are at the heart of the school, refreshingly the school recognise that to enable the students to become connected, responsible and discerning with technology will equip them with the skills they will require and satisfy their ambitious aims. 

• We are a child-centred school. Every decision we make is in the child’s interest.

• We encourage pupils to become confident learners.

• We are all members of a Learning Family and we speak and listen to each other honestly.

• We listen especially carefully to our pupils.

• We recognise the value of individuality.

• We make sure every child can achieve excellence.

• We celebrate everyone’s success and learn from our mistakes.

• Ours is a safe, caring and happy school.

I am so excited that the future at this school could provide the opportunities to make the rhetoric a reality. The opened and willingness of the staff is refreshing as they genuinely want to pursue embedding technology as a way to further the life chances of their students. Transformational thinking leads to redefinition in teaching and learning. 

The key is going to be giving the students a stake and a voice in the developments. Initiating a MDM solution is the first responsible step on this journey. 

Day 16 - Differentiation made easy

Every teacher wants to be able to differentiate their lesson so that each learner in their class can access the information. With the best will in the world no teacher has the time to plan the same lesson for 32 individual children.working with iPad enables the teacher to take control, effectively plan their lesson and efficiently deliver the lesson. It's a miracle! I hear you cry… not quite.

Mobile technology itself will not replace poor teaching but it can enable a good teacher to understand how they can reach the individuals within their class by tapping into the different methods of learning that an iPad supports. 

What did I use in the classroom today?

SPAG - takes up a great deal of the English curriculum. In my experience children need an awful lot of consolidation with spelling, grammar and especially punctuation. So today I was able to use the power of the iPad to scaffold the different levels of learning when we were revisiting the classes of words used in a sentence. Some children were at the level of a close procedure. Being able just to substitute a given word in a word bank into a sentence. This was delivered on Showbie so the word task was able to be annotated without introducing a third app. 

My second group were able to access QR codes which gave the clues as to the job of one of the words in the sentence, for example  ' enormous' is a describing word, they had to ascertain the definition of an adjective from their 'bingo' inspired wordbank. 

Another group was asked to use propositional phrases, conjunctions and adverbial phrases this group made use of their newly acquired Tellagami skills and able at the end of the written task to explain through animation the job of each of these parts of a sentence.

In spelling, we were able to use the voice recorder on iPad voice to record saying spellings in 'a say it silly syllables ' so that we were able to accentuate the way it was spelt for example: veg-a-table or rea-son-able.  These phrases can then be free trade and we visited to aid memorisation. Using the correct handwriting app can also support spelling as the feel of the word on the page can be transferred into the muscle memory of the child so that they can identify when they're making an error in spelling.

When looked at in their constituent parts they don't amount to much but over the course of the year broken down into terms where the teacher is enabling each learner to try out and experience a new way to form their understanding, iPad can be a really powerful tool to support learning. It's fun, it's quick and easy to share and to disseminate and you don't need any additional equipment other than the device that the children have in their hands.The final and most compelling reason to mix-and-match teaching strategies and presentation of tasks was that this mixed group of year five and year six spent an hour perfecting their SPAG. Added to these benefits, AirPlay to the class screen and screenshots added back into Showbie, the feedback given to the individual is tailored to needs. These  bespoke next steps to success ensure a learning journey that continues to be built on firm foundations. 

Day 15 - Brave New World

At a time when schools are asked to continuously prove progress in students (and rightly so) in very short timescales; within a lesson, perhaps even over a term or year. Teachers also need to prove themselves. Professional management reviews or personal review systems are put in place in schools as a way to measure smart targets and confirm professional diligence. Accountability is key. Headteachers are asked to oversee and manage the professional development of their staff and in turn, the potential achievement of the students. Those teachers who have the ability to see beyond the day-to-day routines of the classroom and accept that students within the school are being taught thoroughly and professionally also need to prove themselves. 

I have experienced a wide range of appraisal systems. The most conducive and effective are open and honest in the way they approach teacher appraisal. The transparency communicated from the top of the school down enables every teacher to feel part of the bigger picture. Proof however is still needed at each stage. How do I prove that a child has successfully moved from starting point A  to a skills mastery B in a particular curriculum area? This is where I believe technology can change the game. It can enable moments to be captured that previously were inadequately recorded on paper.

A headteacher whose vision spans all the teachers and includes all stakeholders will empower the school to fully utilise technology as a tool to support both teaching and learning. Understanding the power of a digital portfolio which includes snippets of video and voice memo evidence will be a force to increase the professionalism of teachers and more importantly the status of their judgements. Alongside this be instrumental in freeing the children in the school to do what they do - to learn. In a supportive and caring environment; ultimately to feel valued and to be happy.

What have I used in the classroom today? 

Book Creator

Book Creator Free - make books with photos, video and sound by Red Jumper Limited

https://appsto.re/gb/vGjAN.i

Explain Everything, 

Explain Everything™ Interactive Whiteboard by Explain Everything sp. z o.o.

https://appsto.re/gb/E_aUz.i

Cloud Tables Game, 

Times table cloud click game by Lumpty Learning

https://appsto.re/gb/QvlnC.i

Day 14 - Dr Who?

Many curricular now include digital literacy. This should be celebrated! 

Taking photographs on the surface is quite an easy skill especially with the high resolution cameras that come on the mobile devices. However, teaching the children to be discerning about the photos that they take will be a fantastic foundation in their lives. 

Year two are presently studying the great fire of London, many primary schools up and down the land are doing exactly the same. As part of our computing curriculum these children are tasked to look at photography. So dutifully, today our class took their first steps into composing professional shots. Having started with selfies and now moved on to Tellagami's. The aim was to research the Great Fire of London and use this as a scaffold for making a end product presentation to camera. This could utilise the green screen or their own version a Tellagami (an animated voice over.) 

Tellagami Edu by Tellagami Labs Inc.

https://appsto.re/gb/88_p1.i

I am always mindful of the SAMR model when planning lessons which incorporate iPad. Straight substitution is easy to achieve. It has its place and when utilised properly is very effective. Augmentation is    harder to achieve. Aspects of working with Tellagami's fall into this category. True placing a voice with an animated avatar is not transfirmational. However you could argue that modification can be achieved when the child who uses the app finally finds their 'voice' and expressed opinions that would not normally be heard... 

Redefinition of the task has to come through how the task is set up, effectively challenge based learning. Giving the students the skills and ability to transport themselves back to 1666 is quite simply incredible. The green screen technology gives children a passport to anywhere that their imagination allows! Eat your heart out Dr Who! 

Day 13 - Visual Learners

What have I used in the classroom today?

Numbers

Numbers by Apple

https://appsto.re/gb/7mrIv.i

Logo Draw

Numbers by Apple

https://appsto.re/gb/7mrIv.i

 As an Apple Distinguished Educator I have created a course in iTunes U to expand on ideas surrounding this mathematical skill and concept. 

(https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/enroll/EWK-FTC-NLE)

One of the major benefits of having iPads in the classroom is for me, the fact that it truly allows different types of learners to engage in the lesson. Being a visual learner myself I appreciate that text can be daunting for some learners. Today was an opportunity to show this new set of students how they can be part of the lesson contribute, achieve and feel comfortable learning by utilising the tools that are available on an iPad.

I love teaching maths. My absolute favourite subject is the times tables, weird I know, but the cornerstone for any confident mathematician. Flexible thinking is as important in maths as being able to speak and explain what you're thinking. Feeling able to explain in pictures words diagrams how a solution has been reached lays the foundation for mathematicians to be resilient and approach the rigours of GCSE A-level and beyond. I believe that this skill can be taught and should be taught in primary classrooms.

The class today were looking at the patterns created when the products of the times tables are reduced to their digital roots. These patterns repeated patterns are then used as a way to program a floor or screen turtle to create a visual image. These visual images are usually closed spirals and have their roots in Islamic arts tradition.

So today the class were able to practice those basic number skills show confidence and see in identifying repeated patterns, use them in a cross curricular way to visualise the relationships and strength and understanding.